Long before humans walked the earth, prehistoric plants and animals left their mark on the world. Today, the only evidence that this amazing life ever existed comes in the form of fossils - their ancient, preserved remains. Actual fossils can take thousands upon thousands of years to form. Luckily, with a few common ingredients, you can make your own in little more than an afternoon! See Step 1 below to get started.
1Prepare your mixture. This method uses a setting compound, like cement, plaster of Paris, rubber cement, etc. to create a rock-like fossil with the impression of your desired object in it. Your first step is to prepare your "wet" mixture following any directions on the packaging you obtained it from. Next, pour your mixture into a suitable container - plastic bowls, Tupperware containers, or cut-in-half milk cartons will probably work for most fossils, but bigger fossils may mean bigger containers.
- There's no one setting compound that's better than the others - obviously, cement is an extremely durable option, which makes it a smart choice if you want to display your fossil outside. However, you may find that plaster of Paris is more convenient for indoor science fair-type projects.
- One alternative to the above methods is to use a natural setting mixture of flour and water. Simply add 2 parts flour to 1 part water (for instance, 4 cups flour with 2 cups water) and combine. You should get a somewhat wet, clay-like mixture - add more flour for a drier mixture and more water for a wetter mixture.
2Press your fossil into your mixture. Pick an object that you'd like to "fossilize". Place this object in the mixture and press down until it is about halfway submerged. Try to leave part of your fossil "above" the mixture so that it's easier to pry out. If you'd like to hang your fossil when dried, stick a nail all the way through the mixture to create a hanging hole.
- Almost any small object will make a great fossil. You may find success, with, for instance, a chicken bone, a shell (as pictured), an arrowhead, a cool leaf, or whatever other object you can think of.
3Let the mixture dry. Now, all you have to do is wait. Be patient allowing your mixture to set - your fossil will look best if your "rock" is completely hard before you try to pull your object out. If you can, you may want to let your fossil dry in the sun to speed up the process.
- The mixture you chose will have some effect on the time your fossil takes to dry. Depending on its consistency, plaster of Paris can be ready in as little as a few hours, while concrete can take a few days.
4Remove the fossil. When your "rock" is completely dry, try to gently remove your entire fossil - your dried mixture and your object - from its container. Be careful - it's easy to accidentally chip your fossil in this step. If you're really having a hard time removing your fossil, you may even need to break the container itself.
- If you used a nail to make a hanger hole, you may pry it out gently with the "claw" on the back end of a hammer at this point.
5Pry the object out of the bowl/carton gently. With a steady hand (and just a little luck), you should now be left with a hardened "mold" displaying the imprint of the object you left in it. You now have your fossil!
6"Weather" your fossil to make it look more authentic. Real fossils aren't perfectly clean and symmetrical - they're usually old, rough things carved out of solid rock. If you'd like your fossil to have this "rugged" quality, you might want to try "wearing it out" a little. Use a hammer to chip small pieces off the edges. Rub dirt into it. Use sandpaper to simulate the effects of erosion. You can even paint your fossil a tan, brown, or rusty color - your imagination is the limit!
7Display your fossil with pride. When it's exactly the way you want it, show your fossil off! Bring it to school to use as a class decoration or hang it up in your bedroom. For a tableau effect, try arranging your fossil with natural artifacts you find out in the wild!
8Don't stop here! Believe it or not, real paleontologists use a method similar to the "mold and cast" method in this article for preserving and displaying small fossils. However, it's not the only method they use. If you really want to make amazing, realistic fossils, you may want to investigate some of the other methods used for real-life fossils, like the following:
- To recreate fossils which are too large to practically "mold and cast", scientists cover the fossil with clay and foam to create a mold, then carefully fill this (now hollow) mold with plaster, cement, etc. This creates a 3-D model of the fossil itself, rather than an imprint of the fossil. You may want to experiment with creating a mold in this way if you'd like to make this kind of fossil - simply use basic pottery clay to create your mold.
- Recently, 3D printing has become a valuable technology for recreating fossils. Though professional-quality 3D printers are still prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest individuals, cheaper options exist - for instance, some online communities offer access to the capabilities of a 3D printer for a monthly membership fee, while some institutions of higher education, like universities and even community colleges offer 3D printing for (relatively) cheap.
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- Experiment by adding food colouring into the mixture to give it a different look.
- If this is part of a class science project on fossils, have class members prepare different fossils from different eras by making designs out of cardboard and other bits and pieces in the craft box. Use book or Internet illustrations to help create the designs. Discuss fossils and the different types of animals and plants that have been discovered in a fossilised state.
- Don't pour excess plaster of Paris or cement mix down the drain, as that will clog the pipes; dispose of in a trash can or rubbish bin.
- Take care when handling the nail.
Things You'll Need
- Plaster of Paris or cement powder; follow instructions on packet for making mixture up
- A container, preferably a disposable bowl in case you need to break it
- Something to 'fossilise', for example fish bones, sea shells, etc. or create a shape from an illustration, using craft bits and pieces.
Sources and Citations
Categories: Rock Gem Mineral and Fossil Collecting
In other languages:
Español: Cómo hacer un fósil, Português: Como Fazer um Fóssil de Mentira, Italiano: Come Creare un Falso Fossile, Deutsch: Einen gefälschten Fossil darstellen, Français: Comment faire un faux fossile, Русский: сделать искусственный отпечаток ископаемого, 中文: 制作假化石, Nederlands: Fossielen maken, Bahasa Indonesia: Membuat Fosil
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