Learn to Mold Anything with Your Hands
Carboard and polymer clay are two of my favorite hand-molding materials but it is trying and time-consuming work. If you have arthritis, these activities can be good therapy; however, both are dryng to the skin, especially the polymer clay. Gloves are not conventional for hand-molding. Gloves tend to get in the way of perfection. Just be sure to wash well and apply ample lotion to your hands after working with these materials.
There is also a downfall to each but if you're careful with your products, these molded materials will last a life time to enjoy year after year. Of course, you can't get your cardboard products wet because they'll fall apart and polymer clay is sensitive to temperature. I had made the mistake of storing my polymer pieces in the attic for a couple of years only to find them cracked and in need of repair - not an easy task. Polymer contracts and expands to hot and cold temperatures but I had to learn this the hard way. Hopefully, you won't make the same mistake.
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FEATURE PRODUCT: Egg Carton Flower Ball: This is one of my favorite trash-to-treasures items. Of course, the styrofoam ball, paint, beads, and labor aren't free but the egg cartons make a fantastic molding material for these fabulous decorative flower balls. So many uses, too. Hang it in your kitchen window as shown here. or place it in a vase with a skewer. or use it as a tree topper. Its versatility is endless. This item takes about 8 hours to make by hand. About 7" in diameter. $29.75. Call in your order today. |
Ceramic slip and greenware is also drying to the skin. Any clay or glue product likewise. But to touch on another note of error where ceramic greenwhere is concerned, never ever pack your greenware in packing popcorn or any styrofoam product. The greenwhere will explode into a million tiny little pieces. I don't know why other than some scientific chemical reaction. Just remember this and learn from my mistakes. Always transport your greenware in a cardboard box filled with shredded paper.