Polymer Clay

Fimo and clay tips and tutorials

Tutorial: Little Jack O Lanterns

by

pumpkin

The actual directions are for sugar paste but this is one of those simple little photo tutorials that works equally for modeling in polymer clay. I would draw or paint your jack o’ lantern face on after baking. You could also use little crumbs of black clay to do the embellishments. Sometimes the best decorations are the simplest ones though!

The whole blog-site has a variety of simple sugar paste models that are equally doable in polymer clay. Have a poke around. Canalblogs are typically in French – use translate.google.com if you need to get an English version although this specific tutorial is just a photo step by step.

So this year it is all about the Talking interactive Jack o Lantern, have you seen it? What do you think? A great addition to the Halloween themed porch?  My kids talk a lot, so I am not sure I need a talking Jack o Lantern too.

Next Polymer Clay Idea:

Comments

  1. Absolutely adore these little pumpkins! I’ve always been a fan of polymer clay work and have started it myself. I love that they are also sugar paste, twice the possibilities 🙂

Have you read?

How To Make A Milk Mache Molding Compound

There are some craft projects that feel like they belong on a rainy afternoon kitchen table, and this Milk Mache Molding Compound is exactly one of them. It is part craft, part science experiment, and part “wait… did we just turn milk into something solid?”

This clever little project from CraftBits shows you how to make a simple homemade molding compound using just milk and vinegar. The idea is wonderfully old-school: when the vinegar reacts with the milk, it separates into curds and liquid, leaving you with a soft mixture that can be pressed, shaped, and dried into a hard, stone-like material.

It’s a lovely one to try with kids, especially if you enjoy hands-on STEM-style crafts that do not require a trolley full of supplies. You can use the finished compound to make small charms, beads, ornaments, rustic tags, or simple molded shapes. Just keep the pieces small and thin, as this is not really the sort of compound you would use for large sculptures or anything that needs to be perfectly smooth.

What I like most about this project is how accessible it is. Most of us already have milk, vinegar, a bowl, and paper towel in the kitchen, which makes it a brilliant last-minute craft activity. It also has that slightly magical quality children love — one minute it is liquid, the next it is turning into a moldable material.

A couple of tips before you try it: use whole milk if you can, as it tends to give a better result than skim or semi-skimmed milk. White vinegar is also the best choice, as darker vinegars may affect the colour and texture. And don’t rush the draining stage. If the mixture is too wet, it will be soggy and hard to shape; if it is too dry, it may crumble.

This would be a fun companion activity for our other kids craft ideas, especially if you are looking for something simple, inexpensive, and a little bit educational. It also fits nicely with home crafts and handmade gift embellishments if you want to turn your dried shapes into tags or decorations.

Would I call this a polished, professional clay substitute? No. Would I call it a wonderfully curious, messy, memorable craft experiment? Absolutely.

If you enjoy homemade craft supplies, kitchen-table experiments, or easy projects that make children ask “how did that happen?”, this Milk Mache Molding Compound is well worth a try.

You can find the full project instructions here: Milk Mache Molding Compound