This is such a cute polymer clay project by Becky Meverden. If you loved the story Three Blind Mice when you were a child then you'll love making this craft. Hold all your fun trinkets in this box.
Materials:
- Fimo Soft polymer clay 2 ounce packages – (6) sunflower, mandarin, black, (3) dolphin grey, white, pacific blue, violet and raspberry
- 5" x 3-1/2" x 2-1/8" oval paper mache box
- 5/8" and 7/16" Kemper circle cutters
- Pasta machine or acrylic roller
- Kato NuBlade
- Permanent glue stick
- Three straight pins
- Small paintbrush
- Craft knife
- E6000 adhesive
- Pencil
Steps:
Clay Colors
- Create pink by mixing a 7/16" ball of white with a 3/8" ball of raspberry.
Box
- Draw a line around the bottom of the paper mache box top to mark where the top meets the bottom (Figure A).
- To cover the box in clay: Condition all clay according to manufacturer’s instructions. Flatten several sheets of sunflower clay through the pasta machine at a #1 (1/8") setting. Place the bottom of the box on a sheet and use a knife to cut around it. Set the bottom aside.
- Rub a glue stick all over box top and bottom. Do not glue over the pencil line.
- Cut sheets of clay to go around the sides of the box bottom and to cover the top of the box. Press them in place; trim excess and smooth seams with your fingers (Figure C).
- For the holes, use the two different size circle cutters to randomly cut out holes all over box. Flatten a sheet of orange through the pasta machine at a #1 setting (1/8"). Use the circle cutters to cut out orange circles to fill in holes. Leave one large hole empty in the front open (Figure D).
- For the mouse bottom, roll a 7/16" grey ball and press into the hole. For the tail: roll a 5/16" grey ball into a 1 1/2" long log, tapering to a tip. Press onto the center of the bottom (Figure E). Bake in a preheated 265 degree oven for 30 minutes. Set aside.
- For the mouse body, roll a 7/8" grey ball into a 1 1/8" long cone. Flatten a 5/16" white ball into a 3/4" long oval and press onto the center of the body. Press a straight pin halfway into the top of body (Figure F).
- For the legs, roll two 9/16" grey balls into 1" long tapered logs. Flatten the widest end against a flat surface to form a foot. Use a knife to indent three toe lines in each foot. For the pads, flatten two 3/16" pink balls into ovals and press onto the bottom of each foot. Press legs onto both sides of the body (Figure G).
- For the arms, roll two 7/16" grey balls into 1" long tapered logs. Flatten slightly the widest end of each arm to create hands. Use a knife to indent two finger lines in each hand. Press arms to both sides of body (Figure H).
- For the head, roll an 11/16" grey ball into a rounded triangle. For the snout, flatten two 1/4" white balls and press together slightly and press onto the head. For the nose, roll a 3/32" black ball into an oval and press onto the snout. For the mouth, use the blunt end of a paintbrush to make a hole under the center the snout. Roll a 1/4" pink ball and press onto the end of a paintbrush. Press the paintbrush into hole.
- For the ears, flatten two 7/16" grey balls. For the inner ears, flatten two 7/32" pink balls and press onto the ears. Press the ears to both sides of the head (Figure I).
- For the blindfold, flatten a small sheet of pacific blue through the pasta machine at a #5 setting (1/32"). Use a NuBlade to cut a ¼" X 2 ½" rectangle. Press around head and twist ends at the back of the head. Press the head onto the top of the body (Figure J).
- For the tail, roll a 3/8" grey ball into a 2" long log, tapering to a tip. Press onto the back of the mouse and curl around to the front (Figure K).
- Make two additional mice, one with a raspberry and one with a violet blindfold. Bake all three mice in a 265 degree oven for 30 minutes.
- When cooled, glue clay mice onto the top of the box (Figure L).
