This is an easy beginner millefiori project for you! You'll need at least eight millefiori canes, hand rolled or purchase pre-rolled canes at your local craft store. Try this project for ages 11 and up.
Materials:
Fimo Soft - 3 colors of your choice (these are the basic face colors) Tip: To make any color brighter, mix in a bit of white Fimo Soft. This will not work for black clay.
Fimo millefiori canes - eight round designs
roller or brayer
single-edged razor blade or paring knife
Steps:
Clay Preparation:
- Condition all clay. Fimo Soft clay is very easy to condition. All you have to do is knead the block with your hands.
- Preparing purchased canes is easy and very important to ensure the best, finished result. Begin squeezing and rotating the cane until it feels soft all the way through. Once it feels soft and supple, it's ready to use. Prepare each purchased cane before using.
- Reduction is the name of the process of miniaturizing a millefiori cane. By squeezing in your fingers and then rolling it on your work surface, you'll be reducing the diameter of the cane, lengthening it as you go. The image contained within the cane won't distort; it just gets smaller. Reduce all millefiori canes.
Face Construction:
- Eyes - Select a cane for the eyes of the face cane. Cut it in half and reduce it until it measures approximately 1/4" in diameter. Each of the features will be wrapped with a sheet of clay the same color as the face. Roll a sheet of the color you're using for the face to approximately 1/8" thickness. Cut a piece from the sheet large enough to wrap around the reduced eye cane. Trim away any excess clay and save for later use.
- Reduce the eye cane until it is 4" long. Cut the cane in half forming two 2" pieces. Trim the raw ends, then press the halves together.
- Roll a snake of face-color clay in dimensions thick enough to fill the space between the eyes. Press the snakes into the space, then roll them smooth using a brayer.
- Nose - Select a cane to use as a nose. Cut it in half and reduce a half until it is the same diameter as the eye. Cut a 2" piece, reserving the rest for later use. Wrap with basic face-color sheet.
- Mouth - Select a cane to use as a mouth. Cut it in half and wrap with basic face-color sheet. Flatten with a brayer to form a thin rectangle shape. Cut a 2" piece, reserving the rest for later use. Wrap the mouth around the nose cane.
- Cheeks - Select cane to use as the cheeks. Cut it in half and wrap one half with basic face-color sheet. Reduce the cane until it fits next to the nose and the mouth cane. Press a 2" piece of the cane on each side of the nose and reserve the rest for later use. Roll across the top of the nose and the cheek canes with a brayer until the surface is flat.
- Place the eyes atop the nose and cheeks, checking both sides to make sure they are properly aligned.
- If the eye segment is not wide enough to cover the nose and cheek segment, cut a strip from the basic face-color sheet and wrap from atop the cheek over the eyes to the other cheek, cutting away excess clay.
- Wrap the assembled cane from the side of the eye, around the mouth and to the other side of the eye. Don't cover the top of the eyes.
- Hair - Roll snakes of two other clay colors. Place the snakes, alternating the colors on top of the face, above the eyes. Roll the finished cane on a work surface until it is round.
More Face Canes:
- Repeat steps listed above using other colors and canes to make two more face canes.
- Once three face canes are made, compare the diameters. The goal is to have three all the same diameter, so reduce the canes, if necessary. Once all three canes are the same size, trim the ends of each cane.
- Straighten the canes (they might have become twisted during the reduction process) and cut each of them in half lengthwise. Reassemble by pressing two different cane face halves together. Squeeze and rotate each new cane with your fingers to make sure the halves are stuck together. Canes can be reduced further if desired.
Beads:
- Tube Bead - Roll a cylinder of a base color. Cut thin slices of finished face canes and press to the cylinder, leaving space between the slices. Using a toothpick or a carpet needle, "drill" a hole in the tube.
- Round Bead - Roll a ball of a base color. Cut thin slices of finished face canes and press the slices to the ball, leaving a space between the slices. "Drill" a hole in the bead.
- Slice Bead - Cut thick slices from face cane. "Drill" a hole in each slice.
- Bake the completed beads in a 265-degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before handling. String and wear.
Resources Fimo polymer clay - AMACO
American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO)
Website:
www.amaco.com
Guests Donna Kato
Artist and owner of Prairie Craft Company
Website:
www.prairiecraft.com
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