Showing posts with label fimo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fimo. Show all posts

oh christmas tree

I'm very excited to be putting our tree up this weekend! It was always a bit of an occasion growing up. Even as teenagers me and my brother would clear our diary to make sure we were present on this magical day. Bought decorations are lovely but there's something even better about making a few new decorations every year. Here's an idea to try. These hanging tree decorations look just the right dose of handmade and couldn't be much more straightforward.
You will need...
How to make...
  1. Start by rolling out the clay until it's all about 1cm thick. 
  2. Use your cutters or scalpel around a stencil to stamp out your shapes. Use a pencil to make a hole at the top of each shape enabling you to hang them later. Set aside.
  3. For the circular decorations you need to stamp in your Christmas phrases while the clay is still mouldable.  
  4. Leave all the shapes to dry out overnight or you can use the microwave to dry them out quicker. 
  5. Then glaze your decorations. I did two coats either side to make sure the coverage was even and nice and glossy. 
  6. You can now get busy with your sharpie marker. The gloss enhances the metallic affect. Simply draw out whatever design you want. My doodles are pretty easy to copy. I used a medium nib sharpie but if you want more detail you can go for a fine nib. 
  7. Then thread your string/tapestry thread through the hole and tie a knot in the end.




make your own jewellery

I've been admiring all of the geometric jewellery on offer at the moment and had a bit of a brainwave. Why not make your own?! I've come up with a very simple DIY idea that works out pretty cheap, especially if you're making a few. When I was about 10 my mum introduced me to fimo for modelling. It's easy to mould and you just need to bake it for 30 mins in the oven to harden it. I hadn't used this stuff for about 10 years and suddenly I was wondering why not!
All you'll need is....
  • Fimo (available from craft shops/ ebay)
  • Gold paint
  • Cheap necklace chains
  • Rolling pin
  • Scalpel & a ruler
  • Cutting mat
  • Paper 
Use the paper to make geometric stencils to cut from the Fimo. Roll the Fimo on a cutting mat, then with a sharp scalpel and ruler cut around your stencil. Use a pen to make holes for the chain to feed through and then bake your shapes on a foiled baking tray for 30 mins on 110ºC or 230ºF remembering to leave them to cool and harden once baked. Now you're free to paint the gold areas. You will probably need at least three coats and it's sensible to let each coat dry before moving on to the next. Finally thread the chain through the holes. You may need to temporarily remove a metal end that might prevent the chain from fitting through.