Five Simple Projects You Can Make With Fimo Clay
March 9, 2009 by Loretta
Filed under Misc Happens
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Fimo clay is one of my favorite things to play around with when I’m feeling crafty, and it can be used to create a wide variety of crafts. Skilled sculptors can use it to make beautiful figurines, intricate jewelry and much more. But there are plenty of great projects that beginners can do, too. If you’re looking to get started with clay, here are five easy projects to choose from:
1. Magnets – Magnets are good projects to get started with because you can make them somewhat flat. This leaves less of a chance for error.
You can use a pasta machine or a roller to make flat pieces to use for your magnet. One flat piece can be used for the base, and you can cut shapes or letters out of other colors and place them on top of it. Self-adhesive magnets can be attached to the back after baking, or you can glue a magnet on with a hot glue gun.
2. Beads - It’s quite easy to make beads out of Fimo clay. This is probably the most popular thing made from fimo right now. The hard part is making them uniform. But the slight differences in size and shape will add character to the jewelry you make with them.
To make a round bead, simply roll a small amount of clay around in a circle on a flat surface until a ball is formed. Then poke a toothpick through it (if you plan to string the beads) and bake. You can make an oval bead by forming a ball and then rolling it back and forth a few times. Other shapes will require a little more work.
3. Rings – It’s a cinch to make rings out of clay. All you have to do is make a strip of clay of the desired width and thickness, make a loop that will fit around your finger, and bake. You can also add beads or smaller strips of different colors to it if you like.
4. Christmas ornaments - If you have some Christmas cookie cutters that you do not use to make cookies, you can easily make Fimo clay ornaments. Simply roll out some clay to the desired thickness, cut the shape out with the cookie cutter, and decorate with strips and beads of different colors. Punch a hole at the top for hanging and bake.
5. Vases - You might think that it would be very difficult to make a vase out of clay, but it doesn’t have to be. Using a pasta machine, you can make sheets of clay that you can use to cover old glassware, transforming it into a lovely new vase. These make beautiful home décor, as well as great, inexpensive gifts.
Some crafters are intimidated by clay because it is a three-dimensional medium. Easy projects such as these can help you get your feet wet, letting you get a feel for clay before you move on to more complex pieces.
Anyone interested in the popular and adaptable medium of polymer clay will delight in the colorful projects found in Step-by-Step Polymer Clay in a Day. Crafters will welcome Emma Ralph’s affordable and beautiful gift ideas, ideas that include wine glass charmers, a millefiore trinket box, stylish napkin rings, clay and metal earrings, colorful pens, and a delicate lattice bowl.
With a comprehensive techniques section, which presents such essential techniques as canework, blending, texture, and filligree, along with a creative gallery of projects and project variations, beginners and experienced crafters alike will appreciate the inspiration found in this dynamic and easy-to-follow guide.
About the Author
Emma Ralph is a member of the British Polymer Clay Guild. Her work has been exhibited at guild events and in their newsletter. She lives in Coulsdon, Surrey, England.
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I just love doing crafts with my kids! The other day we made our own polymer clay buttons in all kinds of colors. The results were great! A perfect product for easy crafting.
I love making things from fimo! I was a craft counselor at girl scout camps and I think I loved it even more then the children! I still have a jar of beads I had plum forgotten about!
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My daughter is a fanatic of polymer clays. She has different clay making materials like push molds, cutter, stamps, pasta machine, pearl glaze, craft knife and clays in different colors!
The other day, I watched her made some photo transfer in clay and her finished products are very nice…I’m not saying this because I’m her mother, but really, I think my daughter has a very good talent in making different clay crafts. I guess I’m going to ask her to teach me some clay making techniques so that I can join her, too.
Clay crafting is just the best. It’s saved me so many times on rainy days when my kids are bored.