To setup my mold, I mixed alginate and water into a plastic cup (there was no available silicone cups), inserted my finger, and let the alginate set.

I mixed my plaster by eye to get a slurry consistency and poured it into the mold. I had a lot of trouble with my fingers breaking upon de-molding, which I realized later on was because I was letting the plaster dry in the alginate for too long, so it was soaking up water from the alginate.

After four failed attempts and realizing my mistake, I was finally able to mold two fingers.

To post-process, I spray painted the fingers orange and then used a clear coat to seal them. 

Takeaways:

• mix the alginate quickly and add a good amount of water off the bat so it is smoother and doesn’t cause imperfections
• don’t make the plaster too thin or the fingers will break
• don’t let the plaster stay in the alginate for too long or it will soak up all the water

Cost Analysis:

Alginate=$5
Plaster of Paris=$3
Spray paint and clear coat: nominal cost
Labor: $20/hr x 2.5 hrs = 50
TOTAL:$58