Magpie, if you want to get into some reeeeeally cheap metal casting here is your mission:
go to a pet store, preferably a minipetsmart as they have the best source. Purchase the larger pieces of cuttle-fish bone (it's for parrots, and t's actually a sephlopod[spelling?])
get some sandpaper, 160grit or up, as well as some wooden dowels, shish-ca-bob scewers, or other scratching impliments. Also, locate a source for pewter, be it a jewlery supply store/catalog or a good will where you can find those jankey old pewter/tin goblets.
next you'll have to get creative. You'll need a metal ladle, preferably a thicker guage steel but even stainless will work.
carve the negative of the piece you want into the cuttlefish, using stove-pipe wire or binding wire(just steel wire) bind it to a wood backing or a polished stone backing, or do a 2 part mold. Melt tin in ladle with camping stove, blow torch, or camp fire. Pour molten tin into pour spout.
Assuming you find cheap pewter/tin and a cheap ladle this is a 10$ project.
http://www.rotometals.com/ carries actual melting ladles, as well as tin.
This is a good start to metal casting as it's low tech, low cost, and the melting point is so low that you can pour it onto the garage floor, count to 5, and quickly press your finger into it without getting burned (note: do not try pressing your finger into molten metal).
also, since I am hastey and retarded right now:
technical descriptiongood photosbetter photos