Need more help getting started with QuikWood (QW) go to this page: Quikwood Tips and Tricks
Making Kids:
For the kids you will need the 3 one inch Styrofoam balls and 1” of QW. Mix the QW and divide it into three equal balls. For the noses trim 3 of the toothpicks to 3/4” long measuring from the point. With one of the balls of clay begin pinching to create a flat pancake. Then cover ball with clay. Roll Between hands to make smooth. Insert toothpick in the bottom and reshape if needed. Insert toothpick for nose with about 3/8” showing. I like to insert on an angle. Reshape if needed. Repeat for other two. Allow to cure.
Making Hair:
Mix 1” of QW and pinch into a flat pancake. Lay on parchment paper and begin cutting medium leaf using the medium hand cutter. Pick up excess and continue cutting. You will need 7 medium leaves and 5 small leaves. Let leaves sit about 5 – 10 minutes.
Pick up hands and pinch the back together making a tail. You will need the tail to insert into the head. As they start to cure you will need to give them a little curl. You can lay them over the QW tube, a paint brush or a pencil to help keep the curl. For the smaller leaves you will not need as long of tail and on three of them you will be adding a wire to extend them. Keep checking and allow to cure.
For the three smaller leaves mix up a sliver of QW and cut three wires about 2-3” each. If clay is still a little soft press wires into back of leave. Pull off small ball and lay over wire and blend to bottom of leaf. Allow to cure. When the clay cures you can bend the wire.
NOTE: To make it easier to paint you can paint your leaves before inserting them into the branch on the head.
Creating Face:
For nose cut 1/2″ of QW, knead and let sit about 10 – 15 minutes. Roll into a ball, and then into a 2 1/2” cone. Lay on a piece of parchment paper and then roll up tip of nose. Pick up and place back of nose in center of face. Gently press into place. I want the tip of the nose to be off of the ornament so keep checking it as it dries.
For the eyes and mouth mix 1/4” of QW. Pull off two ¼” balls of QW for eyes They should be the same size. Place evenly above nose, and press slightly to flatten.
Use remaining QW to make 7 balls for mouth. I like to increment mine with the largest at the bottom center. Place on ornament and slightly flatten. The largest ball is slightly smaller than the eyes. Allow to cure.
Attaching Kids, Hair, adding Berries:
Arrange leaves for hair and kids in the way you want them to be on the head. I have three medium going down each side. Mix 1” of QW and roll into a 5” coil. Lay across top front and down sides. Give the sides a little tug so that the clay is about 2 “– 2 ½” on each side. Also mix ¼” of QW. Let clay sit about 10 – 15 minutes before inserting hair.
Divide the ¼” of clay in 2 and place on each side on top of head behind coil. This will give you a little more room to place the kids.
Begin inserting leaves into coil starting at the bottom of each side with one small leaf. Then place three medium leaves up each side. I like to stagger them. Place one medium leaf in center front on an angle. If the leave are not staying in place you can remove them and let the clay dry and then glue them in place.
Push in wires of three small leaves in top center of head. Remove the leaves and then glue in place when clay dries. Insert kids in clay and remove. Allow clay to dry and then glue in place. Be careful to not distort the holes before they dry.
When inserting leaves and kids trim the dowels and wires a little bit at a time.
Mix ¼ of QW and pull off small balls for berries that are about ¼”. Place berries randomly on leaves, vine and next to vine. Allow to cure.