Do you love the clay flowers that Thai artists can make so beautifully? You can create your own amazing treasures today, with a little practice and patience, by following these simple steps.
Steps
Step 1. Flatten bits of soft clay about 2.5 by 2.5cm in size using a kneading roller, or your fingers, until you have reduced them to less than 0.06cm thick
Step 2. Put a few drops of acrylic paint (green for the stems and leaves, brown for the centers and two other colors you want to color the flower petals with) in the center of each respective piece of clay
(Put on gloves).
Step 3. Carefully fold the clay (with the paint in the center) on itself repeatedly, until the clay has absorbed the paint and has reached the desired color tone
(Don't forget to change your gloves when working with a new color.)
Step 4. Tear off bits of freshly colored clay and use your fingers and / or a sharp knife to shape each part of the flower
Use the fork to create a realistic center for each of your flowers (the centers should be filled with holes and left with a slightly larger circumference than necessary to remain visible when the ends of the petals are pressed around this piece of clay). Next, spread out a stem for each flower and pin it firmly in the center.
Step 5. Using the prongless end of the fork, press each of the petal ends into the center piece of clay, firmly, and dry the assembled flower completely
(The drying time varies greatly depending on the type of clay you have chosen to use.) Now, wash and the flower is done!
Step 6. Finished
Advice
- Coloring the clay before folding it is potentially a fairly messy job, but having the basic color combination you want inside the clay will allow you to create beautiful flowers quickly and easily.
- If you have shaped each petal of the flower with your fingers, leave fingerprints in the petals and use this unique texture (once the pieces are dried) to dry brush a contrasting color paint, or gold flakes, over each petal; the resulting flowers will be naturally beautiful!
- Some types of clay, such as those made by you with recipes available online, shrink when they dry, and this can mask many mistakes and add incredible charm to your creations.
- If you don't have any kids around, pretend you're teaching a toddler to make these beautiful clay flowers. You will be amazed by your creativity and talent.
