Clay Yo Yo

 NOT YOUR YOYO MAMA by Patricia Krauchune

For my March Makin's Clay® project, I decided to make something I had not seen before, a Yoyo. There's a little time span between some of the steps for drying but it is worth it in the end. 

Recommended Makin’s® Products: 2-60 g Adobe Brown Makin's Clay® Makin's Professional® Cutting Mat   Makin's® Texture Sheet "Dots" Pattern

Other Supplies:

Small Plastic Jar	1/4" Drill Bit	Playing Cards
Sharp Craft Knife	Folkart® Licorice Color Paint	Artist's Loft™ Burnt Umber Oil Paint
4 Gears	Model® Color Brass Acrylic Paint	Parks Super Glaze Ultra Gloss Epoxy
2 Metal Head Pins	Yoyo String: (Toys-R-Us)
1/4" Dowel	Beacon Quick Grip™

Instructions: Using a craft knife with a sharp blade, cut off the bottom of a small plastic jar about 1/2" up from the bottom. This bottom piece is now the push mold for your yoyo.

Push the Adobe Brown Makin's Clay® into the mold, then trim off the excess. Place the "Dot" texture sheet over the top and burnish. This is a pretty thick mold so let it sit for about 4 days. Unmold. Repeat for the second half of the yoyo. I learned that if you dust the inside of the mold with cornstarch it is much easier to remove the dried clay. After the two halves were unmolded, I set them aside to really dry for 2 weeks before proceeding. This is due to the thickness of the clay halves.

I next sanded the edges of the yoyo to smooth. Drill a 1/4" hole in the inside center of each half going about half way through the thickness. Cut a small piece of the 1/4" dowel to fit into the two holes and have enough room for the string. (Use 8 playing cards as a spacer)  Now paint the inside halves with the Folkart® Licorice black paint.

The outside of the yoyo was painted with the Model® Color Brass paint. I used a head pin to push through the two gears to hold them in place.

Following the instructions with the Parks Super Glaze Ultra Gloss Epoxy, mix enough to fill the indentations on the yoyo halves to cover the gears. Let cure 48 hours.

The dowel was glued in place with Beacon Quick Grip™ and 2 stacks of 8 playing cards were used to have the proper spacing for the yoyo's string. Let dry 24 hours.  I used some Artist's Loft™ Burnt Umber Oil Paint to antique the yoyo...brush it on, wipe it off with a paper towel.   You are done! Now have fun with your Makin's Clay® Yoyo.