But golly, I love how these turned out!
I've thought of a bunch of ways to use my lovely Easter Island heads. How about:
Mounted grouped in a shadowbox frame.
Turned into way cool Xmas ornaments.
Embellishments for decorative boxes.
Slightly insane statement rings.
Brooches or hat adornments.
Got other ideas? Add them in the comments!
For today's tutorial, I'm going to show you my necklace version. Check it out!
The DIY is madly simple. I started with this awesome silicone ice cube tray, a great yard sale score for fifty cents.
Then I marbled small batches of air-dry clay. I did it differently each time; some versions are just black and white, others have some blue mixed in for spice.
I squished my marbled clay into the mold:
Remove them gently - see my tips to follow - and allow them to dry. And voila, stone heads!
It took some trial and error to get this right, so pay attention, class.
Tip #1: Marble gently - too much mixing will muddy the look. Try twisting the colors together instead of kneading.
Tip #2: For a rougher stone texture, use crumbles of dried-out clay in the mix. This discovery was a happy accident! My blue clay had dried up in a poorly-sealed package, so I tried it...fabulous. Now it won't go to waste.
Tip #3: After marbling a batch, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, drying out. The drier, stiffer clay is easier to unmold.
Tip #4: Take your time removing it from the mold, and expect some stretching. Place it on a flat surface and gently push it back into shape. (If it turned out really deformed, no prob! Just squish it back into the mold and try again.)
To attach the pendant bails, I used my magical aluminum tape method (tutorial here).
Okay, guys, that's the story of the Easter Island pendants. Hope somebody tries it. Have fun!
This is so cool, Michelle! You've given me a great idea! I'm going to the kiddie aisle and get some Crayola air dry clay. I want to make a few flowers to decorate the rims of terra cotta pots and I have some soap and cookie silicone molds that just might work! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOoh, rims of terra cotta pots?! I love that idea, Gail! So happy to give the nudge - hope they come out great.
Deletenice idea! I always see those shaped trays and I always think that there can be things made but I never thought about air dry clay. Now I will be on the look out for those lovelies!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get lucky! I know what you mean, I usually don't think about air dry clay that much because it's a bit fragile...but ohhh so easy. Thanks so much for the nice comment!
Deletevery interesting. I bet that they'll look really cool group together in a shadowbox or three of them together as a rather large whimsical statement necklace
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I have a skull ice mold that would be so perfect for this project. The Easter Island heads are awesome. Thanks for sharing. 😊
ReplyDeleteThese are so much fun! I see all kinds of possibilities with different molds. Why am I thinking Pet Rocks?
ReplyDeleteI must try!
Really interesting little project, I have actually been to Easter Island and those heads are truly amazing. Maybe you could put some in a frame with a map of the Pacific Ocean in the background? thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sara! I have forgotten if I ever replied to this comment, sorry if I repeat myself here...I loooove the map idea! Your trip must have been an incredible experience and I am green with envy.
DeleteHi there
ReplyDeleteJust stopped by to let you know that I featured this on my Round Tuit post this week!
A Round Tuit 313
Thanks again for linking up! Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Wow, they're great!!
ReplyDeleteThis is too good. How fun idea. I love clay crafts & next time i am going to try something like this. You can make some & hang as a door bell or wind chime. They will look cool ;)
ReplyDelete