Create a Propagation Stand

Hello everyone and happy Friday, Cinnamon here and I am going to show you how I created this propagation stand for plant cuttings. I have been picking up these test tubes from Michael's for a dollar for over the past few years and I've finally found a way to make good use out of them.

Supplies:

• Creative Paperclay
• Test tube (Can be found in a local craft store)
• Steel Galvanized wire (16 gauge or lower in numbers for strength) 
• Pliers
• Sand paper
• Masking Tape
• Acrylic Paint
• Tape measure
• Sealer, varnish
• Xacto Knife (optional)

Make sure that the wire you use can hold it's shape and support the weight of a test tube filled with water and a plant cutting. I am using an 18 gauge wire here, but I strongly recommend going with a stronger wire that's at least 16 gauge. 

Start by making a a box out of the wire to start the base of the piece.

Use your tape measure if you want to make sure that all of your sides match up. 

I used it here to ensure that the back support beams were the same length for stability reasons.

Get your masking tape and start wrapping around the areas that you wish to have covered with clay. I left an opening in the top so that I would be able to put the test tube through it.

When you are done with the tape, begin covering the piece with clay. Keep in mind that the bottom part of the base should be heavier then the top so that it doesn't topple over while it is being used. Make it twice as thick as the top and a bit wider if you need to!

When covering the piece with clay, keep an eye on the opening on the top part that holds the tube. Check periodically by placing the tube in the middle to keep track with how wide the opening should be.

When checking the size and fit for the stand with the tube, push the tube down slightly into the bottom. You'll want to can make an indent for the tube to sit properly so that it doesn't slide around after the piece is done. 

Set the piece aside to dry.

When the piece fully dries, sand it down to get it to the level of smoothness that you would like it to be. I'm using a sanding stick to open up the center a bit more, the opening was too small for the tube.

Paperclay shrinks a bit while it dries, keep track of how the tube fits throughout the process and make adjustments if needed by either sanding the clay down or adding more. 

Paint your piece with acrylic paint. I used black here for the base coat so that I could top it with the a gold dry brush technique.

I am lightly brushing on gold paint on top of the black undercoat here to give the stand an antique look. Seal with varnish when completed.

Here's how it came out! I am accepting all forms of positive vibes to help encourage my little basil cutting to grow some roots!

Thank you all once again for stopping by, and I hope that you enjoyed today's tutorial! You can find Creative Paperclay® at the following retailers Creative Paperclay® Online Store, Michael's, Amazon, Joann's.

See more of my work at Melandolly.com, catch updates on 

my Instagram page and here is a link to my shop!

How to Create a Bas Relief Sculpture out of Paperclay

 

Hello and happy Friday everyone! Cinnamon here and I am going to show
you how I turned this Keith Haring drawing into a sculpted piece. I'm a big 

fan of his fun characters and I wanted to go with something other then

his popular dancing people for this project.

Supplies:

Creative Paperclay®

Wire

Masking tape

Exacto Knife

Sand paper

Acrylic paint

Sealer, Varnish

Whenever I start a sculpture, I begin by building a wire structure called

an armature. I try to make this as close to the actual piece as possible so that I won't have to do as much work later. In this case I also began with a sketch to guide me as shown.

When the form is where I need it to be, I covered it with masking tape so
 that I could apply the clay to it. Make sure that the tape is really snug to
the wire when you apply it.

When you are done with the tape, begin to apply the clay to the tape.

This is the first layer of clay. Set it aside until it dries which would roughly be 

24 hours depending on the conditions of your home. This will be built up in layers.

After the first layer dries, come back and begin to build up the parts that
you would like to be raised. Here I am building up the legs.

When you are done with the second layer of clay, set the piece
aside and allow it to dry.

After allowing the piece to dry, I decided to go in and sand down a few 

pieces on the sculpture to smoothen it out.

When the piece is at the level of smoothness that you desire, start getting

it ready to be painted. Here I am drawing the outline with pencil so that I could 

get my coat of paint on top of the piece.

I am using acrylic paint here, I wanted to make it red but as you can
see I'm still be able to see the pencil outline underneath.

After letting the paint dry, come back and paint the outline of
the piece with black paint.

Here's the finished piece, make sure you spray with a sealer!

 

Thank you all once again for stopping by, and I hope that you enjoyed 

today's tutorial! You can find Creative Paperclay® at the following 

retailers Creative Paperclay® Online Store, Michael's, Amazon, Joann's.

See more of my work at Melandolly.com, catch updates on 

my Instagram page and here is a link to my shop!