I enjoy doing experiments with polymer clay. I like creating my little "control group," then trying various things with the other groups. I think it reminds me of my high school science club (yep, I was a geek!). Or maybe I just feel like a mad scientist, running horrific experiments on my helpless polymer clay subjects. :-)

But as much as I enjoy doing these experiments myself, I think I enjoy it even more when someone else does one and shares their results. I love looking at the photos -- I'll often hold up my laptop screen til it's just inches from my eyes and study the differences intently. (This always earns me a funny look from my husband!)

So I've been excited to see several good experiments shared in the polymer clay blogosphere lately -- and I wanted to make sure you had a chance to check them out, too:

• Jenny at Craft Test Dummies compares Kato Liquid Polyclay, TLS & Fimo Deco Gel for top coat and layering applications. I've preferred Kato over TLS for these uses for a while -- so I was especially interested in Jenny's impressions of the Fimo brand, which I haven't tried. It's a nice thorough report.
• I've heard speculation before on whether adjusting the clay formulation yourself (through leaching or adding mineral oil) would affect its strength -- but I'd never actually seen tests on it. Cynthia Blanton ran strength tests on leached Premo and found some problems.
• Michael at MossyOwls made polymer clay buttons, then tried a variety of finishes (liquid clay, acrylic paint, etc.) to see how they'd hold up in the washer & dryer. This is something I've always wondered about & her results aren't what I would have expected. Check them out!

Thanks to these gals for taking time to document their great tests... keep up the good work!

Update: Garie Sim just added a great article yesterday: Creating Your Own Colored Liquid Polymer Clay. Garie's site frequently features wonderfully-done, thorough experiments, and this comparison of how well the different liquid clay brands accept oil paint tinting is no exception.

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Still looking for a gift for mom? Look no further than your craft supply stash! Here's an easy way to make a matching card and necklace -- perfect for Mother's Day or any other time you need a quick handmade gift. The card features a bottle cap button embellishment made from polymer clay, and the necklace features a matching pendant.

Materials

Continue reading "Quick Bottle Cap Jewelry & Card for Mom" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I've already shared some ideas for things you can re-use and recycle with polymer clay -- things like tin can lids and cardboard. But today I'd like to talk about "recycling" the clay itself.

One of the nice things about clay is its built-in reusability. Nothing's permanent til it's baked. So if you decide halfway through your project that there's no hope, you can just wad up your clay up and start again. (Or if you're like me, carefully pick apart the separate colors first. Course, I was also the kid who didn't let different foods touch each other on my dinner plate. Maybe this is the grown-up version of that?) Not every medium is forgiving enough to let you start over mid-way without any waste... Aren't we lucky?

Here's a few more ways you can reuse & recycle your polymer clay:

Continue reading "More Recycling Tips for Polymer Clay" »

Posted in: Inspiration , Polymer Clay | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (1)

If you do much of your shopping online, you've probably built up quite a collection of cardboard shipping boxes. And, at least around here, cardboard boxes aren't part of the city's recycling program. So what to do with all that cardboard? Cover it with polymer clay, of course!

What Cardboard Is Good For

Continue reading "Tips for Covering Cardboard with Polymer Clay" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Tips & Techniques | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Finally, a crafty answer to that age-old question: Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? This project takes a recycled can lid and turns it into a dishwasher magnet with a reversible Clean/Dirty indicator.

Supplies

Continue reading "How to Make a Polymer Clay Magnet from a Recycled Can Lid" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

My local polymer clay guild met Saturday, and new member Nance Ross taught us. Not only did I learn how to make these cute little articulated teddy bears, but I also learned what that means! (Articulated means his little arms & legs are movable, in case the term is new to anyone else.)

After a fun day at the Oklahoma guild on Saturday, hubby & I decided to make a quick trip down the interstate on Sunday to visit the North Texas Polymer Clay Guild. (Well, technically, I visited the guild; he hung out at places offering free wi-fi.) I'd been meaning to visit for a while now. After all, when I helped found our local guild 1 1/2 years ago, I had no idea what was supposed to happen at a guild meeting. I figured it's high time I learned! Plus I'd heard Laura Griffin was teaching this meeting, and I've always admired her style, both in polymer clay and in rubber stamping/paper crafts.

Continue reading "Bears, Beads & Bonding: Fun at Guild" »

Posted in: Currently Working On... , Polymer Clay | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (1)

With Earth Day just around the corner, this is a great time to consider how we can all be more conscientious about how we use resources. While it may not seem like an obvious Earth Day choice, good ol' plastic-based polymer clay can be part of some wonderful reuse & recycle projects. Here's 10 things you can save from the landfill & use with polymer clay:

Continue reading "Reuse & Recycle with Polymer Clay" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Just wanted to share links to a few things going on in the polymer clay community:

• If you've checked out my Bottles of Hope tutorials & are ready to create some bottles of your own, you'll be interested in what the gals at Polymer Clay Productions are up to. They're starting a regular Bottles of Hope challenge, with a new theme each week (the first theme is "Spring"). It sounds like a fun way to practice creativity while building up lots of bottles to donate. Check out their post here. Right now they're looking for a name for it -- and they're giving away Make It Mine magazines for the top 3 suggestions.
• I was pleased to read the National Polymer Clay Guild's take on the ownership debate. Specifically, I liked that:
  • They state up-front that they're not trying to police the community.
  • Their "Rules to Live By" seem thoughtful and considerate. To me, it's a welcome clarification of & expansion to their previous, more vague-seeming ethics statement.
• I hated to see Jeanne Rhea's post about leaving polymer clay, as she's one of those people whose interesting directions appeal to & inspire me. Jeanne is selling off her polymer clay work on her Etsy site, so check that out. But also be sure to read her "moving on" post. It includes a wise quote from columnist Ellen Goodman that I think all of us need to be reminded of from time to time: that moving on (whether it's in art or life) doesn't negate the importance of your past experience. A beautiful message!

I hope you're having a wonderfully creative weekend!

Posted in: Polymer Clay , The Business of Crafting | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

This video runs just under 8 minutes, and talks about the following:

• Bottles of Hope history
• Suggestions for finding bottles to cover
• Bottle preparation
• Bottle covering
• Ideas for making your own Bottles of Hope

Not a big fan of videos? You might be more interested in this Bottle of Hope tutorial.

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Videos | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

My guild had an excellent speaker this past weekend, a breast cancer survivor who's helping us get more involved in the Bottles of Hope program. I put together this information for our meeting & wanted to share it with you too.

What Are Bottles of Hope?

Preparing the Bottles for Covering

Removing the Lid & Stopper

• Use pliers to pry the lid off from the bottom edge. You may need to go around and pry a few spots for this to work.
• The metal is fairly thin, so it cuts or tears fairly easily. Working from the hole in the center of the top, use needle-nose pliers or metal snips to make cuts in the metal, then pry it off. (Wear gloves if you're using this method -- the tools and the metal can be sharp.)

Cleaning & Preparing

Covering Basics

Continue reading "How to Make Bottles of Hope" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In my previous Studio by Sculpey review, I linked to a couple of folks who mentioned their Studio by Sculpey projects turned brittle a few weeks after baking. That hadn't been my experience at all, but I was still basing my long-term strength conclusions on the clay packet I got from a preview sample. I decided to run a few tests to see how the new off-the-shelf stuff stacks up.

The Setup

Continue reading "Studio by Sculpey Strength Tests" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Reviews | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

I usually try to avoid conflict, so I've been tempted to let the latest version of this whole ownership debate pass by without comment. But since I keep pestering my husband with discussions about it & composing blog post drafts in my head, I figured I might as well say what I'm thinking. If you're already sick of the whole thing, you have my permission to skip this post and come back tomorrow for something a little less heavy.

• Lisa started the conversation. Though the ensuing comments get a little negative at times, there are some interesting points -- I especially liked Jeanne Rhea's comments about utility patents (which protect truly unique techniques) and about her policy for others' teaching her techniques.
• Kim Cavender shares her perspective as a teacher. Lotsa comments on this one, too. I especially enjoyed Maureen Carlson's (towards the bottom).
• Lisa updated the discussion with links to several other online opinions.

Exclusive Rights to Subject Matters

Continue reading "The Great Ownership Debate" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , The Business of Crafting | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

One of my favorite things about polymer clay is its ability to "be" just about anything else. I especially like the way it can mimic natural materials -- such as these stones. Today I'm going to show you three different materials you can mix into polymer clay to make "faux" rocks -- which you can then use for jewelry, for desktop rock-gardens, or for stamping with your own custom message.

Continue reading "3 Ways to Create Faux Polymer Clay Rocks" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Tips & Techniques | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Polymer Clay Central just posted a great tutorial by Kathy Canuel on making custom word stamps with polymer clay. If you've ever wanted to customize a gift by stamping the recipient's name, or add your own custom mark to a finished piece, or just save money on word stamps for polymer clay, her tutorial's definitely worth checking out.

To start, Kathy has you carve your word, mirror-image, into the clay, then follow that outline with extruded polymer clay. If you're like me & not crazy about your own handwriting (or if you have trouble writing in mirror image!), you could start with an image transfer instead.

Be sure to print your word/image normally (not mirror image like you'd do for most image transfers), since you want the stamp to be reversed. The transfer doesn't need to be perfect since you're just using it for a guide. Following the same method I used in my extruded clay texture mold video, I baked the clay sheet before continuing (to make it a little easier to work with), then added a layer of liquid clay. The honey-like consistency of the liquid clay catches the extruded clay pieces and keeps them in place, making it easy to follow the image transfer lines with extruded clay. Once you're happy with the word (check it with a mirror if you're having trouble visualizing it), follow Kathy's instructions to add a cute custom handle & bake it.

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools , Tips & Techniques | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

You know that sample of Studio by Sculpey clay I won from Polymer Clay Productions? The one I said all those nice things about? Well, I liked it so much I decided to buy a whole bunch of the stuff.... and boy am I regretting it now!

How I Came to Own Every Color in the Studio by Sculpey Line

Continue reading "Studio by Sculpey Clay Revisited" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Reviews | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

I was a primarily a paper crafter before I fell in love with polymer clay -- and I still enjoy stamping and making handmade cards. As expensive as craft supplies can be, it's wonderful when you can re-use tools for a different medium. So while these tools may be less "unconventional" than an herb mincer or a pumice stone, I wanted to share them with others of you who have a paper crafting background.

Here are five common scrapbooking supplies that you can also use with polymer clay:

Continue reading "Five Scrapbooking Supplies to Use with Polymer Clay" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last time I shared how I use a pumice stone with polymer clay. Today I'd like to introduce you to another of my repurposed favorites...

The Herb Mincer

Continue reading "Unconventional Polymer Clay Tools 2: The Herb Mincer" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

A few days back, Lisa at Polka Dot Creations invited us to explore her polymer clay toolbox. She showed several of her handmade tools and asked for folks to share their own ideas.

Mine are less handmade than creatively repurposed from their original uses. (Which is my nice way of saying I've stolen them from whatever part of the house they were originally intended for. Hubby thinks this is rather bird-like of me, stashing away shiny things for my craft "nest.") Still, I thought I'd share them with you & see if you had any of your own creative tool tips to add...

Pumice Stone

• What It's Good For: Original use? Smoothing skin. Polymer clay use? Adding texture. The organic look and random patterns of the pumice stone make it wonderful for texturing polymer clay.
• How to Use It: Use the pumice stone on an uncured sheet of polymer clay. Press into clay to create a rough texture that's ideal for nature-inspired pieces and certain baked goods.
• Where to Find It: Your bathroom. Inexpensive gift sets on after-Christmas sale. Beauty supply stores. Amazon.
• Similar Ideas: Pumice is just a type of volcanic rock, so if you have lava rocks in your flower garden, give those a try. You could also use a Loofah sponge, since it has a similarly organic pattern.

Next time I'll show you another re-purposed tool, this time from the kitchen. Til then, be sure to check out the comments on Lisa's posts for links to other crafty tool ideas.

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Still looking for a last-minute Valentine's Day idea or two? Here are some polymer clay heart ideas to get you on your creative way:

• Crafting with Candy Hearts: If you're wondering what to do with all those polymer clay candy hearts you've been making, check out the Craft Test Dummies list of crafting ideas for candy hearts. While these projects were made with real candy hearts, they'd work just as well (if not better!) with the polymer clay version.
• More Polymer Clay Hearts: MossyOwls featured a list of 10 polymer clay Valentine's Day projects. My faves? This E-Z Heart Lesson showing a simple way to form your own hearts, and this Valentine's Day Heart Cane that reminds me of an old-fashioned doily heart.

• Heart Cards: Speaking of old-fashioned Valentines, check out these Vintage Valentine's Day cards [via]. Try printing one these vintage cards, then attaching a matching polymer clay heart to make a modernized, 3-D version for your sweetie.

  Another idea is to attach your polymer clay heart to a simple Valentine's Day card like these from The Purl Bee. Your handmade heart will really be the star of the show.

• Polymer Clay Heart Challenge: Got another unique idea for polymer clay hearts? Polymer Clay Central's February 2008 Challenge theme is Hearts -- send your entry in by February 15th for a chance at one of 3 prizes.
• I (Heart) Polymer Clay: Don't have a Valentine this year? Get into the spirit of the holiday by writing an ode to another "love of your life" -- polymer clay. This Valentine poem about polymer clay is my favorite -- but you'll definitely want to check out the rest of the Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy members' poems!

  I made a bunny
  he really looks funny
  I smashed him flat
  now he is a hat.
  
  - by beetreebyme

Happy Heart Day, everybody!

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Materials

Continue reading "Say I LUV U with Polymer Clay Candy Hearts" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

Making molds to use with polymer clay is super-easy -- but, like anything else, it can be a little intimidating to try for the first time. I talked about the basics of silicone mold putties in my Amazing Mold Putty review, but here are a few more pointers to get you on your way.

Making a Mold

Continue reading "How to Make Your Own Molds with Amazing Mold Putty" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools , Tips & Techniques | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (2)

Today I'd like to talk about silicone mold putties in general, and Amazing Mold Putty in particular.

But first, a story...

Years ago, within months of using polymer clay for the first time, I took part in my first craft fair. It was a one-day show, part of a convention we were attending. I made some "pet rocks" out of polymer clay, added some googly eyes, & printed the name of the organization on an attached slip of paper. Viola! An inexpensive craft fair item.

Continue reading "Review: Amazing Mold Putty" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Reviews , Supplies & Tools | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

Polyform has announced that their new clay, Studio by Sculpey, is now available. Thanks to a wonderful giveaway by the gals over at Polymer Clay Productions, I got an early chance to try out a block of Peacock-colored Studio by Sculpey clay, and I have to say I'm impressed.

To give you an idea of what I'm basing my comparisons on, here's my clay preference history in a nutshell. I've used Polyform products for most of my claying life, starting with Sculpey III in the early days, then switching to Premo as I learned about the difference in strength. In the past year or so, my "preferred clay" has been a Premo/UltraLight blend (approx. 2:1) because I like UltraLight's texture but find it hard to use by itself.

Here are my thoughts on using the new Studio by Sculpey clay:

Continue reading "Studio by Sculpey Clay Review" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Reviews , Supplies & Tools | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Polymer Clay Central has announced the January 2008 Challenge theme: Cane Slices. Want to participate, but aren't sure where to start? Here's a few resources for making polymer clay canes.

Even though I'm not much of a caner myself, I've still bookmarked quite a few useful & inspirational cane-related sites. But I hope those of you who are caners will leave a comment & let me know where you find cane ideas & tutorials.

Cane Tutorials

• Kathy Weinberg demonstrates how to use a clay extruder to make cane slices for a light switch plate cover.
• Kris Richards shows how to make a kaleidoscope cane.
• Heather Powers uses natural colors to create a beautiful shell cane.
• Lisa Clarke demonstrates how to make a plaid cane using your school's team colors.
• And if you're looking for something a bit more abstract, check out the instructions for Kathi Gose's brain cane.

Tips & Techniques

• TooAquarius shares tips for "mapping" a cane based on a starting photo. (And don't miss these beautiful canes from her Etsy store.)
• Quilted In Clay shares more tips on creating your own cane.
• Kim Korringa shares her process for making a very colorful tropical fish cane.
• And Rebecca Nogy shares her tips for cutting cane slices using a scrap clay trough.

Inspiration

• I love this Celtic cane bracelet, made by Laura Griffin in a Sarah Shriver workshop.
• Izarrak, Nemain_chan & celinda all have great examples of the Matrix Cane Technique by Dan Cormier.
• Still need inspiration? Try searching Flickr for polymer clay canes.

Books

If you want to go into a little more depth on the topic, try these books:

• If you're interested in making quilt canes or other geometric designs, don't miss Adapting Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay by Judith Skinner and Sarajane Helm.
• Creative Techniques For Polymer Clay Jewelry by Nanetta Bananto has a nice section on canes.
• And if you want to use canes with your beads, check out Carol Blackburn's Making Polymer Clay Beads.

Ideas

If you're entering your cane work in PCC's Challenge, mail your entries in by January 15, 2008, for a chance to win one of three prizes.

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Polymer Clay Central has announced the December 2007 Challenge theme: BRRR! It's Cold out There!. And let me tell you, considering the big ice storm my part of the country just saw, this challenge seems totally appropriate! So cozy up next to your toaster oven & let's do some crafting...

Ideas

• Snowflakes, snowmen, snow globes
• Ice-skaters, icicles
• Hats, mittens, kids bundled in layers of clothes
• Old Man Winter, penguins, Jack Frost

Tips & Tutorials

• Check out Garie Sim's tutorial for Creating a Snowman Snow Globe.
• Polymer Clay Central has a neat lesson on making Ultra Light Snowflake Decorations using cookie cutters.
• Need to sculpt a warm & cozy sweater or scarf? Check out this Faux Knit Worksheet from a recent lesson by my fellow guild member Penni Jo.

Inspiration

• These iridescent snowfakes made by Jeanne Rhea are simply gorgeous!
• I love the color and texture of these Snowflake Holiday Glycerin Soaps by serenitysoapworkstx. Think of the polymer clay options!
• Still need more inspiration? Take a look at Flickr's winter polymer clay goodies.

Mail your entries in by December 15, 2007, for a chance to win one of three prizes from Polka Dot Creations. Good luck!

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Just a quick note about some contests currently going on in the polymer clay blogosphere:

• Lisa at PolkaDotCreations has summed up her very cool Evolution of a Color Scheme series, which shows us step-by-step how she takes a set of colors from idea to implementation. She's asking for help naming her color scheme & will be awarding the winner with their choice of some buttons she made from the color scheme, or a signed copy of the Millefiori Story DVD. Entries are due by November 30th. (And if you're planning on entering her latest color challenge, you'll have to hurry -- those entries are due today!)
• Polymer Clay Productions has put out a Call for Creativity, asking for entries related to gold/silver (or any other color) composition leaf. Submit your entry to their forums by November 28th for a chance to win prizes.
• The Polymer Clay Artist's Guild of Etsy is hosting their monthly Vote & Win, with this month's artists' entries focused on mokume gane techniques. Check out the beautiful entries & vote by November 28th for a chance to win a polymer clay prize pack.
• And speaking of voting (but not prizes), this month's dragons & fantasy-themed challenge over at Polymer Clay Central had quite a few entries. Take a minute to vote for your favorite.

Posted in: Polymer Clay | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Polymer clay artists are likely to think of something completely different when someone mentions putting the turkey in the oven! This polymer clay turkey would be a fun addition to any Thanksgiving festivities -- even more fun when you come up with creative ideas for your own personalized signs. Here's how I made my turkey -- no basting required!

Materials

• Polymer clay: tan, orange, yellow, white, red, black
• Tools:
  • Pasta machine
  • Clay knife, toothpick, and/or other clay sculpting tools
  • Translucent Sculpey (TLS)

Instructions

Continue reading "It's Turkey Time!" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Candy corns are one of those candies -- like marshmallow eggs or candy canes -- that are definitely seasonal. Around here, it just doesn't seem like autumn til we've bought that first bag of candy corns. It's a yearly tradition.

Another yearly tradition is when I take a few of those candy corns up to my craft room to use as a model for my yearly batch of polymer clay candy corns. These are easy & fun to make -- and they can be turned into any number of things (earrings, thumbtacks, etc.). Course the best thing about the polymer clay version is they're not sticky & they won't ruin your diet!

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make your own batch of candy corns out of polymer clay:

Materials

• Polymer clay: orange, yellow, white
• Tools (optional): pasta machine, round cookie cutters

Instructions

Continue reading "How to Make Polymer Clay Candy Corns" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Polymer Clay Central has announced the November 2007 Challenge theme: Dragons & Fantasy.

Ideas

• Dragons, castles, elves
• Fairies, unicorns, mermaids
• Gnomes, goblins, gargoyles
• Wizards, witches
• Lord of the Rings- or Harry Potter-inspired creations

Tips & Tutorials

• Polymer Clay Express offers a simple Scrap Dragon tutorial.
• Maureen Carlson's Polymer Clay Winged Dragon demo includes tips for making a delightfully-colorful dragon, along with instructions for an easy bulls-eye wing cane.
• Sue Heaser's Fantasy Fairies tutorial includes full fairy instructions -- dainty petal dress, hair & a translucent wing cane.
• For more on wings, check out Jenny Cox's TLS Fairie Wings or our older post with more wing-making links.

Inspiration

• Jill from Studio Willich uses a variety of media in her goblins, faeries & art dolls. The descriptions indicate which ones include polymer clay. I love all the character in her creatures' faces!
• Browse through the galleries on Katherine Dewey's Elvenwork site for photos of beautifully fantastic creatures. The site also includes artist tips and a sculptors' forums.
• CLBCreations (creator of the dragon at the top of this post) has Flickr pages full of inspiration. She also blogs about her own & others' polymer clay creations.

Books

• Dragons, by Christi Friesen
• Creating Fantasy Polymer Clay Caracters: Step-by-Step Trolls, Wizards, Dragons, Knights, Skeletons, Santa, and More!, by Dinko Tilov

Mail your entries in by November 15, 2007, for a chance to win one of three prizes. Good luck!

Posted in: Inspiration , Polymer Clay | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Pumpkin Faces: Looking for ideas or patterns for carving your pumpkin's face? Check out Adam Kalsey's list of free pumpkin carving patterns. These are great to use for inspiration -- or you can try shrinking them down to use as an image transfer or stencil.
• Stems. Curled green wire works great for pumpkin stems. Or for a natural touch, try using a small twig.
• Personalizing your Pumpkin Patch. If you're making a patch full of pumpkins, consider making a sign to stake your claim (or if you've got little ones, they'll really love seeing their names on the sign!). It's easy to do...

  Continue reading "The Great Pumpkin Wrap-Up" »

  Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Q: How many crafters does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Just one -- but you better believe she's not just gonna throw away that old light bulb!

Burned out light bulbs can be a wonderful base for making rounded vessels. Today I'll show you how to cover a light bulb with polymer clay to make a cool light bulb pumpkin.

Materials

• Polymer clay: Orange for the pumpkin; your choice of color(s) for the hat. I strongly recommend not using "Sculpey" clays for this, since we'll be flexing it & cutting into it after baking. I prefer Premo, but other strong brands like Fimo or Kato should work too.
• Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS)
• Light bulb
• Toilet paper roll
• Tools:
  • Pasta machine or brayer
  • Clay blade
  • Toothpick or other texture tool
  • Craft knife

Instructions

Continue reading "How to make a Light Bulb Pumpkin" »

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)