Halloween Scary Face Necklace

This is a fun project. We are going to make scary face necklaces from polymer clay. It’s so easy too.

We did a similar project with the developmentally disabled adults I worked with in Las Vegas. They loved the jewelry and we all wore these for the annual Halloween party.

The rubber molds can be purchased at Michael’s, Joann’s, or Hobby Lobby. You can find them in the stores or online. They are also sold through Dick Blick Art Supplies online.

You will need the polymer clay, rubber face molds, bamboo skewers and either baby powder or a spray bottle of water to use as a release on the molds. Acrylic paint is optional, depending on what clay you use and the finish you want on your pieces.

The clay has to be conditioned before you start. I am using small scraps and leftovers so I can paint the pieces with acrylic paints if I don’t like the results of just the clay.

 

I tried several things and below you can see the results.

Sprinkle a small amount of powder into the mold then shake to spread it, then turn it over and tap it very lightly to remove the excess.

Press a ball of clay into the mold (I used the ethnic faces mold here). Make sure the clay is pressed into the face completely. Then use a blade to trim off the excess. 

Turn the mold over and let the face fall into your hand. If it doesn’t come out easily, use a small piece of clay pressed into the flat back to pull your face out.

The next step is to stretch the face. Pulling the face and gently squeezing the cheeks. You can put holes in the eyes and mouth at any time. The earlier you do that the larger the holes will become as you pull. I like the look they give when the light shines through from the back. I also put some small holes into the nose to create nostrils.

I used three different face molds for these three necklaces. But that is too many photos to post so I am only showing the process of one of the faces.

Put a hole at the top to put a cord into. If the face is thick enough you can put a hole from side to side instead of front to back. That’s your choice.

On the two large faces I stretched them then baked them. Then I used acrylic paint to make them look like zombie-alien faces. First I rubbed a little red paint on and wiped most of it off. I just wanted a tint. Then I did the same with some purple pearl paint. Then I used the white around the eyes, wiping it off too. Each time I left a light layer on that let the other paint show through, but that would give an eerie look. Then I used black over it and wiped it too. After all those colors, I used some metallic bronze as a final layer, wiping most off, but leaving enough to let the other colors create a cool effect.

 

One trick is to rub your finger in the paint getting a thin film on it. Then slide your finger across

On the small one I used Ranger Perfect Pearl Powders on the raw clay face and then baked it. Once it baked and cooled I sanded it with a nail file to remove some of the color and let the dark clay show through. I wanted scary and weird so I played around with the look.

Once you have finished your face, you can put it on a piece of hemp cord or nylon cord  with a larks head knot and tie it around your neck.

I think the kids will love making these and wearing them to school and for Halloween.

Til next time. J

Terri

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