Sculpting Instructions
Sculpting Tips: When working with QuikWood (QW): remove jewelry especially rings, work on parchment paper or a wax palette. Apply Avon Silicon Glove before starting and periodically when working. Use Extender for blending QW, but be careful to not use too much because it will make your surface gummy. Only mix up the amount needed for the next step. Always make sure your QW is thoroughly mixed or it will not cure. Before painting wipe surface with baby wipe to remove any excess oils. Mix any color paint (I usually use Oyster Beige because it is a shade lighter than the QW) with Adhesion Medium and apply to QW areas of project.
Pumpkin – Getting Started (video)
Using magic marker draw line on Styrofoam ball to divide in half. Then divide each section in half again. Divide each of those sections in half. You should now have 8 equal sections.
Using sculpting tool that looks like a knife cut each section starting at top and going to bottom about 1/8” deep. Then start at top and insert tool in indent, press to the right and flatten and then to the left and flatten Styrofoam. Continue to bottom. Repeat for each section.
For the stem of the pumpkin cut a cinnamon stick to about 1 ½” long. You could also use a dowel, nail, golf tee etc.. Insert in top of pumpkin about ½” and remove. Insert 6” dowel into bottom of pumpkin about ½” deep and remove.
Mix 1 ½ ” of QW and divide into 4. Roll one piece into a coil about 2” long, then roll each end into a point. Your coil should now be about 3 ½ ” long. Lay on center of one section. Flatten clay using hand and press edges into indent. Repeat for other pieces of clay. If needed use tool in indent to give it more definition. Mix another 1 ½ ” of QW and divide in 4. Repeat for remaining sections. Reshape any areas if needed. Insert stem and dowel in bottom and the n remove. Allow to cure.
Pumpkin – Inserting dowel
Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a coil about 1 ½ “long. Insert dowel into bottom of pumpkin and wrap coil around dowel. Blend onto bottom of pumpkin using extender and also blend onto dowel. Allow to cure making sure dowel is straight.
Pear – Part 1 (video)
Insert 1 ½” long 1/8” diameter dowel into 2 ½” Styrofoam ball having about ½” showing. Add 1” ball to top. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a coil about 2 ½” long. Wrap between the two balls. Pull and press blending QW to both balls. Allow to cure.
Pear – part 2 (video)
To place indent into top of pear press point of pencil or tool into top and then roll in a circle to open top. Mix ¼” of QW and roll into a coil about 3” long and wrap around neck of pear (overtop previous QW). Begin blending up and down to give a nice shape to the neck of the pear using extender if needed. Allow to cure.
Apple – Part 1 (video)
Using 2 ½” Styrofoam ball press 6” dowel ½” into bottom of ball. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a 1 ½” coil. Wrap around dowel next to ball. Begin pressing and blending to ball and also dowel using extender if needed. Allow to cure keeping dowel straight.
Apple – Part 2 (video)
Press indent into top of apple (like you did the pear), using pencil or tool. Press and roll in a circle to open top of pear. Press out on edges a little more with fingers. Mix a little QW at a time, then pull off small piece and flatten between fingers and lay on Styrofoam. Begin pressing very thin and blending to cover. Put clay around top opening. Continue until the entire apple is covered.
Cones (Video)
Cut ¼” off of tip of cone and insert dowel of fruit into cone. You want the dowel to fit snug. Trim off a little at a time until they fit snug. Mix ½” of QW to decorate the cones. For the pumpkin cone pull off small balls just a little larger than a ¼” and place randomly on cone. Using pencil or tool press hole into center of each ball. For the other two cones pull off small balls about ¼” and place randomly on cone. If you need more QW mix up a small amount at a time. Allow to cure.
Stems and Leaves for Pear, Pumpkin, and Apple (video)
Mix up ¼” of QW and press and pinch between fingers to make thin pancake. Lay on parchment paper. Cut out medium hand cutter to make pumpkin leaf. Remove and reroll excess clay and divide in two. Lay parchment paper over pattern for apple and pear leaves and roll clay into double pointed cone about 1 ½ “long. Lay clay on pattern and begin pressing and patting to fill in space. Repeat with second leaf having them lay beside each other. Using 80z. bottle pick up parchment with leaves and wrap around bottle using rubber band to hold in place. Allow to cure. For pumpkin pinch back of hand to form point. Allow to sit 5 – 10 minutes.
While waiting for leaves to cure mix up 1/8” of QW for stems and divide in two. Roll each piece into a long cone until it is about 1 ¾”. Press and flatten top and place slight bend in stem. Allow to sit 5 – 10 minutes and then come back and reshape right before clay begins to cure.
Now that pumpkin leaf has been sitting about 10 minutes pick up and shape points of leaf up and down as desired. Cut three pieces of wire about 3” long for stems. Press wire to back of pumpkin leave to shape. Mix sliver of QW and divide into three. Lay wire on leaf and ball of clay over it. Blend clay into place using extender if needed.
Reshape stems if needed keeping tops fatter and flat on top. Stems should get smaller and have a slight bend in them. Allow to cure.
When pear and apple leaves are cured, lay wire on back of leaf and ball on top and blend into place like you did for pumpkin leaf. Allow to cure.
Pears – Part 3 (no video)
Decide how you want pear to sit in the cone (straight up and down or on an angle). Insert dowel ½” in bottom of pear. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a 1 ½” coil. Wrap around dowel next to bottom of pear. Begin pressing and blending to bottom of pear and also dowel using extender if needed. Allow to cure keeping dowel straight.
Mix a little QW at a time, then pull off small piece and flatten between fingers and lay on Styrofoam. Begin pressing very thin and blending to cover. Put clay around top opening, but not down in. Continue until the entire pear is covered like you did the apple.
Finishing Fruit (video)
Mix 1/8” of QW in order to put the leaves and stems in place. For the pumpkin pull off a small ball of clay and roll into a coil and lay on opening of stem. Blend edges into pumpkin and then insert cinnamon stick in center. Trim wire on leaf and insert into pumpkin next to stem.
For the pear pull off piece of clay and roll into coil and lay on top of opening. Blend outside edge onto pear and press inside edge into center. Pull off small ball of clay and insert into center of pear. Press stem into center. Trim wire on leaf and insert into center next to stem.
On the apple insert ball of QW into center of apple and insert stem. Trim wire on leaf and insert next to stem.
To make hanger for ornaments fold over a piece of wire and make a loop. Insert beside stem on each of the ornaments. Another way to create a hanger is after the ornament is assembled place a hole on each side of the cone and attach wire to one side and bring it up and over to the other side and attach wire.
Assembling Fruit and Cone (video)
Insert dowel of fruit into cone and decide how far above the top of the cone you want the piece of fruit to sit. Remember when your project is completed you will be putting some Kraft crinkled paper in the top of the cone under the fruit. Mark on dowel where it comes out of the cone. To help hold the dowel take a 1 ½” ball and insert hole through center using one of your tools. Place ball on dowel. Mix 1/8” of QW and pull off small piece, roll into a coil and put on dowel above line. Use the other piece to make a coil to go around the center of the Styrofoam ball. Insert dowel into cone and press firmly into place. Repeat for the other two cones.
To make the ball for the end of the cone mix up ¼” of QW and let sit for about 10 minutes. Roll into a ball and then insert hole in top with pencil or tool. Place drop of super glue gel in hole and then place on end of dowel. Reshape into ball and then lay so ball doesn’t get flattened. Repeat for other two pieces. Allow to cure.