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!

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Getting Spooky on When Creativity Knocks with Makin's Clay®

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Glow-In-The-Dark-Ghost-Card

Makin's Clay® is the perfect accent for this adorable Halloween card created by Designer & owner of JudiKins stamps - Judi Watanabe!  Judi shows you how to create this fun clay accent along with her card on this new episode of When Creativity Knocks!  Click the link above to see Judi create this cute card.  Makin's Clay® is a sponsor of the 8 episodes in the WCK All-Star Designers' Holiday Series featuring Jonathan Fong, Judi Watanabe, Mark Montano, Ana Araujo and Cindi Bisson, and we'll be sharing many episodes where Makin's Clay® was used by the participating designers in their projects.  And, if you sign up to receive the newsletter on the When Creativity Knocks website, you'll be eligible to win one of 8 prize boxes full of product from the series sponsors, including a GREAT Makin's Clay® prize in each box!  - Cindi

Trick-or-Treat Bucket

Create this creepily fun Halloween treat bucket with a recycled flower pot and Makin's Clay®! Your little beggars are sure to be surprised by it's glow in the dark elements and it's furry monster accent - Cindi

Materials: 

• Recycled plastic flower pot (10” used for this project)
• Makin’s Clay^®– The No-Bake Polymer Clay^{® -}  Black, Natural, Vintage Tones, Earth Tones, Multi- Neon
• Also from Makin’s Clay^{® :}
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Machine^®
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Texture Set 
• Makin’s^® Texture Sheets 
• Makin’s^® Halloween Clay Cutters, Alphabet Clay Cutters, Rectangular Clay Cutters 
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Extruder^®

• Beacon Adhesives^® Tacky Glue   
• Darice^®  Black & Orange felt, Black Luxury Fur, Chenille Stems 
• Powertex^TM Transparent Textile Hardener 

Instructions: 

1. Remove plant & soil from plastic flower pot.  Remove hanger from pot.  Wash & dry thoroughly. 
2. Roll approximately half a 120 gram package of black clay using Ultimate Clay Machine™ on setting #4.   Cut into long 2” strip.  Repeat this step.
3. Apply thin layer of  Tacky Glue around top outside edge of pot.  Mount 2” strip of black clay over adhesive on outside of pot.  
4. Roll ½” x 1” piece of plum clay from Vintage Tones set using Ultimate Clay Extruder on setting #6.   Continue to roll until you can cut a piece approximately 3 ½” x 3 ½”.  Select Makin’s® Texture Sheet and apply texture by placing onto clay and applying gentle pressure.
5. Apply thin layer of adhesive on side of pot.  Place textured plum clay square on side.  
6. Repeat steps 4 using dark green & plum clay from Vintage Tones set, pumpkin colored clay from Earth Tones set until you have 5 squares (2 green, 2 plum, 1 orange) with assorted textures applied.  Roll black clay using setting #6 until you can cut a piece approximately 6 ½” x 3 ½”.  Black clay was not textured.
7. Repeat step 5, measuring over approximately ½” from first square and apply remaining squares (allow approximately ½” between each, ending with the larger black rectangle). 
8. Roll black clay using setting #6.  Cut four ¾” x 3 ½” strips of black clay.  Use adhesive to mount between colored squares of
   
   clay. 
9. Roll natural clay using setting #2.  Apply texture sheet of choice.  Use ¾” x 1 ½” rectangle cutter to cut 21 rectangles.  Use adhesive to mount textured rectangles around top black border, spacing approximately 1/2” apart.  
10. Choose border from border mold, place black clay into mold and make 7 border strips.  Use adhesive to mount under bottom border edge of pot (beneath natural rectangle embellishments).
11. Roll black clay using setting #2.  Apply texture sheet.  Use Halloween shape cutters to cut 3 cats and 5 bats.  Mount bats onto plum square and cats onto pumpkin orange square using adhesive.  I allowed some bat wings and cat tails to extend off the pot for added dimension.  Use tiny amounts of neon yellow clay to create eyes for bats, and neon green for eyes for cats.
12. Roll natural clay using setting #2.  Apply texture to half of rolled clay.  Use Halloween shape cutter set to cut 3 ghosts from textured clay and one moon from non-textured clay.  Use clay cutters to cut 7 stars in varying sizes from non-textured clay.   Use adhesive to mount moon & stars to green panel, and ghosts to 2^nd green panel.  Use tiny amount of black clay to create eyes for ghosts.
13. Roll pumpkin orange clay using setting #2.  Use Halloween shape cutter set to cut 3 pumpkins.  Use Professional Clay tools to add texture lines to pumpkins.  Cut 3 thin pieces from 3rd pumpkin to mount over 2nd pumpkin to add depth.  Add small amount of brown clay to stem.  Roll small amount of neon yellow clay on setting #6.  Use Professional Clay Tools to cut eyes, nose and mouth for Jack-o-Lantern, mount with adhesive.  Mount pumpkins to 2nd plum panel, adding thin strips of green twisted clay as vines around stems. 
14. Roll out pumpkin orange clay using setting #6.  Use Alphabet clay cutters to spell out “trick or treat”.  Mount as shown to black panel using adhesive.  
15. Mix 3 parts natural clay and 1 part black clay until uniform gray color results.    Place clay into Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder, add smallest multiple hole extruder disc, and extrude clay to create spider web pattern on black clay strips between colored panels, and on large black panel with text as shown. 
16. Create dimensional spider using black clay.  Add neon green eyes and wine red pinchers.  Mount to front panel as shown.
    
17. Choose border from border mold, place black clay into mold and make 7 border strips.  Use adhesive to mount under bottom edge of pot (beneath colored blocks). 
18. Cut 7” circle from black felt.  Use adhesive to mount on bottom of pot.  Roll 4 balls of black clay approximately 1 ½” in diameter.  Mount to bottom of pot.  
19. Apply coat of Powertex Transparent Textile Hardener to all clay surfaces on pot to seal.  Let dry.
20. Mount small strips of black faux fur along top outside edge of pot.  Measure, cut and mount orange and black felt for pot liner.  Twist 3 pipe cleaners, mount inside pot where black & orange felt meet.  Repeat.  
21. Fill with candy, use as a Halloween centerpiece, then watch the little ghosts and goblins smile when they see your decorative Trick or Treat bucket!