I actually *HEART* polymer clay

As a Family Fun Magazine craft developer, I have had plenty of opportunities to handle all of the crafting superstars- pom poms, pipe cleaners, puffy paint, felt and craft foam (I do not heart craft foam). The material I have been most surprised about loving, however, is polymer clay- brands like FIMO and Sculpey, you know the stuff. It is so easy to make cool things out of it and if you have an extractor fan, you can ignore the fact that it is a plastic and probably not actually a good thing for the air quality of your home when your baking it (or outside, when it is extracted).  So, ignoring that successfully, I would like to show you this lovely cuff I made.  I also made a little itty bitty pendant for my boy to wear at school so when he is sad (and he has been sad) he can look at the back where it says, "we love you".  He says it looks like I bought it at a store. Charmer.

Wrist Cuff Tutorial

What you'll need:

- polymer clay in a color you like

- a rubber stamp you like a lot too

- acrylic paint

- foam brush or paint brush

- cloth or paper towel

- oven

Directions:

1. Take a chunk of polymer clay from the pack and roll it out with a rolling pin or jar.  You want it to be pretty thin to achieve the flexibility needed for a cuff.  Let's say, 1/8". I worked atop parchment paper so it was really easy to lift it off when the time came.

 

Stamp it with your chosen rubber stamp so the details are all there.  If you don't like the imprint, re-do it.

2. Measure your wrist and then cut the clay so it will wrap around your wrist and leave about 3/4". I used a ruler and a craft knife for a nice clean line.

3. Gently peel the rectangle off the parchment so the shape doesn't get deformed and wrap it around a toilet paper tube. Gently press it so it is secure-ish against the cardboard.

4. Following the manufacturer's instructions, bake your cuff.  I took mine out a few minutes early to ensure it stayed nice and flexible.

5. When it is done and cool, apply acrylic paint all over the stamped area and then wipe off excess so it just stays in the impressions.

Isn't that really nice?  It would be fantastic with stamps all over it so there is a lot of contrast, but I really like my umbrella stamp so I used that today.  Make them for all your gals!