If you are looking for the *RED PILL* of the *Reptile Industry* then *START HERE:* th-cam.com/video/F1QXoSZa5Aw/w-d-xo.html *PREPARE FOR A PERSPECTIVE SHIFT*
Great video! I have found the best way to get realistic looking rocks is to just go out and really take a look at them outside and get a feel of what they look like. When I’ve tried to paint from memory, it always came out, looking like a cartoon! If there’s any secret, it’s using as many different colors as possible, starting with the darkest first. This way, it seeps into the cracks Naturally, and without effort. Then, you can add more details later with lighter and lighter colors, with dry brushing. Going in and adding little blemishes and imperfections that look like spots of moss or dirt really helps.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast hey, glad to be of help! Thanks a lot for checking out my series on the tree. Your video made me start thinking about casting rocks the same way… hard at work, editing videos, and hope to have them published before I die of old age!
Just starting my snake adventure, subbed to your channel. You have some nice advice from someone who doesn’t have a whole house full of snakes. Not sure why more people don’t sub. Free the snakes! Down with the tiny bins. Lol
I was not sure if I was actually going to get a baby leopard Gecko but I got one for Christmas!she is coming in Thursday and I got her tank set up today!!!!!! Check out my channel for cool creative Suff I’d be over the moon if animals at home subscribed to me!!!!!!!!!!😄😊
you can substitute the paper clay for flexible grout. It's the same material zoos use to their enclosures and it leaves a very nice finish if you use the sanded variety.
Nice work. I used form and polystyrene some glue. Then shaped with a knife. Then cover in tile grout. Paint then seal. Many of videos on here. Not as messy 😜😏
These are so awesome! You don’t give yourself enough credit. They all look amazing and you could easily sell them if you wanted. Thanks so much for sharing the video! Would you have a recommendation for how I could make one with just a bit more weight to it? Just add more clay? Would the grout method a few people have mentioned add weight?
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found the video helpful :) Adding more clay would definitely add more weight... I'm not 100% about adding grout, but I think that would probably work as well!
Acrylic brush-on paint is non-toxic. They sell outdoor-rated water-based hobby acrylic paint that works really well, and is easy to touch up if ever needed. Dries very fast, very people and animal safe. I have some projects that were subject to humidity for a long time (over a year) and the acrylic paint has held up perfectly. Just about any colors you want are available. I got the types rated for ceramics, and it sticks really well to the clay material.
Looks really nice! I don't have snake yet, but I'm going to have one in this summer and I'm really going to use this guide before I even get snake. Lol
Will painters tape work? Not sure if its as strong as your tape. How did you form the openings? Just cut them out? Thanks for the video, they look great
Hey Dillon! I'm curious about the clear coat you used- I have that in my stock, but my understanding is that in order to be safe for reptiles, clear sealant should be no/low VOC- Victoria from Passionate snakes suggested using EcoPoly. That stuff is VERY expensive, so I'd definitely prefer to go with a standard clear coat like Krylon... but since this is an older video, I just wanted to hear you confirm now that you think it's safe to use as long as it's given time to cure. I plan to use it over top of acrylic paint on perches, in the hopes that it will keep the paint from chipping and make them easier to clean without ruining the finish.
If you take a white/light grey paint and a dry bristled paint brush, dip your brush in the paint and dry it off almost completely, then lightly brush over the surface of the rock it will give it more depth and realism. I think these are great though, and unique, not something you see in everyone's vivs. :D
Awesome man i might do this for fun im in the process of building my leopard gecko a larger enclosure desperately seeking for more ideas to give him as much exploring and variation i can
Hi I made a basking area with the foam n got some grout but it’s coming off like powder when I rub it is it a step I need to do before I apply the grout ?? And what sealant did u use
@@Yoursztruely2012 rough up the surface of the foam if spray foam u need to cut away the shiny surface once cured. Then do 2 coats of watery grout allow to dry between layer then up to 5 layers of grout then garve in fine details that may if been lost ine last thin coat of grout then sealant over top for protection and easy cleaning.
I'm here because I'm cheap and don't want to spend $20-$40 on a single hide for the leopard gecko I'm considering of buying. I have the old 20 gallon tank from my current leopard gecko since he upgraded to a bigger tank now I just need hides and after spending a crazy amount of money over the years on his tank I definitely feel like there's a cheaper way to go about it 😅 idk about the spray paint and the clay though, after all that it may be similar to what a hide in the store would cost but if you can make more than one with the materials it would definitely be worth it. Thanks for the idea!
Hey, thank you for this Video, about to make these for my Ball Pythons. The only thing i worry about is the temperature inside the hide. I dont want it to be too cold in there. I use a heatsource from the top of the Terrarium, maybe the tinfoil will reflect or something?
I was thinking I could follow this until the painting part, and instead of painting I would cover the hide with some silicone and then throw some substrate on it so it sticks? Could that work
Hmm...that’s a good question! The clay is definitely capable of handling a fair amount of heat, a heat bulb producing a hotspot of 85-100 F degrees would be fine... I would probably hesitate to use these hides for a desert species though (hotspot of 110+). What kind of animals do you have? Just out of curiosity!
This is pretty cool. I just adopted/rescued my first snake. It’s a red tail boa and I think these are perfect. Could I just use the paper mache? Is the clay necessary?
There’s plenty of info out there on substrates for leopard geckos. I don’t personally keep lever gecko so I can’t make any recommendations, aside from recommending a good loose substrate that allows the geckoes to dig
This may sound dumb, but is the clay even necessary? I paint a lot of mini's for gaming, and other than the weight, I don't see it as a necessary step..
Did he just say -4 is not cold enough? Dang I live in the Middle East and the lowest it could ever go here is 13° Celsius! And we find that really cold too.
😂😂 then you probably couldn’t handle the -40°C that we get in Jan/Feb! But don’t worry… I could never handle the summer heat you experience in the Middle East!
🤣 Canada is a bizarre blend between metric and imperial. Oven temperatures, and the weight/height are always imperial… indoor/outdoor temperatures, distance travelled, volume of liquids, etc. are all metric 😂
Animals at Home wow, you learn something new everyday. if you were to ask 90% of americans what something was in celcius you'd be met with a blank stare, & told "i dont know celcius" i think it's pretty neat that you guys actually use both on a day to day basis, atleast you won't be completely lost if you travel overseas.
Haha yes... Americans don’t seem to do too well with metric! Admittedly, converting things from Celsius to Fahrenheit is pretty confusing… There is no correlation so you pretty much just end up memorizing (32=0, etc)
The crafting hobby.. exactly! Poly hobby info source.. fish, electric trains, plants/growing.. on it’s own the reptile hobby is shit and it shows in most setups.. how fun is it to have a bunch of Tupperware pets? Breeding is definitely different though..
Could be! You mean you recognize the song, but it has the vocals removed? I always use TH-cams free music library as background music so I don’t even pay attention to the artist haha
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast yes, I watched the whole video. The times that you were holding the camera were just extremely difficult to watch, for some reason because of how it was being held and moved around all over the place?
I hear ya! I’ve considered buying a gimbal for stabilization... however I make so few videos it’s probably not worth it for me. Thank you for watching! I recommend listening to the podcast as that’s why I put most of my effort 😀
If you are looking for the *RED PILL* of the *Reptile Industry* then *START HERE:* th-cam.com/video/F1QXoSZa5Aw/w-d-xo.html
*PREPARE FOR A PERSPECTIVE SHIFT*
Definitely going to try this! Thank you for sharing, you could probably use this technique for custom backgrounds too.
No problem! Ya I totally thought of the background idea as well!
"what I just said to nobody" sums up my life. haha Thanks for the video. I have Garters in my back yard and wanted a safe place for them to hang out
did you end up making the hides for your backyard garters ?
If you want to make a more realistic looking hide, you can use a textured rock as a bit of a stamp on the clay before it dries. Love the video!
That’s a awesome idea, thanks!
Or a crumpled ball of aluminum foil
Best DIY hide making video that I've seen. Those are awesome! You should seriously start selling those as merch 👍💯
Thank you! 🙏🏻
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I'm literally going to make 8 of them this coming weekend
Just what I needed after making an enclosure inspired by your previous videos!
Perfect! 👌🏼
I just found this channel and I am already in love with you, I can tell you really do care about your animals❤️
Thank you so much! 😊 I do care about them! I’m glad you found the channel!
I've been looking for videos like this thank you love your channel
No problem:)
This is actually easier than the ones I’m going to make. These look fine, stop picking at yourself! I’d buy one if they were in a store!
Haha thank you!!
This works perfectly for what I have in mind! Thanks for the video!
Awesome! Thanks for watching, Amanda!
Dude ur hides are awesome :D
Thank you! 😎
Great video! I have found the best way to get realistic looking rocks is to just go out and really take a look at them outside and get a feel of what they look like. When I’ve tried to paint from memory, it always came out, looking like a cartoon! If there’s any secret, it’s using as many different colors as possible, starting with the darkest first. This way, it seeps into the cracks Naturally, and without effort. Then, you can add more details later with lighter and lighter colors, with dry brushing. Going in and adding little blemishes and imperfections that look like spots of moss or dirt really helps.
Thanks for the great tips! I watched your tree series yesterday, great stuff 👌🏼
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast hey, glad to be of help! Thanks a lot for checking out my series on the tree. Your video made me start thinking about casting rocks the same way… hard at work, editing videos, and hope to have them published before I die of old age!
Well done. Super cool
Thanks for watching, Rob! :)
Whoa there that's pretty cool
Thanks!
I have actually done 3D art using burlap fabric and Elmer's non toxic white glue. Same idea but less work. Plus I can add moss to the burlap
Ohh that’s an interesting idea, thanks for sharing!
LOL love the aspen bedding for a snake with a 70% humidity requirement :P
Nothing wrong with that! It works 👍🏼
it can work as long as theres a humid hide but giving the snake a substrate that holds the proper humidity also works 👍🏼
These are awesome, totally gonna try it with paper mache clay!!
Thank you for watching!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast You betcha, thanks for creating! Keep making awesome content!
Just starting my snake adventure, subbed to your channel. You have some nice advice from someone who doesn’t have a whole house full of snakes. Not sure why more people don’t sub. Free the snakes! Down with the tiny bins. Lol
Thanks for the sub!
Thanks for the inspiration
Thank you for watching the video!
I think your being a little hard on yourself. I love them!
Haha thank you!
Very good instructions! Thank you!
Thanks for watching! 😊
This is an incredible idea lifesaver
Thanks for watching, Jessica!
I love crafts so I’m going to make this for my baby leopard gecko
Awesome 😊
I was not sure if I was actually going to get a baby leopard Gecko but I got one for Christmas!she is coming in Thursday and I got her tank set up today!!!!!! Check out my channel for cool creative Suff I’d be over the moon if animals at home subscribed to me!!!!!!!!!!😄😊
Awesome! Congrats on the new gecko!
OMG 😮 YOU SUBSCRIBED!
you can substitute the paper clay for flexible grout. It's the same material zoos use to their enclosures and it leaves a very nice finish if you use the sanded variety.
Awesome, that’s a great tip! Thank you for adding that
After 3 years no health issues regarding the paints you used?
Thks for your time.
Take care !
Yep, all is well! Still using them actually 🙂
This is a great alternative if you need more than one/don't want them to all look the same from the store
Exactly! Thanks for watching, Brandon!
Nice work. I used form and polystyrene some glue. Then shaped with a knife. Then cover in tile grout. Paint then seal.
Many of videos on here.
Not as messy 😜😏
Awesome! I’ll have to try that next time!
@motters motters
What do you use to seal?
@@kysaisred Hi. Some sort of clear coat that is nontoxic ie modge podge I think it's spelt.
These are so awesome! You don’t give yourself enough credit. They all look amazing and you could easily sell them if you wanted. Thanks so much for sharing the video! Would you have a recommendation for how I could make one with just a bit more weight to it? Just add more clay? Would the grout method a few people have mentioned add weight?
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found the video helpful :) Adding more clay would definitely add more weight... I'm not 100% about adding grout, but I think that would probably work as well!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast ok thanks
Acrylic brush-on paint is non-toxic. They sell outdoor-rated water-based hobby acrylic paint that works really well, and is easy to touch up if ever needed. Dries very fast, very people and animal safe. I have some projects that were subject to humidity for a long time (over a year) and the acrylic paint has held up perfectly. Just about any colors you want are available. I got the types rated for ceramics, and it sticks really well to the clay material.
That’s a fantastic tip! I will try that next time for sure!
Cool vid guy. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Ever thought about just using grout?
I think that would work just fine!
Looks really nice! I don't have snake yet, but I'm going to have one in this summer and I'm really going to use this guide before I even get snake. Lol
Awesome! 👌🏼
Really cool look!! Did these hold up well overtime with the addition of heat and humidity? Thanks for making this awesome tutorial! :)
Thank you! So far so good, although I do keep them in my boa enclosures and the humidity is not super high but they’ve been handling it just fine!
Will painters tape work? Not sure if its as strong as your tape. How did you form the openings? Just cut them out? Thanks for the video, they look great
I'm sure painters tape would work. and yep, just cut out the opening with scissors! Thanks for watching!
Hey Dillon! I'm curious about the clear coat you used- I have that in my stock, but my understanding is that in order to be safe for reptiles, clear sealant should be no/low VOC- Victoria from Passionate snakes suggested using EcoPoly. That stuff is VERY expensive, so I'd definitely prefer to go with a standard clear coat like Krylon... but since this is an older video, I just wanted to hear you confirm now that you think it's safe to use as long as it's given time to cure. I plan to use it over top of acrylic paint on perches, in the hopes that it will keep the paint from chipping and make them easier to clean without ruining the finish.
Hi Shira! 🙂 in my experience, as long as the clearcoat is totally cured it is safe. I used these hides for years without any issues!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thanks Dillon!
If you take a white/light grey paint and a dry bristled paint brush, dip your brush in the paint and dry it off almost completely, then lightly brush over the surface of the rock it will give it more depth and realism. I think these are great though, and unique, not something you see in everyone's vivs. :D
hmm... that makes sense... as soon as I started painting I realized I had no idea what I was doing haha! Thank you!!
Lighter coats with the can further away will make a world of difference. Don't get me wrong it looks good. Might make a few myself
Thanks for watching and thanks for the tip!
Awesome man i might do this for fun im in the process of building my leopard gecko a larger enclosure desperately seeking for more ideas to give him as much exploring and variation i can
That’s great! Thanks for watching the video!
A foam hide coated in grout and sealed would have been so much easier and faster. This is cool though.
Haha yes that’s for sure... and less tedious! Thanks for watching!
Hi I made a basking area with the foam n got some grout but it’s coming off like powder when I rub it is it a step I need to do before I apply the grout ?? And what sealant did u use
Yoursztruely2012 what kind of foam did you use?
@@Yoursztruely2012 rough up the surface of the foam if spray foam u need to cut away the shiny surface once cured. Then do 2 coats of watery grout allow to dry between layer then up to 5 layers of grout then garve in fine details that may if been lost ine last thin coat of grout then sealant over top for protection and easy cleaning.
The paint looks good. Try scale model videos for different ideas
Yes that is a great idea! A few people have suggested that as well, I need to dig into some of those tutorials
I wonder if using grout would be a better and easier alternative to the paper clay?
I think that would work well... and be way less time consuming haha!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I'm going to have to try it out soon
I'm here because I'm cheap and don't want to spend $20-$40 on a single hide for the leopard gecko I'm considering of buying. I have the old 20 gallon tank from my current leopard gecko since he upgraded to a bigger tank now I just need hides and after spending a crazy amount of money over the years on his tank I definitely feel like there's a cheaper way to go about it 😅 idk about the spray paint and the clay though, after all that it may be similar to what a hide in the store would cost but if you can make more than one with the materials it would definitely be worth it. Thanks for the idea!
Thank you for watching the video! Yes, I’m not sure this method saved me any money… And it definitely didn’t save me any time 😂
Build up stryrofoam, and the carve it out? Wire mesh and air dry clay would work really well
Yes, I think that would work quite well. That reminds me of the way they make mock rock for landscaping.
but is it okay for the snake will the spray paint hurt it from smell or being on it
As long as you allow it to fully cure it is fine. I’ve been using these for years without any issues. I would let them cure for at least two weeks
i would like to make hide for my corn snake and i have water based clay. Is it toxic for her or not?
That should be totally safe once fully cured
You can eliminate the paper mache by using flex seal
Would this support the weight of a skunk crawling on top? They get chunky.
Hmmm good question…. I think probably not
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast that was supposed to say skink lol
😂😂 wow is should have guessed that 🤦🏼♂️. Yes I think it would have no issue supporting the weight of a SKINK 🤣
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I think the visual of it being a skunk was worth it. Thank you!
Can you use modeling clay instead?
It’s a good question… I’m not 100% sure. But I think that should work
Hey, thank you for this Video, about to make these for my Ball Pythons. The only thing i worry about is the temperature inside the hide. I dont want it to be too cold in there. I use a heatsource from the top of the Terrarium, maybe the tinfoil will reflect or something?
It's hard to say if your top heat source will penetrate through the hide enough. I would give it a shot! You may need to pick up a heat mat.
I was thinking I could follow this until the painting part, and instead of painting I would cover the hide with some silicone and then throw some substrate on it so it sticks? Could that work
Yes, that would absolutely work! That’s a great idea 👍🏼
Is this safe to have a heat lamp on top of it constantly? Awesome diy though! Definitely will try if it’s safe to have them hot
Hmm...that’s a good question! The clay is definitely capable of handling a fair amount of heat, a heat bulb producing a hotspot of 85-100 F degrees would be fine... I would probably hesitate to use these hides for a desert species though (hotspot of 110+). What kind of animals do you have? Just out of curiosity!
Animals at Home Oh perfect! I have a ball python her hotspot never goes over 100° I can’t wait to try this out!!
Is all supplies safe for my ball pythons
Yep!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thank yu so much
Can you make this for green anoles?
I think you could... however I’m not sure if they would use it? Anoles typically don’t spend much time on the ground
Thank you 💕
Is the spray paint toxic?
Once fully cured (2-4 weeks) it is not toxic
Spray paint isn’t toxic?
When cured, it is not toxic. I give it a week to 10 days or more to cure to be safe
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast That was my worry. Thanks for the answer. I may try this. It's far more affordable than buying a hide.
This is pretty cool. I just adopted/rescued my first snake. It’s a red tail boa and I think these are perfect. Could I just use the paper mache? Is the clay necessary?
Give it a shot! I think it would likely work
I’m getting a leopard geckos what substrate should I use
There’s plenty of info out there on substrates for leopard geckos. I don’t personally keep lever gecko so I can’t make any recommendations, aside from recommending a good loose substrate that allows the geckoes to dig
This may sound dumb, but is the clay even necessary? I paint a lot of mini's for gaming, and other than the weight, I don't see it as a necessary step..
It adds weight and allows you to carve in detail. If you’re not concerned about either of those things then I’m sure you can skip that step
Did he just say -4 is not cold enough? Dang I live in the Middle East and the lowest it could ever go here is 13° Celsius! And we find that really cold too.
😂😂 then you probably couldn’t handle the -40°C that we get in Jan/Feb! But don’t worry… I could never handle the summer heat you experience in the Middle East!
Animals at Home -40! Ha can’t even imagine honestly, and the heat yeah it’s extreme too but we live indoors a lot so you don’t really notice at all.
Next time try grouting it. :)
Sounds like less fumes and less mess! I will definitely give that a shot next time, thanks :)
clicked for the hides
*stays for the face*
🤣 thanks for watching!
wait.. so you guys use farenheit for your ovens!?
🤣 Canada is a bizarre blend between metric and imperial. Oven temperatures, and the weight/height are always imperial… indoor/outdoor temperatures, distance travelled, volume of liquids, etc. are all metric 😂
Animals at Home wow, you learn something new everyday.
if you were to ask 90% of americans what something was in celcius you'd be met with a blank stare, & told "i dont know celcius" i think it's pretty neat that you guys actually use both on a day to day basis, atleast you won't be completely lost if you travel overseas.
Haha yes... Americans don’t seem to do too well with metric! Admittedly, converting things from Celsius to Fahrenheit is pretty confusing… There is no correlation so you pretty much just end up memorizing (32=0, etc)
The crafting hobby.. exactly! Poly hobby info source.. fish, electric trains, plants/growing.. on it’s own the reptile hobby is shit and it shows in most setups.. how fun is it to have a bunch of Tupperware pets? Breeding is definitely different though..
Subscriber #1589
Thank you!
this is sick! not for me tho.. takes too much time and effort ahaha
Seriously... so much effort haha!!
cute guy
I noticed the background music is Mia Khalifa (hit or miss) with no audio....
Could be! You mean you recognize the song, but it has the vocals removed? I always use TH-cams free music library as background music so I don’t even pay attention to the artist haha
omg please put the camera down, you're driving me crazy lol
Bre M 2:13
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast yes, I watched the whole video. The times that you were holding the camera were just extremely difficult to watch, for some reason because of how it was being held and moved around all over the place?
I hear ya! I’ve considered buying a gimbal for stabilization... however I make so few videos it’s probably not worth it for me. Thank you for watching! I recommend listening to the podcast as that’s why I put most of my effort 😀
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thanks for posting this info, I've been considering making my own hides and other decor for my crested geckos. Good idea