Model Air Hobbit House

How to Use Air Dry ClayTo get all your air dry modeling clay crafts off to the right start, make sure you know the best ways to work with your material. Here are general guidelines to follow:Surface: For the best results in sculpting and crafting with air dry clay, plan to work with a smooth, well-cleaned, non-porous surface.Amount: Because the clay is made to air-dry, try to open only what you need at the time and leave the rest still wrapped or sealed and stored. Pinch or cut off the amount you need and take more out as you go, even for larger projects.Working: Knead your clay before you begin shaping it for your creations. Our polymer clay is already soft and pliable, but warming the clay with your hands is a good practice to spread the substance, condition the material and get a feel for what you’re working with.Shaping: You can use a combination of your hands, crafting tools and multimedia materials to shape your clay into the design you desire, create unique patterns and textures and incorporate mixed media elements. Remember: you can create anything you can imagine! Just make sure the finished product is exactly what you want before allowing it to dry.Drying: Lay or stand your air dry clay projects on a nonporous surface with a clean and smooth finish in an area with low humidity. Let the projects remain untouched and undisturbed for about 24 hours to ensure complete hardening.

TIPS•Condition clay to make it more pliable as needed by placing it in a zip lock type plastic bag and knead with hands. •Use water on fingertips to help smooth clay as needed. Use wet brushes to smooth tight spots. •Use a hard surface such as a large tile or piece of glass to roll out clay. •To roll a sheet of clay form a ball of clay then use the clay roller to flatten on your hard surface. Use the super slicer to lift the clay off the surface. •Use an oven set at no higher than 200’ F to speed up drying time of wet clay. (Styrofoam will not melt at this temperature)•Sand dry clay lightly to smooth out major imperfections. Wear dust mask when sanding dry clay.•Use appropriate sized brushed to paint the house unless otherwise specified. Tip: for best results, use the largest brush possible for the area you are painting.

Remove label and glue from the jar. Wash jar thoroughly. Discard or recycle lid. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil and roll it into a long tube shape. Wrap the tube around the neck of the jar. Hot glue in place

Roll out a sheet of clay to wrap the sides of the jar. You may need to roll a second or third sheet to fully cover the jar. Use the craft knife to trim away excess clay. Use firm hand pressure to adhere the clay to the glass. Push out any air bubbles. Use the needle tool to etch the door outline and the wood grain effect on the door. Use a wet brush to gently smooth the woodgrain.

Use the cutter to make two windows. Use the flat end tool and/or a wet brush to gently smooth the edges of the window and mullions

Roll 1/8” wide snakes of clay long enough to trim doors and windows. Gently press into place. Use a wet shader to smooth seams as needed. Use the needle tool to etch the woodgrain. Use a wet brush to gently smooth the woodgrain. Form a small ball for the door knob and two small triangles for the hinges. Attach to the door

6.Roll out another long tube of aluminum foil (Fig. 5). Wrap around the base of the house to support the grass and steps. Roll out a long snake of clay approximately ¾” wide (Fig. 6). Use firm finger pressure to adhere the clay to the base of the house. Use the flat end tool to sculpt the steps. Use the shader to smooth the clay as needed. Use the denture brush to texture the grass. Let dry. Sand lightly to smooth the clay somewhat. (Leave some indentations and imperfections so the antiquing medium will show.)

7.Roll out a sheet of clay a little larger than the base of your house. Use a paint brush and water to wet the dry clay around the bottom of the house. Center the house over the sheet of clay and press gently to make an impression of the rim of the jar. Lift the clay sheet and apply to the bottom of the house. Use the craft knife to cut away the center and excess clay from the outer edges. Use finger pressure to smooth edges. Place the house on the work surface and press down with fairly firm pressure to flatten the bottom. Use the super slicer to gently separate it from the work surface. Lay the house on its side until the bottom is dry.

Use the serrated knife to cut Styrofoam ball in half. Save one half for another project. Cover the half ball with aluminum foil. Cover again with more foil and extend the edges all around as pictured. Do not attach the roof to the jar. Set jar aside.

Form a large ball of clay then flatten into a thin sheet approximately 1/4” thick. Use firm hand pressure to adhere the clay to the top of the roof. Use scraps of clay to fill in any remaining bare areas. Use water to smooth the clay. Repeat to cover the bottom. Let dry. Roll out a 1” wide snake of clay long enough to cover the bottom of the roof’s outer edge. Wet bottom edge of the roof and press the clay snake along the edge. Use firm finger pressure to smooth the clay. Let dry then sand until fairly smooth

Carefully use the craft knife to trim the cork so it rests on the roof. Hot glue in place. Cover with a sheet of clay. Roll a clay snake to fit the top edge of the chimney. Use the flat end tool to shape the clay into bricks. Press small bits of clay (stones) onto the sides of the chimney and walls of house. Press clay bits onto roof as well but make them flatter than the stones. Use the wet shader to smooth the edges of the stones/roof spots.

Allow the piece to dry. Carefully sand detail areas as needed/desired.

Apply a coat of Acrylic Gesso to all areas. Let dry. Apply a coat of Multi-Purpose Sealer to all areas. Let dry.

Base coats: Use the wash brush and Plum Frost + Snow (Titanium) White (3:1) to base top of roof. Basecoat underside of roof with Snow (Titanium) White + Plum Frost (2:1). Tip: Save some of the paint mixes in a small container for touch ups. Base walls and chimney Bleached Sand + Snow (Titanium) White (1:1). Base the door and the door and window trim Espresso. Base the door knob and hinges Graphite. Base steps and top of chimney Grey Sky. Base the grass Midnight Green. Repeat the base coats until all areas are opaque.

Use the round brush and the following colors to base the stones on the walls and chimney: Dove Grey, Driftwood, and Grey Sky. Pick up a different color each time you need to reload and let the colors mix and you paint each stone.

To drybrush the highlights the woodgrain on the door and door/window trim: load the #6 shader with Cocoa and offload excess on a paper towel. Lightly skim over the texture. Repeat until the color is fairly uniform. Tip: It helps to hold the brush more parallel to the surface you are painting. Use Grey Sky to drybrush highlights on the door knob and hinges

Use Hauser Medium Green to drybrush the middle value on the grass. Let dry. Drybrush the highlight with Foliage Green.

Mix Staining Antiquing Medium with Graphite (2:1). Apply this mix over the top of roof, chimney, walls, and step. Let dry. Dampen a soft cloth or paper towel with water and gently rub off most of the antiquing but leave it in cracks and crevices.

Use Bleached Sand and Plum Frost (4:1) to paint the roof spots. Use Snow (Titanium) White to drybrush the steps and top of chimney. Use Snow (Titanium) White to drybrush the steps and top of chimney

Apply a coat of matte varnish to protect your creation. Use the craft knife to clean paint and varnish off window. Use a damp cotton swab to polish the windows. Insert the votive under the house for a warm glow! Set roof on the house or glue in place (optional).