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Making Display Chocolates - Part 2

By Bob Sherman

Part one of this series discussed painting molds for display of flat back pieces. In this second article we will discuss making displays using 3d molds which do not lend themselves to the mold painting technique. For the example I used an Easter bunny, however the technique is the same for all 3D assembly molds.

You probably realize that chocolate does not lend itself well to long term display or exposure to sunlight. Chocolate is a delightful product but some of the very things that cause us to love it so much make it a very difficult product to display for any length of time. Heat, cold, or dust will soon make your display chocolate look terrible.

This is not generally a problem for those who make chocolate at home, but a business that needs window dressing or needs to sample chocolates that can be custom ordered needs a way to display these products. Ideally these displays should be resistant to heat, cold, UV light, and be easy to clean.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1
Make a plaster casting. Full step by step instructions for making plaster castings in 3D chocolate molds can be found here.

Step 2
You will need acrylic paint in a milk, dark, or white chocolate color. Bring a small chocolate sample to the store when paint shopping. You will also need a brush - my preference is a 1/2 inch wide white bristle brush. For finishing you will want a clear gloss. Spray gloss looks best but brush on is also acceptable.

Note that if you can find a suitable color in gloss paint, it may not be necessary to finish with a coat of gloss, however I get better results by using flat (matte) paints and then clear coating after.

Step 3
Apply a thin coat of paint. Make sure not to leave drips or brush marks. Much of the plaster will be showing through the first coat.

Slow and steady wins the race with this - avoid the temptation to apply paint heavily. Thin coats will have minimal brush marks and dry faster. Remember the object here is to create something that looks like chocolate and brush marks and drips will spoil that illusion.

Allow the paint to fully dry before continuing - painting over wet paint will slow the drying time considerably.

Step 4
Apply a second thin coat and allow to dry.

Step 5
At this stage you will have pretty good coverage with most paint colors. Apply a third thin coat and allow to dry. Touch up any thin spots as needed. Allow to cure for 24 hours before continuing.

Step 6
Gloss coating will smooth out the surface and make it look like real chocolate.

Spray - Apply a thin coat to avoid drip marks.

Brush - If using brush on gloss it should be applied with a soft brush to minimize brush marks.

NOTE: For photography reasons, the gloss coat was omitted from my sample.

Step 7
Use a tacky glue or white glue to adhere any embellishments you desire such as eyes, carrots, flowers, etc...

Should the embellishments get faded or dirty, simply remove them carefully and replace them with fresh ones.

Step 6
The finished display sample.

Again, note that no gloss was used on mine because it does not photograph as well, but if you are using these to sell chocolates they will look much more realistic with a glossy finish.

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Disclaimer: The information presented here is accurate to the best of my knowledge and common practices as of the time of this writing - March 2007. The author and the publisher accept no liability for the use or misuse of any of the information presented in this article. This article is presented for informational purposes and is used at your own risk.

Author: Bob Sherman

Publisher: Bobby's Craft Boutique Inc.

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