Premo! Spooky Pumpkin Head Plaque

Getting StartedPolymer clay may stain. CLAY MAY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED FURNITURE OR FINISHED SURFACES. DO NOT USE polymer clay on unprotected surfaces. We recommend working on the Sculpey clay mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Start with clean hands and work surface area. Knead clay until soft and smooth. For best results, clean your hands in between colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces together firmly. Bake on oven-proof glass or metal surface at 275°F (130 °C) for 30 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) thickness. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME. Wash hands after use. Baking should be completed by an adult.Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. For best results, condition all clay by running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Prep wood plaque: Take sand paper and lightly sand your wood plaque. Then using a screwdriver or a pair of wire cutters scratch up the top surface of your plaque (ONLY where you are going to apply your purple slab of clay. This will help your clay adhere better to the wood surface.) For even an extra bond, apply some Scupley Bake and Bond to where you scratched as well.Take a large piece of purple clay, run it through the clay-conditioning machine on the #4 setting to create a large enough piece to cover the top of your wood plaque.

Use your Sculpey Acrylic Roller to adhere it to the top of your wood plaque. Take the Super Slicer and trim off the access clay leaving about a ¼ around the edges, so you can blend into the wood plaque sides with your stylus tool.

Take the Edgy Texture Sheet (Copper Ceiling style) and give it a light spray with your water bottle. (This should help your stamp and clay from sticking together when removing the stamp.) Start at the top of your plaque and stamp your pattern, remove your stamp and line up your stamp again and stamp the bottom half of your plaque. Use a small stylus tool and make a small hole in the center of the wood plaque. (This is for where you place your wood screw to build your armature.) Spray the rest of the exposed wood plaque with water and place the piece on your ceramic tile and bake in your oven according to the directions in Step 1 above.

Once your plaque is cool. Screw your wood screw halfway into your wood plaque at a 45 degree angle. Take 20 gauge wire and start to wrap around the screw forming a neck and head for your pumpkin figure.

Use aluminum foil to fill under and over your wire frame. Then apply masking tape to hold in all in place. (By making an armature this will make your figure sturdy, and not as heavy because you are using less clay this way.)

Use black clay and your stylus tool to cover and create a body/neck for your Pumpkin Head.

Take another piece of black clay, condition it and run it through the clay-conditioning machine on the #4 setting to make the eye patch and collar and set them aside for now.Eye Patch: Use the ¾ circle cutter to and the super slicer to make the eye patch. Use the needle tool to make two holes for the string to be weeded through at the end.Collar: Use the 1 ¾ circle scalloped cutter and the super slicer to make the decorative collar.

Use the blending tool on the other end of your style tool to make patterns and textures to the pumpkin head’s shirt.

Making the Pumpkin Head:Take a piece of the white Translucent and mix a pinch of Orange & Cadmium Yellow. Condition it and run it through the clay-conditioning machine until it’s well blended. Roll out between 11-12 snake/coils large enough so you can cover the head of your pumpkin. Starting in the center start laying the orange coils from the bottom of the pumpkin (where his neck would be) and roll it up (where the stem will be.)

Keep adding coils until your pumpkin head takes shape and you don’t see any of the armature. Use your stylus tool to blend and flatten where you will attach the pumpkins stem.

Using your blending tool and stylus create one eye socket and a nose and a zig zag mouth shape. Roll a small white translucent ball add a small green eye and black pupil and insert into your pumpkin’s eye socket. Roll a small coil and create an eyelid.

Take a piece of the white Translucent and mix a pinch of Wasabi & Bright Green and set aside. Take another piece of the white Translucent and mix a pinch of Spanish Olive Clay. So you should have two different shades of green. Now roll one of each color coil stem length. Place coils together and roll and twist into a long spiral. (The length will depend on how long you want your pumpkin’s stem to be, ours was approx. 1 ¾ long)

Take the super slicer and cut the bottom of your stem into four pieces about ¼ up the stem. Apply bake and bond and attached it top the top of the pumpkin’s head. Cut a small piece of 20 gauge wire and wrap it around the end of a thin paint brush end to make a spring and insert it next to your stem to give the pumpkin a little charm. Add your black eye patch to your pumpkin’s face (Make sure you’re the two holes aren’t covered.) Add your finished piece to your ceramic tile and bake your piece according to the directions in Step 1 above.

Painting your Pumpkin Plaque:Once your piece has cooled you can paint the unfinished wood part of the plaque and add detail to the pumpkin head etc. We used a paint and wipe technique. We paint an area and then wipe it with a paper towel and repeat over again. Plaque: We did this with the silver/ gray around the sides where the purple clay ended. We painted the rest of the plaque and the back black. We painted and wiped light purple all over the purple clay to have the stamp texture pop more.Pumpkin: Use a red sharpie to give the eyeball veins, add white dot in the eye. Use the deep orange and red paint to create depth in the lines of your Pumpkin’s face. Add stripes and dots with white paint in the shirt. Paint the wire stem green on the pumpkin’s head.

Adding Finishing touches• Apply a coat of glossy varnish to the eyeball.• Glue an orange rhinestone to the collar.• Attach the black twine to the eye patch.• Glue the black and orange stripe glitter tape to the edge of your wood plaque.

Use a sawtooth hanger and a small hammer to attach to the back for hanging.