Laundry Scent Booster Bird Sachets

Laundry Scent Booster Bird Sachets by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

Join me in making these scented sweet bird sachets, perfect for tucking into a lingerie drawer, or hang them up in your closets! Fun and easy to make with Makin’s Clay®.  One 120g package will easily make 4 to 6 birds.

Materials:

Makin’sClay® White 120g

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®  

Makin’s® Texture Sheet Set D 38004 Woodgrain, or texture of your choice

Acissors, needle tool, paintbrush, small hole cutters

Art-C Gold paste, Art-C Turquoise

Inka Gold paste, blue, red , turquoise and Platinum

Black acrylic paint  

Americana DuraCoat Gloss Varnish, cornstarch, white glue, seedbeads size 6 or 3mm pearls or 4mm crystals

Laundry Scent Booster, I used ‘Gain’

White glue

25mm glass or stone cabochons, or glass nuggets

Glass or tile to work on.

Directions: 

Fig 1:  Cardinal - Print the pattern, then cut out the paper cardinal shape on the bottom. Each bird measures approximately 4 inches in length and 2 inches high. Condition a third of a package of white Makin’s Clay®, and roll it on a number 3 setting of the Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®. Dust a texture sheet with cornstarch and texture the sheet of clay if desired. Using a needle tool, scribe around the shape as a guide to cut, flipping the pattern over to make a second one facing the opposite direction. These birds need to be two sided to work. I used scissors to cut my birds, but a sharp craft knife can work also. Use a needle tool to mark the details of the bill, cheek and wing and tail and also mark where the eyes will be placed. I used a size 6 seed bead for the eye of the cardinal for each piece. To make the pocket that will hold the laundry scent booster chips, I placed a glass nugget in the wing area of the back side of the bird, then turned the bird over and placed it on a ceramic tile (glass works well also) The idea is to get the head and all the edges of the bird to stick to the tile so that these parts dry as flat as possible which makes gluing the pieces together much easier. If the clay doesn’t want to stick to the tile, spray a tiny amount of water on the back, wait 30 seconds or so and try again. I found it easier to cut some small holes over the glass nugget area while the nugget is in place, though you could poke some holes before placing, or even drill them after the bird has dried. I used two different sized bootlace ferrules to make my holes. The only thing you need to be aware of is that the holes should be smaller than the scent booster chips. Let the bird parts dry for 24 hours then, unmold the glass nugget from the back and if it has not completely cured allow a bit more time before assembling. When dried you can either paint each part now, or wait until it is fully assembled to paint. 

Assembly:  If you want the bird to hang, prepare a loop of yarn, string of narrow ribbon. Moisten the edges of the bird, keeping all water away from the pocket. Apply a bit of white glue to all edges on both pieces, again making sure the pocket stays dry. For the cardinal, I added a piece of yarn by dipping the ends in glue and placing it below the head. Add your scent booster chips in the pocket, they should heap up on the one side since when both pieces are together there is room for all the chips. Now press both sides together, matching as well as you can. You may need to hold the edges a bit to make sure they stick together properly. You will probably have some small differences which can be trimmed with a sharp knife, scissors or scraped with a rigid craft blade. When the glue has dried you can paint your bird. For the Cardinal, I used a base coat of copper and followed up with some Inca Gold Lava (red) and some gold Art-C paste for the bill, finally some black acrylic paint for the bib of the Cardinal. Lastly, I added a bit of gloss varnish, just to the black area.

Fig 2:  Bluejay. See general directions for the method. Cut the Bluejay pattern and use it to make two sides facing opposite directions. I used a 4mm crystal for the eye. On the blue jay I used a 25mm round glass cabochon, which gave me a more uniform pocket. Other things you could use would be a flat round stone, or even make your own form from aluminum foil. I painted my bluejay before assembling, and then had to touch it up after gluing the parts. I used Inca Gold Blue for the crest and back of the jay, Inca Gold Platinum for the belly, and black acrylic paint for the chest markings. When dried I touched up the black bits with gloss varnish. The advantage to this is not messing up the other side by holding the bird while wet. The photo shows only a small amount of chips, I added more before assembling. This one doesn’t have the hanger.

Fig 3:  Finch. See general directions for the method. The finch is a fun one to do, as you can get more creative with your color choices – realistic or fantastical. Cut the Finch pattern and use it to make two sides facing opposite directions. I used a 4mm crystal for the eye. And a 25mm glass cabochon to form the pocket. I used Art-C Turquoise paste on the body, Art-C gold paste for the bill, then a little Inca Gold platinum over the turquoise in the chest and belly area. The fourth bird on the cover photo was painted with Inca Gold platinum, gold and purple.

 The scent lasts a really long time, and it is possible to separate the layers in the pocket area with a sharp craft knife and add fresh scent booster chips, and re-glue.

These birds will make wonderful gifts, have fun with this project!

Peacock Feather Pin

Design Team Member Patricia Roberts-Thompson recently shared this pretty peacock feather pin on her blog.  Patricia used Makin's Clay® to make her pin.

Autumn Leaves Napkin Rings

Materials:

Makin’s Clay® White 120g

DecoArt acrylic paints: Golden Brown, black, Craftsmart paint - Hunter’s Green and Lush Foliage  Art-C Gold paste, or Inka Gold paste, Empty Toilet paper roll, packing tape 

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®

Makin’s® Push Molds - 39001 Leaves 

Scissors, needle tool, paintbrush.

Americana DuraCoat Matte or Gloss Varnish

Cornstarch 

Directions:

Fig 1 – Open one half of a 120g package of white Makin’s Clay®, divide this into two sections and add a small puddle of Golden Brown paint to a section and Lush Foliage ( pale green ) paint to the other section, and mix thoroughly.  Then, take one third of each mixed color and mix them together, creating a third color. Place all the mixed clay in a plastic bag while you prepare the napkin support. I used clear packing tape to cover the toilet paper roll, which makes removing it from the napkin ring easier. Then I marked one inch sections and cut them with scissors.

Fig 2 – Condition the remaining white Makin’s Clay® and roll a narrow, 1 inch strip on the #1 setting of the Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® The strip should be as wide as the paper roll sections. Place the clay around the paper roll, blending the seam. You can trim the excess clay with scissors.  Add texture to the white strip if desired, not much of the base strip will show when you are done. Use a soft brush to add cornstarch to the Makin’s Leaves Push mold, and using one color at a time make leaves to add to the ring. My favorite way of using the push mold is to push a small amount of clay, letting it squish past the mold, then use scissors to trim the leaf to the size and shape I want.  I find the leaves are more realistic that way, as the edges can be trim with scissors on an angle to make them appear thinner.  So my aim is not to fill the mold, but to have just enough clay to get the impression from the mold. I used many different leaf shapes from the mold, and make at least four of each color for variety. 

Fig 3 – Make as many Napkin Rings as you like, you should have enough clay to make 6. Let them dry over night, then remove the cardboard ring, and allow them to dry for another 24 hours before antiquing them. To antique, I used Hunter’s green acrylic paint mixed with Black paint and painted the whole ring, including the inside. Then I used a slightly damp baby wipe to remove the paint from the high parts of the leaves, as well as the inner ring. Change the baby wipe when it gets too dirty to remove the paint, you need a clean edge for best results. Let them dry for a bit, then add gold highlights with Art-C Gold paste if desired for a bit of sparkle. I used the gold paste on the inside of the rings as well. The last image shows one ring with the gold added and the bottom ring without. Let this dry for an hour, and then seal your napkin rings with your favorite varnish. I used Americana DuraCoat Gloss.

These are fun, easy napkin rings to make, perfect for your Holiday table!

Pumpkin Tassels

Pumpkin Tassels by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

How about making some fun home decor tassels for Halloween with Makin’s Clay®?

Materials:

                   

Makin’s Clay® White 60g, small amount of Olive and Black clay

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®  

20 gauge Copper wire

Copper chain, endcaps and beads 

Wet wipes 

Jump rings

Yarn for the tassel, premade tassel

White Glue

DecoArt acrylic paints: Pumpkin, Golden Brown, black,   

Scissors, needle tool, paintbrush. 

Knitting needles, ball tool

Americana DuraCoat Matte Varnish or Golden Matte varnish

Cornstarch 

Instructions:

Add some Pumpkin orange paint to 60 grams of white Makin’s Clay®.  I also added a bit of a yellow brown to tone down the colour to a more earthy hue. Alternately you could use Persimmon found in the Makin’s Clay® Earth Tones 32045. Divide the clay into three balls approximately 1 and ½ inches in diameter. Wrap two of the balls of clay in plastic as you proceed with the first tassel.

Yarn Pumpkin Tassel:  

I had some nice flat acrylic yarn to use for my tassel; embroidery floss works great as well! I wrapped the yarn around a 4x6 index card about 30 times.  I used a 6 inch piece of 20 gauge copper wire, curved one end, and slipped it between the yarns at the top, while still on the card, and made a wrapped loop. Cut a 8” piece of yarn, slip the tassel off of the card, and use the piece of yarn to tie around the top. Trim the bottom of the tassel with scissors.

Roll the clay into a ball, then using a very large knitting needle or the handle of a large paintbrush, make a hole through the clay large enough for the tassel to fit. It helps to coat the needle or brush with cornstarch as you make the hole. This will prevent sticking. While the clay is on the needle holder, use a smaller needle tool to make indentations all around. In the first photo, you will see the cornstarch I used as I made my indents. Let the ball of clay dry for 24 hours before proceeding to the next step. Clean off the cornstarch when dry.  The next day I cut a 24 inch piece of yarn, to which I tied a scrap piece of wire on one end. Put the other end through the hole, coat the hole with white glue, then wrap the yarn by inserting the wired end through and around. Keep wrapping until you’ve gone all the way around, and then cut off your ends. Insert the tassel from the bottom.  Next, I made a cap for the tassel with a small bit of Olive Makin’s Clay®. I rolled the clay into a ½” ball, flattened it out into a disk and then pinched and fluted the ends making it a wavy disk. Poke a hole in the center, place it on the pumpkin with the copper wire centered in the hole. I used a flower shaped endcap and a copper ball on top of the clay cap. Let this dry for another 24 hours before finishing a wrapped loop on top. Add a string or chain loop to hang the tassel from. 

Jack-o-Lantern Tassel:  

Make a 1 and ½” ball of clay. Make a face with a small knitting needle on one side. I used a ball tool to make the eyes, and inserted small balls of black clay, bit since it will be antiqued later, you could omit this step. For the mouth, I did a simple zigzag.  Use a needle tool to poke a hole right through the pumpkin, then use a brush handle or large knitting needle to enlarge the hole on the bottom. Be sure to use cornstarch to prevent sticking. This hole needs to be large enough to insert your tassel. Again, make lines around the pumpkin, avoiding the face area. Make four or five small leaves with Olive Makin’s Clay® for the cap, texture them with a needle tool, and place them all around the top of the pumpkin, keeping the hole in the center clear. Let the pumpkin dry for 24 hours, and then antique it with black paint. Use a wet wipe to remove the excess paint.  I tied a loop of yarn on the premade tassel, and inserted it from the bottom. A piece of wire catching the top of the yarn loop aids in this process. Add a bit of glue in the hole at the bottom to hold the tassel in place.

Ball Chain Pumpkin Tassel:  

Make a 1 and ½” ball of clay, poke a small hole through the center and make indentations with a small knitting needle all around the circumference of the pumpkin. Cut pieces of ball chain and place in the grooves, adding a bit of white glue to help hold them in place. If you don’t have ball chain, regular chain that you use for the tassel will work! Let the pumpkin cure for 24 hours, then antique it with black paint. Use wet-wipes to remove excess paint. This tassel was made with 2 inch sections of copper chain. Hint; place the chain on a long headpin to help you cut each piece to the same length.  12 to 15 pieces of chain will give a full looking tassel. Open a 10mm jump ring and place as many pieces as you like, then close the jump ring. Cut a 6 inch piece of 20 gauge copper wire and make a small loop on one end. Then thread on a copper bead, a small copper endcap, the clay pumpkin and lastly a larger copper endcap and bead, and make a wrapped loop at the top. Open the jump ring and place it on the bottom loop, and add a piece of chain for the top loop. I used 5mm jump rings to close the top loop chain.

Happy Halloween!

Paint Pours on Makin's Clay® - Part 2 - The Results!

Design Team Member Patricia Roberts-Thompson has been experimenting with acrylic paint pours on Makin's Clay®.  In this blog post from her blog, she shares her results!

Paint Pours on Makin's Clay®

Design Team member Patricia Roberts-Thompson has been doing some experimenting with paint pours on Makin's Clay®!  Stay tuned to see the results of her experiments!

Fancy Fish Pendant

Fancy Fish Pendant by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

Materials:  

Makin’s Clay®  - 30g Black 

Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®  

Clay roller 

Clay blade, scissors

Brushes

Small ball tool, needle tool, plastic straw

Foam mat

Baby wipes

PVA white glue

DuraClear Matte or Gloss varnish

Pendant cord

Pearl-Ex Powders, Born Pretty Chameleon Powders or metallic paints to color the fish

Directions:  

Using approximately 30 grams of black Makin’s Clay®, make a one inch ball for the body, and set aside the remainder to make the fins later on. 

Fig 1: Form the ball of clay into a fish, a pointed tapered shape for the head, and pinch the clay at the tail to make the tail fins.  I kept the fish flat on the backside, and more rounded on the front. The tail can be as fancy as you like.       

                                                                                                                                                                Fig 2: I used scissors to trim the tail into two sections. Place the fish on a piece of foam matting, and press in the lines on the tailfin. I only did the front, but you can do both sides if you like! Then I added details to the head, I made a curved line for the gill and a mouth. I added an eye with a small ball tool. Next, I cut a piece of a small plastic straw to make the scales of the fish.

Fig 3: I rolled the remaining black Makin’s Clay® on the third setting of the Ultimate Clay Machine®  and then cut a fin shape from the sheet of clay. The width of the fin is as long as the body of the fish, from the gills to the tail. Height of the fin should be high enough to fold over, making a bail to hang the fish from.  Place the fin on a foam mat, and press in lines, front and back. 

Fig 4: I made a groove in the back of the fish, added some white glue and inserted the fin, taking care to smooth and attach it securely. When it is well attached, fold the fin over, and attach the fin to the back of the fish. You can add glue, or just wet the clay to get it to stick. The photo shows a paintbrush inserted in the folded section to keep the fin bail from collapsing as it dries. Fig 5 shows the back view.

Fig 6: Finally, make two small fins, one is attached behind the gill, and the second one, on the belly, just below the first fin. I made a small groove to add the lower fin, adding a bit of glue before inserting. I used Blue Russet Pearl-Ex powder on the body of my fish, and Born Pretty Chameleon Powder, GRB20 for the tail and fins. Metallic paints work very well also; make him whatever colors you like!

Varnish the fish when he’s dried, add a necklace cord, and enjoy your awesome new pendant!

Acrylic Paint Skin Jewelry

Today, Design Team Member Patricia Roberts-Thompson shares this lovely set of jewelry made with an acrylic paint skin pour and Makin's Clay®.

Dove Wedding Favor Pencil Toppers

Dove Wedding Favor Pencil Toppers by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

Use Makin’s Clay® and the 3 piece Dove Cutter set (36012) to make some inexpensive and personalized Wedding Favors or Pencil Toppers for your special even.  Make them in your special colors!

Materials:   

Makin’s Clay® White 30g

Makin's® 

• Floral Texture Sheet - Set 38051
• Dove Clay Cutter Set 36012
• Clay Roller 

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®  

Paintbrush

20 gauge wire and 24 gauge wire

Cornstarch

Small heart cutter 

Americana DuraCoat Matte Varnish or Golden Matte varnish

White tacky glue

Art-C Paste - Silver and Turquoise

Card stock

Posca paint pen (black) pencils

Hb or retractable 

Directions: 

Roll the clay on the thickest setting (#1) of the Ultimate Clay Machine®, then cut two doves from your white clay. Coat one side of each, facing opposite directions, with the silver Art-C paste, or you may choose to paint the bird with acrylic paint after assembling the project. Cut a small heart for each side, and color them with the Turquoise Art-C Paste.  Cut an 8 inch piece of wire ( I used Copper ) make a loop on one end, add some white glue to the loop, and then press the wire lightly on the inside of one dove . Cover the clay with plastic while you prepare the banner.

Fold a piece of card stock in half so you can cut two sides at the same time, and cut a banner shape. You could use card stock in your colors, or touch up a plain color with the same Art-C Paste that you use for the heart. I used a black Posca Paint Pen to write the names of the Wedding couple on one side, and the date of the Wedding on the other side. Next, I cut a 1 ½ inch piece of 24 gauge wire, sandwiched it between the two pieces of cardstock with white glue and made a small curl in the end that will go in the dove’s beak. I slightly pinched the dove’s beak, and the tip of the wing, before assembling. The wire for the banner goes in the doves head, exiting the beak, use white glue to hold all the parts. Carefully line up the two sides of the dove, and then press it all together. You can arrange the banner better, when the dove has cured for 24 hours.  Don’t forget to paint the edges of the dove with the silver Art-C paste or paint of your choice. I added the eyes with a black Posca Paint Marker. Varnish the dove when dry if desired.

I wanted to try a textured version of the dove, so I doubled the clay that was rolled on the number 1 setting of the Ultimate Clay Machine®. I used the large texture mat from Makin’s® Floral Texture Sheet Set. Dust two mats with cornstarch, (I used Floral A and Floral B) and texture both sides at the same time. I used the Art-C paste in Turquoise to highlight the raised parts. This time I cut one dove, and carefully removed it from the cutter. Pinch the beak a bit and the wing, cut a small slit in belly edge, then insert a piece of wire that you’ve made a loop for ( dip it in some glue before inserting. )  Let this one dry for 24 hours. No banner this time, as my retractable pencil was personalized. 

When your dove has dried, take a pencil , hold the dove where you want it, and begin wrapping the wire around the pencil to hold it in place. For the retractable pencil, I began my wrap above the pocket clip, and worked the wire through the clip to secure it. 

These could be used as place markers for a dinner party, or indoor plant markers, have fun coming up with your own applications!

Measuring Made Easy - Acrylic Pour Coasters

Design Team Member Patricia Roberts-Thompson shows that Makin's Professional® and Makin's® tools are not just for polymer clay!  She used the Makin's Professional® Cutting Mat as the perfect guide to make cutting backing for her pretty acrylic pour coasters quick & easy! 

Faux Sea Glass Polymer Clay Bracelet

Faux Sea Glass Bracelet by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

Materials:

                   

Makin’s Clay® White 30g                  

Makin’s® Push Mold - Sea Shells

Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®

Elastic 

Wet wipes 

Size 6 seed beads

Charms

Jumpring

DecoArt acrylic paints: Island Blue, Golden Brown 

Craftsmart: Ocean Breeze, 

Chalk paint – Light cream color  

Glue    

Blade or scissors

Needle tool 

Paintbrush

Knitting needle

Americana DuraCoat Matte Varnish or Golden Matte varnish

Cornstarch

Stamp block

Directions: 

Fig 1: Condition some white Makin’s Clay® and add acrylic paints in blue, aqua green and ochre ( Golden Brown ) to three separate balls of clay. Take some of each resulting colour, and mix those together to get more colours for your faux beach glass look nuggets. Keep in mind they will dry darker than the color you mix.  Dust the Sea Shells push mold with cornstarch and using a color of clay that you like, press some into the smaller clam shell mold. You will use two for each bead. I find it easier to use more clay than I need, press into the mold, letting it go past the edges which gives you something to hold onto when pulling it from the mold. Then use a sharp pair of scissors to trim away the excess clay. I used a round toothpick, laid it through the middle of one clam side, and then placed the other one on top. Twist the toothpick as you pull it out from the bead. This was easier than poking a hole.  Use a needle tool to detail the clam shell.

Fig 2: To make the sea glass nuggets, roll a ball of clay, just smaller than a marble, but vary the sizes. I used a stamp block to press some angles into each piece, and the occasional groove. I used a small knitting needle, dipped in cornstarch to make the holes. Make the holes large enough to accommodate your stringing material.  Let them dry for 24 hours.

Fig 3: When the beads are dry, brush a coat of chalk paint, and remove most of it with a wet wipe or damp paper towel. You want just a hint of the cream color remaining. The cream paint helps make the beads look more translucent. Let the beads dry, and then varnish them. I love the Matte varnish from Golden, but you can use your favorite matte varnish.

Fig 4: Assembly. I choose a fabric elastic found in the sewing notions section of WalMart for my stringing  material. It’s very strong, and the knots don’t come out as you wear the bracelet. Stretch Magic works very well also! Thread your beads, alternating the colors and placing a size 6 seed bead between each one. You’ve probably made extra like I did, so just pick your favorites, testing the fit as you go. Use a bead with a large hole for the end, so you can hide the knot in the elastic. Thread on a charm on a jumpring if you like. Tie the elastic in a square knot, then one more knot. Add a drop of glue if you like, and then pull the knot into the larger hole of the last bead.

All done! Something cute to wear to the beach!