Maureen Carlson shows how to create an entire family of little characters made out of Fimo polymer clay. These characters can be used to decorate flower pots and drinking mugs. Here, she demonstrates how to make the face, hands and feet.
Materials:
Fimo polymer clay - flesh, caramel, blue, yellow
Quick Mix kneading medium - to help soften the clay
ceramic mug or flower pot
pink make-up blush or chalk
round toothpicks
aluminum foil
craft knife
paintbrushes - #3 or larger round, #4 Filbert
oven thermometer
needle tools
sharp needle
#3 knitting needle
wooden dowel
fine-point black permanent marker
baking cups
optional - Kemper paper cutters, push molds, feathers, colored wire, ruler
Steps:
- Condition Fimo by warming it, then kneading and twisting it until it is like firm putty. Add kneading medium as necessary.
- Eyes - Roll two, 3/16-inch round eyeballs from white clay (figure A). Bake at 265 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.
- Fill the bottom two-thirds of the mug with crumpled foil.
- Hands and Feet - From flesh clay, make hands and feet. Use head of a small nail to make fingernails and toenails. Hands start out as a 3/4-inch ball, then a 1-1/2 -inch long log. Feet start out as a 7/8-inch ball, then a two-inch long log (figure B).
- Face - from flesh clay, roll a 1-1/4-inch ball. Roll into an egg shape. Stretch small end to form a short neck (figure C). Roll finger under chin.
- Mouth - Use knitting needle to make mouth (figure D). Press mouth corners into a tight smile.
- Nose - Roll ball into a teardrop shape and press onto middle of face. Blend top of nose into forehead. Press in nostrils with needle.
- Eyes - Use a rounded tool to form eye sockets (figures E and F). Press in pre-baked eyes.
- Eyelids - Press flattened strips of flesh clay over eyes. Use the angle to make a statement and show off his personality (figure G). Draw in pupil with permanent marker.
- Ears - Roll two, 1/4-inch balls. Flatten each slightly and form into a half moon. Press to side of head with blunt tool. Brush pink chalk or blush on cheeks.
- Body - Roll blue clay into a one-inch ball. Press ball against inside of mug.
- Pants and Sleeves - Roll four, 7/8-inch balls from blue clay. Roll each into a 1-1/2-inch long tube. Use brush handle to hollow tubes halfway. Bend at knee or elbow.
- Insert hands and feet into pant legs and sleeves (figure H). Position firmly against body. Insert toothpick into head. Press head onto body.
- Hair - Flatten a piece of caramel clay to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into a fringe. Twist each piece and press onto head (figure I).
- Hat - For a yellow hat, roll two 1-1/2-inch balls. Flatten one ball into a 2-1/2-inch pancake. Cut a 3/4-inch hole from center. For the crown, use a dowel to hollow the center of the other ball. Press the two pieces together. Place on head (figure J). Embellish with scraps of clay, feathers, wire, etc.
- Place character on mug or pot, and bake in preheated 265-degree oven for a half-hour. Cool in oven. Once cooled, remove character from container.
Tips:
- Fimo polymer clay is very heat-sensitive. It will be quite stiff when you first open the package, so warm the clay between your hands before kneading it, or better yet, put it in a plastic bag and sit on it for awhile.
- When adding Quick Mix, add only enough to make a firm putty. Very soft clay can become sticky as you work on the tiny details.
- Choose a mug or flower pot with simple edge so that it will be easy to remove the baked character from the container.
Resources Fimo polymer clay, clay push molds, Quick Mix kneading medium - AMACO
American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO)
Website:
www.amaco.com
How to Make Clay Characters
by Maureen Carlson (ISBN: 0891347216)
Click
here to order this title.
F & W Publications
Website:
www.fwpublications.com Guests Maureen Carlson
Crafter, Wee Folk Creations
Website:
www.weefolk.com
or
Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts
Website:
www.maureencarlson.com
Also in this Episode
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