How to easily make a 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!