Halloween crafts : Polymer Clay Spider Tutorial
Halloween decorating is a lot of fun for me. I was looking around my house this year and realized that 90% of my decorations were made my me! That is cool! So, in order to pass along some of the creative juices, I thought I'd share how I make my little clay spiders. They are simple and cute and fun to stick everywhere. (they will break however, so keep them away from little hands- which means they are at least 3 feet off the ground in my house ;) )
The very first step is to condition your clay. This means to squish it over and over and over and over and over.....you get the idea....until it's nice and soft and warm. To make this a bit easier, I put the package of clay in my pocket for a few minutes until I'm ready for it, this makes it much easier to get it started. Once it's conditioned (btw I start with just enough to make 1 spider- 1/4 of a 4 piece brick or 2 pieces of an 8 piece brick) make two pieces, one using 3/4 of your piece and the other smaller piece. Make two balls, slightly flatten the larger one and stack the smaller one on the larger one toward the front. Set aside.
Condition and roll out another piece into a small snake. Try to make it even all along the length. Cut it into 4 -6 inch (approx.) pieces. Lay them next to each other and pinch them together (as shown) in the center, this will make it nice and flat for your body to sit on. Put the body in the center and lightly press to get them to stick- then move them to a cookie sheet lined with tin foil.
Shape one leg at a time, gently pressing it against the body as you bring it up so it will stick. Make the curve and press the foot down on the foil, this will keep the knee shape. Repeat for all 8 legs. Take two small balls of white clay and press them on the head. Use a toothpick to make the holes for the eyeballs. Bake according to package directions. When they cool, spray a couple light coats of clear varnish for a shiny, finished look.
