Suggestions needed for how I can craft a model(prop) of a gilded frame...

dreababyluxe

Hi,

I'm a student and I have to produce a window display for an assignment. I need to try to create as much of the props as possible from scratch myself and being a bit of a perfectionist I don't want to be lazy and just throw it together so I've been hunting and trawling the internet for suggestions but haven't come up with that many so I'm hoping someone here can help.

I want to recreate something like this:

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://static2.bigstockphoto.com/thumbs/0/6/3/large2/3608521.jpg&imgrefurl=http://affiliate.bigstockphoto.com/image-3608521/stock-photo-oval-gilded-frame&usg=__tA9GFhmTIunfTAetQCKVnuKzJhM=&h=414&w=450&sz=112&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=pZ9u_acOySGkTM:&tbnh=148&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgilded%2Bframe%2Blarge%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D426%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=419&vpy=120&dur=1761&hovh=215&hovw=234&tx=106&ty=170&ei=BpEvTaHhJouIhQeZrrjgCg&oei=BpEvTaHhJouIhQeZrrjgCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0

I'm a good sculptor (or at least was when I left school 4 years ago, I haven't touched it since) but I think using clay to sculpt the frame would be too heavy... Does anyone have suggestions for other materials or methods I could use to create this prop? All advice much, much appreciated.

looksee

Sculpt a quarter of the frame in clay, make a plaster cast then make 4 casts in paper pulp, join together on a card base and spray gold.