Halloween is a holiday that comes in many shades—more so than just about any other occasion for celebration. It can be silly, gory, spooky, sexy, or mystical and elegant. That’s the aesthetic that inspired this DIY, which taps into the current divination-centric decor trend.
While it’s not exactly a quickie craft, it’s a highly adaptable one: You can use these pretty plaster hands as candleholders or candy dishes, place card holders or party-buffet props. Whatever route you choose, we predict you’ll keep the finished product around at season’s end—and summon its magical party-enhancing powers year after year.
At a glance:
Time: 40 minutes hands-on, 12–24 hours for drying
Difficulty: Intermediate

You will need:
- Large bucket or bowl
- Measuring cups
- Wood craft sticks for stirring
- Alginate molding powder
- 2-liter plastic bottle with the top cut off
- Casting plaster
- Craft knife
- Sandpaper (100-grit)
- Acrylic Paint
- Paintbrush
- Fine-tip paint pen
- Chisel

Step 1: Scoop alginate compound into a large bucket or bowl. To cast an adult hand, you’ll need 6 cups.

Step 2: Add an equal amount of room temperature water to the alginate powder.

Step 3: Stir the ingredients together with a wood stick. Then eliminate any remaining lumps with one hand, making sure to keep the other hand clean for casting.

Step 4: Quickly pour the paste into the 2-liter bottle.

Step 5: Insert a clean hand, held in the pose that you want to cast, into the mixture. Keep your hand submerged and in position, remaining as still as possible, for 3 to 5 minutes.


Step 6: Tap the top of the alginate with your free hand to make sure it’s fully set. Once the alginate has hardened, gently wiggle your submerged hand and fingers to get them loose. Carefully remove your hand. Congratulations—you’ve just made a mold!

Step 7: Set your mold to the side and mix up some plaster according to package instructions, stirring thoroughly until smooth.

Step 8: Pour the plaster into the mold you created. Depending on the humidity, it can take 30 minutes or longer for the plaster to set.


Step 9: Once the plaster has set, tap the top to loosen, then begin cutting away the plastic bottle using a craft or utility knife. Continue cutting carefully, now through the alginate, being mindful not to cut into the plaster fingers you’ve made. Keep removing alginate until your plaster hand is revealed. If there are any air bubbles or mistakes, use extra plaster to fill in the holes.

Step 10: Let the hand dry for at least 12 hours and sand off any rough spots before you begin painting. You can also sand the bottom of the hand into a flat base so that it can stand upright.

Step 11: Paint the plaster with an opaque acrylic paint and let dry.

Step 12: If you want to make a flat plaster hand into a candle holder, use a small chisel or a flat clay sculpting tool to carve out a hole in the plaster to fit the candle. Work slowly, carving just a little at a time, until you’ve made a shallow well that matches the candle’s diameter.

Step 13: Using a fine-tip paint pen in a contrasting color, follow a palmistry diagram to draw markings on the painted hand.

For even more impact, create a few hands in different positions and pose them in a spooky vignette atop a side table, or compose a moody centerpiece for your dinner table. It’s bound to earn you a round of enthusiastic—and maybe a little awed—applause.
Looking for more brilliant Halloween ideas? Browse these creepy-cute candles and holders made and curated by Etsy sellers.

Project photographs by Amanda Kingloff.
43 comments
DeUno from DeUno said 2 years ago
Mysterious project! Well presented! Thank you for sharing!
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 2 years ago
This mysterious DIY is perfect for Halloween. Thanks for sharing!
R.M Garrett from ArtisticAcrylics said 2 years ago
This is so cool! Thanks for sharing!!
Cynthia O'Keeffe said 2 years ago
I love this! What a fun project! Thank you for posting !
Maria from StyleGraphicDesign said 2 years ago
Wonderful idea!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 2 years ago
Great project! Very creative!
Nicola Berkowski from ParadisMaisonUS said 2 years ago
This is sooo cool! My fav Etsy DIY yet! I'm going to re-share this with my occult loving customers!
cindy Q. from mrsakarn said 2 years ago
Brilliant!!! Love it, thank you for sharing!!!! Cindy Q
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 2 years ago
Wowie ! Cryptic Renaissance Magic at its best ~!~
Giselle from MerrierTerrier said 2 years ago
I adore the step by step tutorial!
Stella from RaveEssentialsxx said 2 years ago
These are gorgeous! Great work and great tutorial! Thank you!
Renee from RandMhandmade said 2 years ago
Thank you for sharing!
Pamela from PamelaOssorioDesign said 2 years ago
Love this! Great descriptions, hope to try it!
TropicalGarden from TropicalGarden said 2 years ago
Wow... amazing DIY idea for Halloween! Thanks for sharing:)
Marine P. Lepage from herbalmafia said 2 years ago
Woo what a nice project... Will try it!
Marieken Hoefnagel from invisiblecrown said 2 years ago
What an awesome project!
Linda Baxley from LindaBaxleyPillows said 2 years ago
Very nice posting! Thank you! Linda Baxley Designer Pillows
Leilani Hirakawa from Lanikawastudio said 2 years ago
So cool!!!! I want to make one too~!!
Julia K Walton from JuliaKWalton said 2 years ago
Very effective and unusual decorations! Wonderful :o)
Elizaveta Zhuravleva from artjewelryfromstones said 2 years ago
A magical idea! Very detailed master class, thanks!
Rachel Bingaman from BingArt said 2 years ago
Great DIY idea for Halloween! What fun!
Alexandra Evans said 2 years ago
Oh wow! This just totally inspired me to make a few to use in the backgrounds for my teacup and tarot reading YouTube channel I'm launching. I'd not heard about this "divination-centric decor trend". Brilliant timing. I wish I'd predicted it lol! 💫🔮☕✋💫
Lu Lu from Vol4iwa said 1 year ago
Cool! A whole structure to use!. There is still time to try it - to create and use as an amazing photo zone or holiday table!
Anastasiya from byKiama said 1 year ago
Booooo! Very-very creepy candleholders)) Thanks for idea
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 1 year ago
PreTTy darn clever !
Ihor from antiquaryUSSR said 1 year ago
Wow! Great idea!
Oksana from AmigurumiJoys said 1 year ago
Great project! Thank you for sharing) I will definitely try to do it !!!
Alla Popova from CherryVanillaGifts said 1 year ago
Wow))Thats a great gift idea for the fortuneteller! :)
Cooper Collectibles T from CooperCollectibles said 1 year ago
This is Great!! Thank you for sharing :))
Sharon from YearsAfter said 1 year ago
Great idea for Halloween and also for making a ring holder!
petcharat kouytawimol from LamoonPKShop said 1 year ago
That's a fantastic idea.
Lev from BluebeardLeather said 1 year ago
Amazing! This experiment will be interesting to conduct with my children!))
Ink Casket from InkCasket said 1 year ago
These really set the mood, and they're great accent pieces overall. Thanks for sharing!
ViktoriaKonkova from ViktoriaKonkova said 1 year ago
Thanks for idea! Thats really awesome and creepy!
Anna Sypalo from XstitchbyAnna said 1 year ago
Thank you for such interesting workshop!
Sabrina from BuyMyVintageLuv said 1 year ago
Wow great how to!! Sharing!
Posh Park from PoshPark said 1 year ago
Thanks for sharing! Perfect for Halloween :)
Samantha from HylaBrookBooks said 1 year ago
this would look so spooky on top of an open antique book!
Carrie Lewis said 1 year ago
I would try it myself if I was artsy, that's why I come here to buy it lol :-)
Anastasiya from TimAmiToys said 1 year ago
Cool idea! Thank you for the detailed master class!
Nati from Nati00Art said 1 year ago
This DIY for Halloween looks handsome!!! I adore it!! Thanks for sharing
Run Design from WeddingByRunDesign said 1 year ago
Amazing ideas!
Laura Stevens from PsychicLauraShop said 1 year ago
😍😍😍