People think you have to be some sort of artistic genius or have a lot of free time on your hands to make a clay figure or little gift or statue that looks good. Well it takes some time to kill, yeah but once you tap the potential of clay, you'll find that everyone will want one of your special little home made gifts. Yes, they can be that good.
The Easy to Follow Steps to Greatness
When it comes to making great figures and gifts out of clay, you have to start with a good idea of what you wanna make. Drawing something out on paper is a good way to clarify your idea and from there you might be able to really let the magic begin.
Now is the time you pick your clay and colors. I personally recommend Sculpy III polymer colored clay. It holds well, there is a massive assortment of color to choose from, and is easy to bake. If you have only one color of clay you can also go out and get paint to really personalize your one colored firgure after it bakes.
Anyway you should be at the sculpting stage of your work. Remember if you don't have a strong base the whole thing will topple over and your masterpiece will be ruined, which I assume will be followed by shattered dreams, hurt ambitions, and colorful language. To keep this from happening I also recommend putting toothpicks inside of your creation. They are insolated by the clay so they won't burn in the baking and they provide the internal structure you piece deserves. Think of them as the bones of your creation, but don't go too overboard with the idea to get a sort of god complex ;).
Once you have finished shaping your clay whatever you put it in the oven. Depending on what kind of clay you use you will have to set your oven at the temperature instructed. Baking can be a little tricky too; keeping the clay in too long will burn it and keeping it in for too little time will leave it soft and incomplete. Experiment as needed but it is better to undercook than overcook because you can always stick that sucker in the oven.
When you finish you should feel accomplished, confident, and headstrong. Even if the piece doesn't look that good you can always continue to experiment but the results will be well worth it. You will have the ability to create cheap, heartfelt gifts that will be the talk of the town. Enjoy!