Made By Me

I wanted to share some crafts that I made using Crayola clay. It's very easy to mold and it usually takes about 24-48 hours to dry. It depends on the thickness of the art piece.

 I am a single Mom and disabled. I can't afford to buy gifts so I like to make things. Last year I made all sorts of Christmas ornaments. I would like to share a few. This is what you can do with clay and a little paint.

As you can see the photo to the left is of the Pillsbury dough boy. He was pretty big and took about 3 days to dry completely. Once he was dry I painted him white and sprayed him with vanish. I then glued some wiggly eyes on him to make him authentic. He was a Christmas gift for my sister who adored anything with this character on it.

 The next ornament was of "Sponge Bob" Square Pants. Vince loves Sponge Bob and so I made this tiny ornament for him. It was about an 1 1/2 inches and so it was a little bit tedious to paint. By the way I use paper clips for the hooks. They have to be put into the clay before it hardens. You can see that I am holding it by the hook.

Needless to say,Vince loved the ornament. I also made "Back Pack" for his brother,Gippy and a "Bear" for Avi his other brother.

The next ornament was a fire engine. My Dad's Step Son is studying to be a fire fighter and so I decided to make him an ornament. I painted it with red fingernail polish and made the ladder out of toothpicks.

My last picture is of a winter scene. I call it "Penguins at Play". This picture doesn't really do it justice. The round dome behind the penguin is an igloo and it actually has a hole but you can't see the entrance. I have sparkle white glitter on the piece and so it's very sparkly. The penguin on the far right is sliding down a mound of snow and in front there are 3-4 snow balls.

If you are creative then you can create just about anything with this clay. You can purchase it just about any place. I got mine at Walmart but I also saw it at AC Moore which is a pretty big craft shop here on the East Coast. This is what it looks like and it costs about $9.00.

CRAYOLA CLAY

Dry Bean Mosaic

With May, soon approaching here is a great idea for a Mother's day gift. Any type of dry bean such as, legumes, red beans, peas, lentils,even jelly beans etc. Dry beans come in a variety of beautiful color and shapes. (**Parents, jelly beans would be more costly but they can also be used. You can often buy jelly beans at a reduced cost after the Easter holiday.)

First, decide whether you want to create a picture or a random design.  If you decide to make a picture, draw it on paper first and identify which beans you want where. Making a mosaic is allot like a paint by number. There are two ways to make this piece of art.

Method #1

**If you have very young children you can draw a simple picture such as a fish or a heart. Once you have drawn the picture you can then glue the beans directly onto the cardboard.

Method #2

***If you have an older child, you can choose the clay method. To do the clay method you or your child would first cover his piece of cardboard with an even layer of modeling clay. After you put the clay onto the cardboard, you would then take a sharpened pencil and gently mark the design into the clay.This will help to guide you while placing the colored beans. (I have added some sample projects that are more complex and artistic.

You are now ready to begin the mosaic. Press the colored beans into the clay in the design you have created. 

Materials Needed:

·         A variety of dry beans, peas, red bean and lentils

·         Modeling clay

·         A firm surface such as cardboard (or foam board)

·         Glue

Directions:

Once you decide the size of your art work and which method, draw your picture and then proceed to either glue or place your bean into the clay. When you have completed your art work allow it to dry for at least 24 to 72 hours.