DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides

I was tired of using bowls, terracotta and other stuff that just looked cheap and fake. After much trial and error, mistakes and a small kitchen disaster (don't ask!! LOL), I finally came up with a hide that I can make myself that is very inexpensive and great to look at! It's even easy enough to do as a project with the kids! They're a lot of fun to make and with a bit of creativity, you can make some amazing looking hides for your animals.

Easy Home-Made "Realistic" Hides

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...inished1-1.jpg

These DIY home-made hides use an old fashioned clay recipe that's very inexpensive and pretty easy to make. They can be made to any size and customized depending on your needs. They can also be washed and sterilized as needed! :gj:

Supplies needed:

1 - bowl or container about the size you want for your hide mold. (for purposes of this tutorial, I used an existing hide as my mold)
1 - can of Krylon Matte Finish waterproofing spray. I used this instead of lacquer or shellacking because I wanted a duller finish, but any waterproofing agent would work just as well.
1 - paint (I used "Krylon Make It Stone!" textured paint but you can use whatever you like)
1 - course grit sandpaper
1 - rolling pin
1 - Batch of home-made clay

Step 1 - Make your home-made clay (below)
* 2 Cups Flour
* 1 Cup Salt
* 1 Cup Water
* 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive or Vegetable Oil
* Wax Paper
* 1 Mixing Bowl
* Cookie Sheet

1. Mix the salt and flour together in the mixing bowl.

2. Slowly add the water and oil to the bowl and mix together until you get a smooth consistency. Your clay should look like this:

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...l-o-clay-1.jpg

3. Tear off a large piece of wax paper and pull off a chunk of the dough.




Step 2 - Cover your bowl with a VERY thin layer of oil. It is very important that you do not skip this step.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j.../oilmold-1.jpg

Step 3 - Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Shape the dough over your bowl keeping the thickness uniform. Try not to make too thick or your clay will not harden correctly. Don't forget the entrance opening!

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...waxpaper-1.jpg

Step 4 - Place your creation on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and cook in an oven at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When they are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. You'll know it's done when clay is hard to the touch.

Step 5 - Once your clay is completely cooled, VERY CAREFULLY remove your mold from the clay. Do this by turning the cooled hide upside down and sand off any areas overlapping areas. Hide should now remove easily. Sand any rough areas until you are satisfied with the results.
NOTE* If you find that your clay is not completely hard once you remove your mold, carefully place your new hide upside down into the wax paper lined cookie sheet and put back into the oven until completely hard. (this will flatten the top of your hide, but will look fine once painted.) Remove and let cool completely to room temp. Trying to cool in the fridge or freezer will crack the clay.

Step 6 - Waterproof both inside and out with the Krylon Matte Finish spray making sure all areas are thoroughly waterproofed. Let dry.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...rproofer-1.jpg

Step 7 - Paint your hide as you desire. Be creative! Let dry.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...rm/paint-1.jpg

Step 8 - Spray waterproofing over the DRY paint making sure all areas are covered. Let dry.
Step 9 - Wait about 36 hours for your hide to completely dry and air out before placing it in with any animal.

Finished Hide:
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...inished2-1.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...urm/back-1.jpg

I made 15 hatchling hides for about $22.00! Can't beat that with a stick!

Tips and tricks!
*Add some fake plants with hot glue. Easy to remove and clean!
*Trim the edges of your hide with polished rocks.
*Line the inside with moss to hold humidity
*Instead of paint, after waterproofing your hide, hot glue moss to the outside to blend with your enclosure decor. (Moss will have to me removed to clean the hide)

Please feel free to share some tips that you have used on your own hides!

That is a great idea!

Awesome Idea!

I am going to use this for my boas. I can't find large enough hides for them.

That Kicks @$$!!!! I am going to have to try it when I get out of this hotel room and back home from work!!

Looks great!! Only concern is if the paint gives off VOC's?

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Originally Posted by Somed00d

Looks great!! Only concern is if the paint gives off VOC's?

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According to their website, All Krylon® products are non-toxic when dry.

Thanks everyone! I'm glad that people will be able to use this! :)

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Originally Posted by Somed00d

Looks great!! Only concern is if the paint gives off VOC's?

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I used Krylon paint when I made some big enclosures and it didnt hurt the reptiles. We made sure the paint was dry too.

One of the best DIY hides Ive seen.


May I ask where you found the clay recipe?

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

One of the best DIY hides Ive seen.


May I ask where you found the clay recipe?

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Thanks Pat!
I found one online at a kids craft site, but had to tweak it to harden without cracking.

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

According to their website, All Krylon® products are non-toxic when dry.

Thanks everyone! I'm glad that people will be able to use this! :)

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sweet.. you could probably dry it in the oven too..

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Originally Posted by Somed00d

sweet.. you could probably dry it in the oven too..

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Hm, see original notation about "small kitchen disaster" :rofl:
Please do NOT try this at home :D

Very cool idea! A little too much work for me (I'm super lazy) but maybe I could get Amy to make some for the gex! :)

Nice idea, I really hate buying hides and then having to get new ones as the snakes get older. I wonder if you could do this without an existing hide as a mold? Or would the clay fall in on itself?

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Originally Posted by icygirl

Nice idea, I really hate buying hides and then having to get new ones as the snakes get older. I wonder if you could do this without an existing hide as a mold? Or would the clay fall in on itself?

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I tried but the clay is just too pliable. I imagine it could work if you used some sort of brace to hold it while cooking. Or just mold it over a cake pan or something.

That is fantastic!

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

Thanks Pat!
I found one online at a kids craft site, but had to tweak it to harden without cracking.

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How many hides can you make with one batch?

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

How many hides can you make with one batch?

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I made two hides with each batch of clay. I used the medium hide (shown here http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_cave.php) as my mold

I am making the X-Large now. Getting one per batch of clay (with a small bit left over). Beats the heck out of the cost to buy these.

Could you use a glass bowl and mold around it or would it stick to the glass?

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Originally Posted by Clear

Could you use a glass bowl and mold around it or would it stick to the glass?

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If you use the oil as directed, it'll come right off. Made a couple with glass for my gecko.

Really nice! I plan to do this now for my hatchlings. Do you paint the inside with the rock stuff?

also, the mixture to make this can also me tweaked to make play-do'h( or what ever it is) :p

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Really nice! I plan to do this now for my hatchlings. Do you paint the inside with the rock stuff?

also, the mixture to make this can also me tweaked to make play-do'h( or what ever it is) :p

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I didn't paint the inside, just waterproofed them real well :)

LOL...you'll let me know if it tastes the same?? :P

I think this should be made a DIY Sticky. This could save people a lot of money. Very well done!!!

Does the mold not give off chemical smells in the oven?

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Originally Posted by jimmyfoxca

I think this should be made a DIY Sticky. This could save people a lot of money. Very well done!!!

Does the mold not give off chemical smells in the oven?

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Thanks! No, I only used glass and ceramic so there was no smell aside from the flour mixture. However, please remember that these need to do into the oven so do not use a plastic mold. :)

Ok so I tried this last night, and I dont know WHAT i did wrong, but after baking for 1 hour, it was all sofy and dough like still.

Do you think that old flour would make this happen?

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Ok so I tried this last night, and I dont know WHAT i did wrong, but after baking for 1 hour, it was all sofy and dough like still.

Do you think that old flour would make this happen?

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Pat, sounds like too much water, perhaps? If the dough was too soft and not able to be rolled up into a ball, just add a little more flour, keep adding till it no longer sticks to your hands and holds it's shape well. I don't think the age of the four would make a difference.

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

Pat, sounds like too much water, perhaps? If the dough was too soft and not able to be rolled up into a ball, just add a little more flour, keep adding till it no longer sticks to your hands and holds it's shape well. I don't think the age of the four would make a difference.

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I actually think your right. It felt very moist, almost sticky-ish.

Im gonna try it again today! we will see!



ps...I never knew wax paper could go in the oven! (thought it would melt)

What kind of flour do you use? Not all purpose?

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

What kind of flour do you use? Not all purpose?

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I used all purpose flour. Dunno if it would make a difference...things that make you go hmmmm :D

I forgot the oil!!!!!!!

NIce tutorial, but is the clay water resistant to the point hat these can be washed? If not, fino or something might work beter. Someone also asked about using an existing stone hide as a base. You can get a mold makiong kit or fill the interior cavity with a latex filler, then pull it out and use it for your base. You can just shape the outside to match, or you can make a plaster mold of the outside and press it down on top of the clay once it's formed on the base. You'd have exact replicas with a litle more work.

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

NIce tutorial, but is the clay water resistant to the point hat these can be washed? If not, fino or something might work beter. Someone also asked about using an existing stone hide as a base. You can get a mold makiong kit or fill the interior cavity with a latex filler, then pull it out and use it for your base. You can just shape the outside to match, or you can make a plaster mold of the outside and press it down on top of the clay once it's formed on the base. You'd have exact replicas with a litle more work.

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No, the clay itself is not waterproof, which is why there are two waterproofing steps. Once before the paint and once after. Though, I would not suggest letting them soak in water, giving them a wash won't hurt since they are waterproofed. They're inexpensive enough that even if the person does NOT waterproof enough to make them completely sealed, it's not a big loss cost wise.
I have a resin kit that I was going to use, but I read some other DIY's where people were looking for an inexpensive solution. So the point of this DIY was to keep costs at a minimum and make it easy enough for even kids to make.
I think that by the time you bought Fimo, latex or even plaster, with all the other sealing and painting...it would be more cost effective to simply buy a store bought hide.
Again, if you have the money and want the satisfaction of building it yourself, by all means, go for it...I am sure your ideas would make some killer hides! Thanks for the ideas!

That is beautiful. Thank you!

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

No, the clay itself is not waterproof, which is why there are two waterproofing steps. Once before the paint and once after. Though, I would not suggest letting them soak in water, giving them a wash won't hurt since they are waterproofed. They're inexpensive enough that even if the person does NOT waterproof enough to make them completely sealed, it's not a big loss cost wise.
I have a resin kit that I was going to use, but I read some other DIY's where people were looking for an inexpensive solution. So the point of this DIY was to keep costs at a minimum and make it easy enough for even kids to make.
I think that by the time you bought Fimo, latex or even plaster, with all the other sealing and painting...it would be more cost effective to simply buy a store bought hide.
Again, if you have the money and want the satisfaction of building it yourself, by all means, go for it...I am sure your ideas would make some killer hides! Thanks for the ideas!

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I hear you. I didn't catch that you waterproof the inside as well. I was just letting the other poster know what would be involved in using a store bought hide as your mold, but I agree it would be cheaper to just buy another one. Again, nice write up!

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Originally Posted by V1L3 DiaL3cT

That is beautiful. Thank you!

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Thanks! :)

I'm in the process of making several more, adding different decoration ideas to each.
If anyone has anything they would like to add for ideas on decorating them, please let me know! I'll post pics of the finished results with how-to's if anyone is interested!

Yes, please post pics of your finished products!

Decoration idea....not the most practical for tubs, but looks neat in a display tank.

Fall Themed Hide

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...m/100_2110.jpg

Everything is tacked onto the hide with hot glue for easy removal (except the rocks)

cleaning that will be fun:D Its nice though, there is so much I could do to with this clay.

Really cool idea, ill have to give that a try. :gj:

Got it workin!!!!


I think my old flour didnt hold the moisture very well, I ended up using about half the water.

Interesting idea.

Here is a link that may be of interest too.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/par...ake-rocks.html

It is 25 pages long so be ready to read but the best info is by the member HX starting about page 3. I think theis method could probably be modified to make hides in a similar manner, by casting over a bowl or the like. And you do not need to worry about water proofing afterwards...

Anyways, just a reference if others are interested.

Man....we have a LOT of stickies in this forum already! However, none are about making inexpensive awesome looking hides.....so....there ya go...all stickiefied!

Thanks for the thread!! :gj:

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Originally Posted by JLC

Man....we have a LOT of stickies in this forum already! However, none are about making inexpensive awesome looking hides.....so....there ya go...all stickiefied!

Thanks for the thread!! :gj:

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Way too cool! Thanks!

Thank you so much for this, it looked so fun I had to try it. My work of art is now in the oven, it may take a while, because I had extra clay(one batch was not enouph so I made 2-too much)
I don't have the waterproofer yet, but I will get some later.
I will post a pic of it when it is done. I just wanted to say thanks again, awsome craft project.

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Originally Posted by JamieC

Thank you so much for this, it looked so fun I had to try it. My work of art is now in the oven, it may take a while, because I had extra clay(one batch was not enouph so I made 2-too much)
I don't have the waterproofer yet, but I will get some later.
I will post a pic of it when it is done. I just wanted to say thanks again, awsome craft project.

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Thanks! :) Glad you're having fun with it! Can't wait to see the pics!

I ran into one problem, the only glass bowl I had was bigger than my cookie sheet, so during the baking the clay seeped under the bowl causing a lip, after 30 min of filing with a serrated knife it finally came off the bowl. The inside was a bit soft still so it went back in to cook more. I have my paint ready to go, but still no water proofer. I plan on hand painting some decorations on it, I hope this works out well, I made the hide huge, so I will not need another one (unless my bp grows to be a giant)

I finished it! it goes in the cage in the morning. It got messed up a bit..my fault...and i had to go with my backup plan for it.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4883_thumb.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4882_thumb.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4881_thumb.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4880_thumb.jpg

great idea! i have it printed out and im going to make it soon!

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Originally Posted by JamieC

I finished it! it goes in the cage in the morning. It got messed up a bit..my fault...and i had to go with my backup plan for it.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4883_thumb.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4882_thumb.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4881_thumb.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4880_thumb.jpg

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That looks awesome! You really did a great job!

Thanks it went into her tank today.... but she would still rater curl up in a corner. ... also i think i made it a little big, it takes up a huge spot in the tank, it almost didn't fit.

mines been in the oven for 20 minutes already. 25 more to go!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!