"Porcelain" Butterflies
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These really DO look as if they might be made of porcelain. Certainly everybody in the studio who picked one up was startled at how light it was. That's because these are made of paper clay and are not only easy to make, but they are fun to make. Ours are brightly colored, but I really wanted to leave them unpainted so they would look even more like porcelain. Unfortunately, on television that was not very interesting.
Materials
8 oz. package paper clay
two flat wooden rulers or paint sticks
double-sided tape
freezer wrap to cover work surface
rolling pin
craft knife
6-9 inches of 24-gauge wire for antennae, hanger
fine sandpaper or emery board
translucent glass paint
clear lacquer spray (crystal clear)
baby powder or corn starch
large butterfly rubber stamp
round-nosed pliers
gold leafing pen
1. Condition clay in your hands until it is soft and pliable; then place it on a piece of freezer wrap between two wooden rulers or paint sticks placed about 5 inches apart. Pat the clay down and roll it out until smooth and large enough to accommodate the stamp (figure A). Double-sided tape will help hold the rulers in place, and the rulers will help you not roll the clay unevenly or too thinly.
2. Remove rulers. Dust the stamp with cornstarch or baby powder (like you would use flour on dough and cookie cutters) and press it into the clay to make a good impression. Tip: Pick up by the freezer wrap and move the clay to the floor so you can step on it. It takes a lot of pressure to get a good image.
3. Carefully remove the stamp from the clay and cut out the image using a sharp bladed craft knife. Use small up-and-down saw-like strokes rather than pulling the blade through the clay, which can distort the shape (figure B).
4. Cut three short (2-3 inch) lengths of wire. Curl the ends of two of them like antennae and push the straight ends into position on the butterfly (figure C). Curl the other piece of wire into a U-shape and insert it in the back for a hanger.
5. Allow the clay to dry for about 24 hours. Check it every few hours to see that it remains flat. If it curls up, turn it over. It helps if you have a wire mesh grid to place it on so it gets air from both top and bottom, or you can place the clay in a low (about 250 degrees) oven until it's dry and hard (check paper clay package instructions). In this case, check it for curling every 10 to 15 minutes. Allow it to cool before painting.
6. Remove the antennae to make painting easier, and lightly sand to remove any rough or uneven areas (figure D).
7. Paint the butterfly using transparent glass paint (figure E). Paint the back first and allow to dry overnight before painting the front.
8. When the paint is dry, apply a coat of clear lacquer to the back first, allow to dry, and then coat the front.
9. When everything is dry, paint the edges with a gold leafing pen.
10. Add a drop of glue to each antennae end and return them to position on the butterfly.
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