Follow Your Heart Snails Tutorial
When life gets crazy and you find yourself lost in all the chaos these adorable little snails are the perfect reminder to slow down and follow your heart. They make great knickknacks, cute garden décor and are perfect for quick and easy gifts.
Mine follow me around the house and help me focus on the little but important things that make my heart happy.
1. Roll out a 2" length of clay. It should only be about 1/2" wide and should taper to a soft point at one end.
2. Use your fingers to softly buff out any lines or imperfections (unless you want to keep them for more uniqueness.
3. Use your fingers to softly sculpt your snail's "head" by gently pulling up the front piece of the clay and rounding out the nose.
4. Roll out a small 3/4" ball of clay and place on your snail's back.
5. Use your fingernail or a modeling tool to gently pull some of the shell clay onto the snail's body. This will allow the two pieces to adhere together and stay in one piece.
6. Use a small, appropriate sized stylist to poke shallow eye holes into the snail's head.
7. Roll two tiny balls of clay to fit into the eye sockets and gently press into the holes. 8. Using round nose pliers and a firm piece of wire, create your antenna and poke into your snail's head to create holes then remove and set aside.
9. Bake your little snails on a cookie sheet by following the clay instructions. Most are around 275 degrees for about 15 minutes per 1/4".
10. Once baking is done allow your snails to cool completely. They should be cool to the touch.
11. If you used white clay, now is the time to paint them and add details.
12. If you used different colors of clay, now is the time to add any details you want to your snails.
13. Make sure that you allow each coat of paint to dry before adding another.
14. Once you are satisfied and everything is completely dry. Use a clear, quick drying glue to adhere your antenna into place.
Happy Crafting,
Misty
If you loved this free tutorial look into booking one of my creative workshops.
