Instructions:

Before working with polymer clay, it should be conditioned first. This means kneading and squishing in your hand to until warm and soft (about a minute or two). Always condition the lightest colors first!

1. Cut the black clay 1/8 block into four equal pieces with the clay scrapper. Roll each piece into a ball and then into a 1.5” inch long teardrop shape. Slightly flatten each teardrop (this shouldn’t be made too flat, just slightly thinner than the thickness of the drinking straw).

2. Apply the clay foil with the matte (non-shiny) side down onto the clay wings. Use a small piece of scrap paper under your finger and rub over the foil very fast to heat it up against the clay. Rip off the foil very quickly. Most of the foil should come off the backing and onto the clay giving the wings and iridescent look. Align all four, foiled wings together as shown in sample.

3. Roll the Emerald Green clay into a ball and then into a short (1” inch long) log.

4. Roll the white clay into a snake that’s as wide as the coffee straw. Lightly flatten the snake by rolling once with the roller. Cut two sections of this strip and add to opposite sides of the green clay log. Do this with the Tropical Green clay too. Roll the clay to mesh the strips and make the log longer. When it measures 1.5” long, start twisting one end with your fingers. Use the palm of your hand to continue to roll the pointed end – always in the same direction to twist the striping. When there is a tight point at one end and a wider end on the other side, slightly flatten with the roller. Cut to 1.5” long with the scrapper. Lightly press the body down over the wings as shown in sample.

5. To make the final details: Make two stacks of 8 playing cards. Flatten a large pinch of black clay out between these two stacks. Punch out 8 clay dots with the end of a 1” piece cut from a drinking straw (if clay sticks in straw, poke it out with a toothpick). Roll these pieces into one ball and then into a short log as wide as the top part of the striped body. Press this against the body to secure. Do the same thing with the Emerald Green for the head. Roll the clay into a ball and press against the tile to flatten a little bit. Press the flat side against the black log. Roll out a pinch of black clay between stacks of 5 cards, apply foil and punch out two dots for eyes with the straw piece. Cut two 1.5” inch long pieces of black wire and bend one end around the toothpick to start a coil. Finish coiling 1-2 turns by hand and insert the straight ends into the top of the head. Bake in a preheated 230F degrees on the tile for 30 minutes.  When cool, add magnets or get adult help with gluing a pin back or flat thumbtack onto the back with epoxy.  

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