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Glow in The Dark Day of The Dead Sugar Skulls

16-Oct-15

Air Dry Clay, Craft Tutorials, Hearty Clay

ACTÍVA Products

This project is so easy a child can make it! Celebrate the day of the dead

by sculpting a sugar skull out of air dry Hearty Clay!

Polymer Air dry clay project

Materials required:

Hearty Clay

Wax paper

Dull pencil or Stylus

Sculpting tool with flat edge or mini Popsicle stick

Plaid FolkArt Glow in the dark yellow and white acrylic paint

Permanent marker set

Clear nail polish or Plaid Mod Podge clear sealer

Wire, ribbon or twine to hang

Wet the work surface with a sponge and put a sheet of wax paper down to work on. Pull off a piece of Hearty Clay the size of a large walnut.

Hearty Clay Working with hearty Clay

Roll this into a ball and then begin narrowing the end into the shape of an egg. This shape should look more like a light bulb now.

working with air drying clay

Press this shape down onto the wax paper and begin flattening out with your fingers.

Take note where the eye sockets should be and press your fingertips into the clay to create the sockets. Take the stylus and press in an upside down heart for the nose. Press the clay in where the cheekbones would be.

sugar skull

Take the flat sculpting tool and draw a line where the teeth would be and then vertical lines on top and bottom of the line to represent teeth. I pressed a few holes in around the eye sockets to add interest. With stylus make a hole at the top to hang or make a necklace. Let this dry completely. It should be hard yet still a bit flexible when dry.

clay sugar skull air dry clay day of the dead

Now you are ready to begin painting your piece. Paint your sugar skull a bright color of your choice. I used Plaid FolkArt Glow in the Dark acrylic paint to have some fun! This seals the clay and makes the markers easier to use. Let this dry

painting air drying clay coloring clay

self hardening clay skull

With markers make a line of dots in the shape of flowers or whatever design you would like. Use your imagination and have fun! Use the tip of a dull pencil to add accents with the Plaid FolkArt yellow and white acrylic paint. Let this dry. Seal your project by brushing with Mod Podge. Let dry. Thread a ribbon, wire, or string through the hole in the top of your sugar skull. What a fun way to celebrate the day of the dead!!

day of the dead clay skull polymer clay skull

air dry clay skull

Artwork and Photography by Karen Lowrey

Download in PDF

2015-10-16