I am doing one for an exchange on the Yahoo forum and those guys and I wrapped the shoe with rigid wrap, which is plaster impregnated cheesecloth available at Hobby Lobby I did two layers on mine prior to mosaicing. I will look for the link with instructions and post it.
Carol

My last one - after the two layers of rigid wrap, I gave it a coat of plaster and then a coat of gesso. IF I ever do another one, I'll apply the rigid wrap and then a coat of thinset.

Bonnie- Check your email...this forum would not let me post a link from the other forum here.

Hi There,

I am involved in the swap on the yahoo group too. I found plaster impregnated bandages on Dick Blick for about 1/3 the price of the Rigid Wrap that they also had.

The shoe is very hard now, and I plan to just mosaic onto it as is. A thin coat of thinset would probably be a good idea, but I probably won't do it. No one in the group seemed to think it was super important, but they did think it would add durability.

Lynne

Lynne, I am doing mine right on the rigid wrap, no problem. it just takes a long time because you do a little and have to let it dry then do some more. Hard to handle..lol

I have filled my shoes with plaster to make them rigid.
Worked great for me.......but not for outside. My friend told me the one I made for her garden, is falling apart.
Otherwise...plaster seems to work fine for inside stuff!
Just fill the inside....and there is no outside smoothing,
just make it rigid!