Need more help getting started with QuikWood (QW) go to this page: Quikwood Tips and Tricks
Sculpting Instructions:
Adding the Beak:
Roll Styrofoam egg to flatten the one side. The flat edge will be the top of the bird and the front of the bird will be the pointy end.
Mix 1/2″ of QW and roll in to a cone about 2″ long. Place on top front of the egg to form the beak. Have the beak pointing up. Begin blending the edges of the cone into the Styrofoam, reshape beak if needed. Wait about 10 minutes and reshape if needed.
Making Star for tree:
Mix a sliver of QW. Pinch between fingers to make a small pancake. Using small star cutter cut out star. Allow to cure. Apply excess clay to body by pinching thin and applying to body. Cut a piece of wire 2” long. Mix up a sliver of QW and pull off small 1/4” ball. Lay wire on back of star so that it is between two points and place ball on top of it. Blend clay to back of star.
Making Tail Feathers:
For the large bird cut 1” of QW and divide into 3. Lay parchment paper over pattern. Roll clay into a 3” coil with a point on each end. Begin pressing and patting to fill in the pattern. Place a point on the back end of the feather. Move parchment paper and make next two tail feathers beside the first one. Wrap parchment paper with tail feathers around 8 oz. paint bottle (2” diameter) and secure with rubber band or tape. Allow to cure.
Making wings:
Mix up 1” of QW and divide into 2. Divide each piece again into two with one piece being larger than the other. Take the larger piece and roll into a pointy cone the size of the larger part of the wing. Lay parchment paper over pattern and press clay to fill pattern. Pinch clay to form front point, then push back on sides to form points on holly/wing. Move parchment paper to the side and roll smaller piece of clay into a pointy cone and press and fill in small feather pattern making points the same way you did with the larger piece. Repeat for second set of wings. Wait 5 minutes. Following pattern place smaller feather on top of the larger feather. Reverse the pattern for the second wing. Lay wings on book or box and fold down front of wings. When almost cured pick up wings and give them a little bend so the wings bow out. Allow to cure.
Adding Bird Eyes:
Mix up sliver of QW. The flat side is the top of the bird. Pull off small pieces of clay and press and blend to the Styrofoam behind the eyes. Use extender to blend onto existing QW. Continue adding QW until you have used the entire piece. Mix up 1/8” of QW for the eyes. Pull off 2 equal ½” balls.
Place balls for eyes above the beak and slightly flatten. Using tool or pencil press in center of each eye. Using pointed tool press two small holes above eyes for antennae. Allow to cure.
Adding Legs:
We will use the 6” ¼” dowels for the legs. Decide on placement- they should be centered on the body from front to back and evenly spaced from side to side. They are about an inch apart. Mark on Styrofoam where you want to insert them. You also want to think about the tilt of the bird, is the head looking up, straight or down. On the large bird you will want to make sure they also fit into the holes in the cart. Insert into Styrofoam. Mix ½” QW and divide into 2. Make 1 ½” coil and lay around top of leg. Blend edges of clay into Styrofoam. Pat and shape top of leg. Repeat for other leg. Stand bird in cart and allow to cure.
Attaching Tail:
To add the tail to the bird mix 1/2″ of QW. Roll in a ball and position at the back of the bird. Blend edges onto the bird. Add the middle tail feather and place in center. Blend QW onto top and bottom of feather. Then add next feathers to each side and a little lower than center feather. Push clay against feathers. The middle feather should be higher than the side feathers. Make any final adjustments. When satisfied with shape of tail, shape the QW the feathers are inserted in, and blend out if needed. Stand bird face down in a cup to keep the tail upright. Allow to cure.
Adding Wings:
Mix up 1/8” of QW and divide into 2. Pull off small pieces of clay and press and blend the clay behind the wings on each side of the bird.
Mix up ¼” of QW and divide in 2. Roll into two balls and place on each side where you want the wings. They are a little below the eyes and back from the beak. Blend edges of each ball. Pinch balls to form small cone shape. Place wings on each cone. The small wing should be on the top. Blend clay to the back of the wing. Position wings the way you want them and blend any excess clay in front of wings out onto the bird. Allow to cure.
For the berries mix 1/8” of QW and divide into two. Divide each of those pieces into three to make the berries. Roll into balls, the balls should be about 3/8”. Place the three balls on each wing in the front. Allow to cure.
Tree – Getting Started:
The tree is made from a 2” x 3” Styrofoam cone and a 3” length of a ¼” dowel. Insert dowel into bottom center of cone about 1”. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a 1 ¼” coil. Wrap around dowel and then blend out onto the Styrofoam. Mix a little QW at a time and pull off a small piece and flatten between fingers, then lay on Styrofoam and blend . Continue until the cone is covered except for the very top. Allow to cure.
Measure from the bottom of the cone up ¾” and draw line around tree. Place a second and third line each ¾” above the previous line.
For the top of the tree mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a cone that is 1” tall. Place on top of tree and gently shape. Let the top sit about 10 minutes. Insert the wire of the star into the clay and push the star to the desired height. Reshape and allow to cure.
Tree – Adding Branches:
To begin making the branches for the tree mix ½” of QW. Begin pinching between fingers to make a pancake. Using small hand cutter, begin cutting hands. Reroll excess clay and cut hands until clay is all used. Tip: when cutting hands don’t put them too close together or you will have trouble removing the excess clay. Let sit 5 minutes. While waiting begin mixing another ½” of clay and cut out more hands. Let sit while working on the first set of hands. You will need approximately 9 hands for the bottom row, 7 for the next row, then 5 and then 3.
Using first set of hands, lay a hand with the tips at the bottom of the tree. Lay in place and then press back of hand and blend onto tree. Continue in the same manner around the tree. With your fingers lift the tips up. Wait about 5 more minutes for the second batch of hands. While waiting keep lifting up tips of branches. For the second roll the tips of the fingers should go just below the first line on the cone. Continue lifting the tips of the branches up. Place the remaining hands just below the next line. If you do not have enough just leave space for them and we will roll more. Allow to cure.
Mix ¼” of QW and cut out additional hands. Wait 5 minutes. Add hands the same way and add the remaining needed for the third roll. Now add the hands to the last row with the tips going below the line and blend clay into the top. Continue to lift the tips of the branches. Allow to cure.
Tree – Adding Balls:
To make balls for tree mix 1/8” of QW and pull off small balls and place on tree. Mix up additional clay if needed.
Attaching Tree:
Insert trunk of tree in the top center of the back of the bird, about ½” deep. Remove trunk and mix a small amount of QW and cover with a small layer of clay up to the edge of the hole.
To attach the tree mix 1/16” of QW and roll into a coil about a 1” long. Insert trunk in hole on back and wrap coil around bottom of trunk. Make sure tree is straight from front to back and side to side and the star is facing front. To secure push clay up against trunk and then let cure.
To add tree skirt mix 1/8” of QW and divide in two with one piece being about 1/3 bigger than the other. Roll larger piece into a coil about 2” and lay around bottom of the base and then press in place. Blend seam together. Roll smaller piece into a 1 ½” coil and lay on top of other coil. Blend seam into place. Allow to cure
Attaching bird cart and adding Feet:
Mix up ½” of QW and pinch between fingers to flatten. Then lay on parchment paper and flatten with the palm of your hand. Using large star clay cutter cut one large star, reroll excess, press and flatten and cut second star. Use excess clay to cover any areas on bird that are still Styrofoam. After attaching feet mix up more clay if needed and finish covering Styrofoam except top where you would insert tree. Let sit 5 minutes.
Insert bottom of legs into cart. If the legs do not fit securely use a little super glue gel.
Three of the points will be the toes of the bird. While on parchment paper pinch three points and pull two side points towards center point. Pick up and lay on front of foot. Wrap other two points around the back and blend them up the leg. Reposition toes if needed. Allow to cure.
So that the feet are not so flatfooted mix 1/8” of clay and divide into two. Roll each piece into ball and lay on top front of the foot. Using extender blend clay to foot pulling some clay up and back and then in front down on foot separating when you get to the toes. Allow to cure.
Gifts:
To make the ribbon for the larger package mix 1/8” of QW and divide into two. Roll one piece into a 4 ½” long coil. Lay over package and gently pat into place. If any extra cut off. Divide other piece into two and roll each into a 2 ¼’ coil. Lay coil up against ribbon on top center and lay down side. Gently pat into place and repeat with other side. I did this so you would not have a bump on top of the package and the package could sit flat on it.
To make the ribbon on the smaller gift mix 1/8” of QW and divide in half and then divide one of the pieces in half again. Roll the larger piece into a 3” coil and lay across package and gently pat into place. Divide the other piece in half and roll each piece into a 1 ½” coil. Lay coil up against ribbon on top center and lay down side. Gently pat into place and repeat on other side.
Wait 5 minutes to make the bow. With the remaining half pull off a small ball (3/16”) for the knot. Divide the remaining clay in4. Roll each piece into a 1” + coil. You will want them to be the same length. Gently flatten. Pick up and fold over so the ends touch to make the loop. Lay ends next to center where ribbons cross. Repeat for other pieces. Place ball in center for knot. Keep checking as the clay cures to make sure the loops stay open.