The Perfect Earth Plaster Course

Learn how to master beautiful plaster in 11 Lessons

"I'm really enjoying your earth plaster course! I particularly loved it when you gouged into your wall and replastered so confidently. Brilliant!" Kim Fraser, The Hideaway Under the Stars.

Perfect Earth Plaster, and More!
Earth plaster is one of the most satisfying, useful and beautiful things I've ever learned to master. It costs next to nothing to create, and opens up a world of construction, artistic and decorative opportunities. Once you get the hang of this art, you can not only render houses, but restore ancient stone work, make earthen structures like cob ovens and chicken coops, create paints, sculpt reliefs, make wall mosaics, wattle and daub, and more. Your imagination is the limit.

I'm not going to lie though. Earth plaster can be tricky at the outset. Recipes often don't work because earth plaster is notoriously dependent on local climate, soil make up, and the surface you want to render.

This Perfect Earth Plaster Course will teach you step by step how to make plaster just about anywhere, and very inexpensively. It empowers you by giving you the tools and understanding to become a plaster master yourself with some practice. In this course, I share with you my personal techniques and discoveries too.

"Very informative and good instructions in the text and videos! Absolutely helpful, thanks for putting it together." Nanda Doornik, cob oven builder in Ireland.

"We definitely found this course helpful when we plastered our sandbag wall." Luke and Kath in New Zealand.

One of the reasons for this online earth plaster course was my own experience. Back in 2011 I was stuck on a remote hill unable to buy books on earth plastering. My plaster was failing me, and I couldn't understand why. What I wouldn't have given for a decent online course!

Now I see: Teaching earth plaster works far better in a digital context than in book format. Videos are crucial for seeing exactly how plaster is mixed and applied.

Who is The Perfect Earth Plaster Course for?

1. Beginners: This course is perfect for those wanting to try their hand at plaster for the first time and play. It takes you through the entire plaster process from finding materials to maintenance.

2. Natural builders needing to plaster a house. If you're about to embark on a house rendering mission, you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by taking this course before you start.

3. People having issues with their earth plaster. Oh I've been there! And that is why I've devoted an entire section to solving what is going wrong with your plaster.This course is not a surface skim. It gives you the nuts and bolts of plastering to help you work out why your plaster is failing, and what to do about it.

4. Creative people wanting to make beautiful things. This course will unleash a world of creative and artistic possibilities in you, many I haven't even thought of no doubt. Mosaic, sculpture, interior design, and more.

5. People who want to try and use the clays on their land. One of things I'm proud of in this course is that it will teach you how to find your own clays, test them, and build without buying in lots of ingredients.

This entire painted wall sculpture was created from clays I found on my land.

Who is The Perfect Earth Plaster Course NOT for?

Earth plaster experts and professional plasterers. If you are already an expert, this course is not going to meet your needs.

People who want to theorise and geek out on lots of extraneous details, or who want the whole history of clay plaster. This isn't for you. This is a simple practical course for people who actually want to plaster.

What will you learn? This multi-media course will teach you the function and properties of each ingredient in the plaster, and how to decide the proportions of each ingredient. It will take you through the testing process, mixing and application. Each of these stages include details which when missed can cause issues with your plaster. (See the curriculum below)

The course will also show how to make your plaster water resistant, how to protect it and maintain it. There are extra educational videos on burnishing, how to make a plaster board, how to use a trowel for beginners, and more.

Updates

I improve and update this course regularly. Once you are enrolled you will have access to all future updates for free. DON'T OPT OUT OF EMAILS AT THE CHECKOUT IF YOU WANT TO BE INFORMED OF UPDATES.

The New Section on Creating Beautiful Finishes

A new advanced section on finishes has been added recently. It currently includes a video on making mosaic and earth plaster sculptures set in my mud home in Turkey and takes you around all my earth plaster creations, plus step by step lessons on sculpting and mosaic. It also includes lessons on how to make clay paints, fine plaster finishes, and more.

The New Section on Using Earth Plaster to Build

This is not a cob construction course, and won't teach you how to build a house. But...an extra section on using earth plaster to build (mud as mortar, wattle and daub, and cob) has just been added, which will help you take your earth plastering even further.

Any issues or questions?

Contact The Mud Home at [email protected] .

I will reply as soon as I can (usually within 48 hours).

Success Stories

Camilla's farmhouse in Germany, "I've fallen in love with clay."

Camilla used clay plaster with clay paint on gypsum and drywall.

Cath Coffey's earthbag house in London. Cath took the Perfect Earth Plaster Course before applying this render. "This course was invaluable," she said.

"Thanks Atulya! I am going through your videos and finding them very useful!" Muriel Kakani, plastering a school in India.

FOR THE FULL CURRICULUM CLICK ON THE ARROW AFTER SECTION 2


Your Instructor


Atulya K Bingham
Atulya K Bingham

Hi! I'm Atulya. I've been living off-grid and building with mud for nearly ten years now. My love of natural building arose from nowhere. Back in 2011 I was living in a field in Turkey. Bit by bit, out of necessity I taught myself to build with mud. It became a creative passion. Within a year I had constructed a house. A year later I installed solar power. I have been in nature, mud building and writing about it ever since.

Today I am founder and author of The Mud Home natural building and off-grid freedom website. I also write about natural building for publications such as Mother Earth News and the Owner Builder Magazine.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction
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  1. Understanding and Finding Your Ingredients.
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  2. How to Mix Your Plaster for the Best Results.
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  3. Testing Your Plaster
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  4. Preparing the Surface you Want to Plaster.
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  5. Applying the Plaster.
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  6. What Went Wrong? A Trouble Shooting Guide.
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  7. Other Ingredients You Can Add to Your Plaster.
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  8. How to Make Earth Plaster Water Resistant.
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  9. Maintaining and Protecting Your Earth Plaster.
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  10. Creating Beautiful Finishes (Advanced).
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  11. From Plaster to Cob: Using a Mud Mix to Build
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends. It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
I like happy people. The intention of this course is to be useful and empowering. So, if you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact me ([email protected]). In the first 28 days and I will give you an automatic full refund no questions asked.
Is this course suitable for beginners?
Yes absolutely. It will take you through earth plaster from beginning to end in 9 structured lessons. Even if you've never touched dirt before, you will soon become a pro.
I'd love to have a go at plastering but don't have a house.
This course was designed for pretty much any location. It's actually a super idea to learn this skill before you have a house! You will save yourself a lot of time and trouble in the long. And you can use earth plaster for so many other things: Sculptures, cob ovens, pet homes, and more. The course gives instructions on how to make a plaster board if you don't have a wall. You can do the practicals in your garden, in a small back yard. Even on a balcony.
I'm having trouble with my earth plaster. Will this help me?
It is awful when your plaster fails (ask me how I know). An entire section of the course is devoted to understanding what makes plaster tick, and why it can go wrong. By the end you should understand how to get plaster right in pretty much any climate, with various soils and on different surfaces. If not, feel free to ask for your money back.
Is the course all theory?
Not at all! There are easy practical assignments at the end of each section that you can do pretty much anywhere.
Can I download the material?
The course has especially been designed with off-gridders and limited internet in mind, so everything can be downloaded for reference and later study.
Is this course going to teach me how to build a house?
No, this isn't a house building course. It's all about mixing, applying and protecting earth plaster.
Where can I get support?
If you need help or you're having trouble with the course, write to [email protected] . Although I usually respond within a day, because I'm off-grid and time zones vary, it may take up to 48 hours. Please check your spam folder if you can't see my email, I always reply! Please add EARTH PLASTER STUDENT in your title for a faster response.

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