Monday, August 1, 2016

How to easily make a beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin


If you are looking to make some gorgeous items for gift-giving this year this pansy hairpin is a perfect stocking stuffer or small gift for any gardener, teacher, etc.  Make them in sets and display them on a piece of cardstock edged with decorative scissors.

They are so easy to make with the air-dry paper clay.  After it is dry follow these step-by-step instructions to paint and then add the hairpins or jewelry findings.  This hairpin is an easy version of the pricey capo di monte flowers so popular these days.  Don’t stop with hairpins though.  These flowers look wonderful added to jewelry boxes, necklaces, and mixed media applications. 

You will want to make several for everyone on you gift list!

Materials:

Paper clay air dry modeling clay
Acrylic paint, Purple, navy, light yellow, bright yellow, white, and metallic purple
Acrylic gloss finish
Small flat paintbrush, liner brush
Work surface lined with waxed paper
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
Hairpin with bezel

Instructions:

Make the pansy


1.     Roll out one large ball and four small balls of the paper clay.  The large one is approximately ¼” and the small ones 1/8” but the measurements are do not have to be exact. Natural flowers are all different sizes.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin



2.     Mold the larger ball with your fingers into a crescent shape, then press it flat.  Mold the smaller balls into tear drop shapes and flatten with your fingers.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin


3.     Add the smaller flat petals to the larger piece as shown.  Set aside and let dry completely.  Drying will take one to two days depending upon the humidity and other factors.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Paint the pansy


4.     In a palette or paper plate add some acrylic paint in navy, dark purple, white, light yellow, bright yellow, and metallic purple.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

5.     With the flat paintbrush add some white acrylic paint from the center to halfway up each of the petals.  While the paint is still wet, add some light yellow paint on each of the petals right to the area of wet white paint, blend together.



Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin



6.     Next, and while the paint is still wet add dark purple from the edge to the where the yellow color begins.  Rinse your brush and use it to blend the areas together.  Repeat all around. See photo.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin


7.     Now, using the liner brush, add some white paint in an inverted V- shape.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

8.     Make ragged lines from the center into the petal with the navy and liner brush on four petal areas.  (See photo)

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin


9.     Add some bright yellow right under the white center area.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

10. Work around the edges, darkening the purple and navy sections if necessary.  Let dry.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

11. Turn to the back and Paint the entire back metallic purple.  Let dry.

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin

12. When all the paint is dry, brush on a coat of gloss acrylic finish and let dry.

Beautiful pansy hairpin


13. Fill the bezel area of the hairpin with hot glue and carefully press it to the center back of the flower.  Let dry and enjoy!

Beautiful pansy hairpin

Beautiful pansy hairpin




3 comments:

  1. Love this Crystal! It looks so unique and of course, you painted it with purple! I will have to try out paper clay!

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    Replies
    1. You will love it Gail, it's so much fun to work with and lightweight when it air dries.

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Thanks for your lovely comments!