Creative PaperClay Ugly Christmas Sweater

By Linda Hess

Do you want to make an easy, peasy lemon squeezy ornament or package tie?  Then this is the project for you!  

Materials:

Creative PaperClay

acrylic roller

some kind of texture (shown: rubber stamp) Other options: scrubbie sponge, dotting tool, fabric, sandpaper...use your imagination

Ugly Sweater cutter (I found mine at Walmart)

Funwire

ornament top with hanger (repurposed from a broken ornament)

paper towel

water

plastic wrap or Ziploc baggie

Optional: cooling rack, school glue or tacky glue

Step 1: Open the package of Creative PaperClay and pull off a bit.  Wrap the rest of the package tightly in plastic wrap or in a Ziploc baggie.  Make sure to press all of the air out or you will be sorry!  Use the acrylic roller to flatten the clay on your work surface to about 1/8" thick.  Impress the entire surface with the texture.  

Step 2: Turn the clay sheet over and cut out one sweater.  Remove the excess clay and squeeze into a ball.  Dampen the paper towel with water, squeezing out excess.  Pull a bit off the ball of clay and wrap the remained in the damp paper towel to keep it moist.

Step 3: Roll a long snake on your work surface.  If the clay develops cracks, dip your fingers into some water before rolling.

Step 4: Fold the snake in half.  Then twist.  

Repeat, rolling the snake and then twisting.  If you want to create the knitted sweater design be sure to roll the folded snake in opposite directions (twist away from you, twist towards you).  Alternating the twist will create the illusion that you knitted the clay (Shhh, keep it a secret).

Please note: if the clay cracks as you twist, dip your finger into water and rub on the cracked area.  This should "mend" the crack.  

Step 5: Begin lining up twists on the cutout sweater.  I recommend dipping your finger into water and rubbing it on the cutout sweater before adding each twist.  

See the loop at the top?  That is from the repurposed ornament hanger.  Place it on the sweater cutout and then place the twists on top of it.  Notice the neck of the sweater?  After a twist is placed, slightly flatten the clay to help attach the layers.

Continue adding twists until the sweater cutout is covered.

Step 6: Use the cutter to recut the sweater.  Pull away excess clay and place it into the damp paper towel.

Almost done!  Now for a few fine-tuning details.  What is an Ugly Sweater without its decorations?  Remember the top of the broken ornament?  Flatten the metal part to create a shimmery snowflake.  It can be attached with tacky glue or a small wire poked through the center holes.

Add a couple of wires or some other trim to the neck of the sweater.

Finally, roll a few thin snakes from the leftover clay (remember the damp paper towel?) and place them around the neck, along the sleeve cuffs, and along the bottom of the sweater.  Just as before, a little water with act as glue to help the adhesion.

Do you want to see the back??

That's it, all done!  I place my ornaments on a cooling rack to dry since this allows the air to circulate the piece and assure even drying.  Leave it along for 24-48 hours.  If any of the pieces are loose or come off, a bit of school glue or tacky glue will be the perfect fix.

 

Christmas Cookie Cutter Ornaments

 Hello, it's almost Christmas and I have a lovely craft for you today: Cookie cutter ornaments! These aren't the typical plain ornaments, they are full of texture and embellished with various finishes. 

If you saw Clay Talk last Thursday, then you would have seen me make these. Its always good to have a refresher though!

Here is the video.

Clay Talk

The next Clay Talk is Thursday, January 7th, 2021. is  It is hosted on our Facebook Business Page, Creative Paperclay Modeling Material. Be sure to stop by - @8pm EST/5 pm PST. 

I do hope you enjoyed this tutorial. You can share your creations with us on our Facebook page. We would love to see them! For more inspiration have a look around the blog. There are tutorials for many levels using Creative Paperclay®. You can also visit my blog suzettehussey.com

You can find Creative Paperclay® online at Creative Paperclay Co and also at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Dickblick and Amazon. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzette

Blog: https://suzettehussey.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papermachepatch/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papermachepatch/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/suzettehussey/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PaperMachePatch

December 2020 First Friday Fan Day

Need some inspiration for your next Creative Paperclay® project? Check out what folks are making with Creative Paperclay™.

	Nativity Figures Star Candle Holders
	Clay Bird Ornament Christmas Tree Tealights
	Rusted Heart Eclectic Tree Ornament

HELP US FIND YOU!!

1. Use the hashtag #CreativePaperclay on all your social networks.
2. When using Facebook, be sure the your posts and images using the #Creative Paperclay hashtag are set to public, otherwise we won't be able to find you.
3. Share your projects on the Creative PaperClay® Facebook page.

I'm always trolling the web, looking for great Creative Paperclay® projects. If you find something, post it on our Facebook page.

GOT QUESTIONS???

Find the answers to your paperclay questions. See what other folks are creating. Stop by our Facebook group and say, "Hi!" Creative Paperclay Q&A

Carole

Creating a Textured Bodice with Creative Paperclay®

This is my Warrior Goddess, Taino Daka.  Well it's her torso anyway.  This will be a multi post project because there are so many steps.  Today I will show you how I made her bodice using thin sheets of textured Creative Paperclay®.  

Next month I will share more aspects of this sculpture.

SUPPLIES:

Creative Paperclay®

Doll bust armature or full sized doll

Sculpting tools - manicure sticks and knitting needles are great for beginners 

Texture sheets, stamps, or impression making tools. I am using Victoria James Real Textures

Water - in a spray bottle is best

Black gesso I am using Golden Brand

PanPastels in metallic bronze or Metallic acrylic paint (heavy body paints work best for this technique)

Sealant of choice I like ModPodge for brush on and Krylon Crystal Clear for spray on.  

For this project you will need a doll bust. I will share the steps to making the bust next month.  if you don't want to wait, here are some past posts that will being you up to this point.

Face sculpting: 

Sooshie Sea Star 
Vintage Face

Bust armatures:

Standing Bust by MelanDolly 

Sweet Treats a Vintage Bather

OK, back to today's project, The bodice or corset.  

Start with shaping and smoothing the bust line.  No one wants lumpy breasts!

Once you get the shape and size you like you are going to create a push-up effect with your thumbs.  You will lift and push together to create a cleavage.

you will end up with a funny looking bust line.  It should look something like this.  now add a bit more Creative Paperclay® to the lower bust line and round them out again.  Try to not disturb the nice shape you created in the upper bust line.  You may want to allow it to dry before adding the additional clay.  This will prevent any mishaps or distortion.

Roll out a sheet of clay about 1/8 inch thick and as wide as your dolls torso.

Add a some texture to your clay sheet.  You can use texture sheets, rubber stamps, stencils, tools, or household items to texture your clay.

I used a silicone texture sheet from Victoria James Art Real Textures

Spray the naked torso lightly with water.  If you don't have a spray bottle use a paint brush.

gently lay the 'fabric" on to your bust.  with your fingers gently coerce the fabric over the cures and form of your bust.

 

Roll out a tiny spaghetti of clay for trim.  Add a light spray of water to it be for applying it to your piece.  Gently place it along the top & under the bust line.  Use a tool or toothpick to blend it into your bodice.

At this point, allow your bust to dry completely.  Overnight or longer.  The textures pieces can be smashed and smeared easily.

The next day I woke up to a few cracks in my textured bodice.  Oh No!  No worries though.  This is an easy fix.  I used the tiniest slivers of Creative Paperclay® and a bit of water.  Then with a sharp tool I fixed up the texture that was lost with my patch.

Here you see how good the repairs look.  Even on highly textured Creative Paperclay®, it is easy to repair cracks.  I also want to point out the tiny crack, where the arrow is pointing.  I didn't bother patching this up.  It is too tiny to be of concern.  The gesso and paint will fill that in nicely.  

Next, paint your torso with black gesso.  I used 2 coats and allowed it to completely dry in between layers.  The cracks are completely imperceptible.  Pretty cool, hah?

Once your final coat of gesso is completely dry, apply metallic PanPastels  (I used Bronze) or heavy body acrylic paint to the raised areas only.  I prefer to do this with my finger.  You an use a sponge or brush if you prefer but, be careful to only apply metallics to the raised surface.  Go lightly.  You don't want to lose the effect.

Here is the finished product.  What do you think?  I think I want to make one for myself!

Be sure to come back next month to see the rest of the project.

Check out my video tutorial workshop on painting a bust click here

If you decide to make your own please be sure to share a few photos with me!

I hope that you have enjoyed this project as much as I have! I'll be back with more "What's On My Workbench Wednesday" fun on the first Wednesday of each month.

Come back for more cool ideas and projects! Creative Paperclay® and Delight™ are conveniently available for you to purchase online and at the below listed retailers.

Creative Paperclay® Online Store

Michael's

Hobby Lobby

Joann's

Until then, stay safe & cozy and don’t forget to wear a mask!

Fin - The End

Redwood Coast Creative Arts on Instagram

Mermaid on a Beachball

LaLa at Redwood Coast Creative Arts on facebook

pinterest

Redwood Coast Creative Arts on YouTube

Poinsettia Candle Sticks

with Creative Paperclay®

Creative some table accessories for your Holiday table décor with glass jars or other glass findings, along with a little paint and air dry clay.

Supply list: Glass jar (for votive candles) or glass orb with smaller opening for taper candle Acrylic paint Glitter paint Food coloring for the water Water

Creative Paperclay® because it's simply the best!

simple tools to work with the clay

Click on the photo below to watch the tutorial on YouTube

EMAIL:  ArtbySusieK@gmail.com

Facebook and Instagram accounts:

o    @artbysusiek For Peculiar and Halloween

o     @WillowHollowWoods  for Earthy Characters and Magick

o     @FloorArtbySusieK  Art for your floors and other home décor

WEBSITE: https://artbysusiek.com

CREATIVE PAPERCLAY® Design Team Member https://creativepaperclay.blogspot.com

How to Create This 2020 Lysol Edition Christmas Ornament

Happy Holidays everyone! I am going to show you how I created this fun Lysol ornament with paperclay. You can't get enough Lysol these days, and that's if you are even lucky enough to find it!

You will need the following:

Supplies:
Creative Paperclay®
Printer for the label
Image software to resize the label
Masking tape
Cardboard
Exacto Knife
Sand paper
Thin Jewelry Wire
Mod Podge
Acrylic paint

I first started off by looking for an image of the label on the Lysol can on Google. I found a few, downloaded them and put them in Adobe Illustrator to play with the size. There are loads of other imaging software that could be used such as Gimp which is free and Canva is free to try for the first 30 days. You might have to do a bit of research here to see what works best for you.

I printed out 4 labels at different sizes and two different colors. I wanted to see them printed out to help me decide on how big the can should be.

I took some really thin cardboard and rolled it up so that I could start working on the body of the can. After I got the right size, I took the masking tape and secured it in place.

After I felt that the sizing was good for the can, I began to put some clay over the cardboard tube. Make sure that your label wraps around it at a good length before letting it dry. If you are happy with the fit, leave one end of the tube open so that you could place the loop for the tree into it later. Allow it to sit for about 24 hours so that it could dry.

Cut down your wire to the right length so that the piece could have a few inches above it so that it could placed on a tree. Knot it at the end and then cover it with masking tape so that you can insert it into the open end of the tube.

Insert the wire into the open end of the tube and cover it with clay. If there are any other parts that need to be filled out with another layer of clay, this would be the right time to add it.

Flatten the top out as much as you can while the clay is till pliable. When you are done with this step, set the piece aside and allow it to dry.

Roll out a small piece of clay to create the bottom end of the can. When the piece is consistent, wrap it around the bottom and smooth in to place with a dap of water if needed.

Smooth the roll down and inward so that it protrudes a little bit out from the bottom. When you are happy with the shape of this, allow it to dry.

After you have let you piece dry, you are ready to move on to sanding it smooth. I am using a mix of 400 grit and 100 grit sanding paper sheets. The sand paper with the lower number  smooths out fine knicks and pieces while the larger number removes larger pieces that need to be flattened down.

When you are satisfied with sanding the piece, paint the bottom of it in a metallic silver so that it would resemble the bottom of a can. Depending on the paint that you have, you may need to paint a few layers to get the metallic finish for your piece. You can either choose to paint the top in white or leave it as is. I feel that a nice white glossy paint could make the piece look a little more like a real can of Lysol.

When your paint dries, you can now move on to putting the label onto the canister. I am painting a thin layer of Mod Podge here so that I can smoothly glue it onto the piece. Be careful to not leave any bubbles or gaps. You want to glue the label as flat as you can to the piece so that it will have a smooth appearance. It may take a few attempts.

Here is the completed piece. I don't have my tree up yet but for demonstration purposes, I hung this ornament off of a bamboo tree in my Betta's tank. If you look closely, you can see him being nosey!

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!

Stay Safe out there!