Roses are one of the prettiest flowers you can make out of clay. Roses are also an easy flower to make, as you can achieve realistic results using just one color of clay. Use the method below to make beautiful, sturdy roses as a gift to a loved one or to decorate a room.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Choosing Clay
Step 1. Use Fimo Eberhard Faber clay
This clay is the easiest to find and the most popular among clay artists.
- Fimo is packaged in 58g and 350g packages. Fimo is the stiffest and most difficult to form clay.
- The robustness of this fimo allows roses to be created with great detail and difficult to crack. Consider this aspect if you plan to paint your roses after they are made.
- When heated, Fimo will become very strong. Fimo also has a slightly glossy surface and looks "plastic". Fimo also shines beautifully.
- This clay brand also provides a variety of beautiful variations, such as two transparent variations, six-type "stone" textured clay, glow-in-the-dark clay, and metallic clay ("perglantz"). Fimo is also available in various colors.
Step 2. Use Polyform Products Co.'s Promat clay
This clay is also strong - and ideal for making roses - but is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain as its popularity is being driven by Premo Sculpey clay.
Promat is sturdier than Premo (which is often used as a replacement). Promate is more difficult to form but does not crack easily and will be stronger when heated. Promat is also flexible in its form in the form of small sheets, which will give optimal results when you form the leaves/petals of roses
Step 3. Consider using Cernit clay T&F GmbH
Cernit is the strongest polymer clay.
- The surface of Cernit is porcelain-like and slippery when heated, and is often used to make dolls because of its high quality after heating.
- While Cernit is the strongest clay, Cernit is more malleable than Fimo. If your hand is weak, use Cernit instead of Fimo so your hand doesn't work as hard but you can still gain strength.
Part 2 of 3: Making Your Clay Rose
Step 1. Choose a color to use for the rose petals
For a better final product, choose a color that is as close to red as possible.
- If you want to focus on the texture, use Fimo and Cernit; because both give a good finish after being heated. If you want to focus on color, Fimo has a wider range of colors and can provide the best contrast when you create your roses.
- Pink is also a beautiful color. When you pair the calyx, or the green exterior of the flower, the contrast created between the two will enhance your roses.
Step 2. Pull and press the clay with your soil
This is known as the heating process, and it is important to ensure that the clay is ready for use.
- This pulling and pressing process, combined with the heat of your hands, will change the texture of the clay and make it softer and more malleable. This process will also make the clay less sticky and brittle, which makes it ideal when you are making thin sheets for the petals.
- Take a lump of clay (about 14 grams) and squeeze it between your fingers. When the clay warms and softens, roll it between the palms of your hands and shape it to resemble a snake's body. Then move your hands in a circle so that the snake's body forms a ball. Repeat this process several times until the clay becomes soft and malleable.
- If you're using a hard clay like Fimo, there are several techniques in the heating process you can use to speed things up. Sit the clay for 15-20 minutes to warm it up. Do not Dry in the sun or on a heater, as excessive heat will make the clay stiff and unusable. You can also use a food processor to cut the clay into small pieces to heat it up.
Step 3. Make a roll of clay balls according to the size of the rose you want
Cut this ball into seven equal-sized pieces, as these parts will be used to form the petals.
- Make sure these parts are of equal size, although they don't have to be exactly the same. Different sized petals will actually make your roses look realistic and natural.
- For a 5.1 cm wide rose, make a roll of clay ball 2.5 cm in diameter.
Step 4. Shape the smallest ball available into a triangle with blunt ends
This ball will be your first rose petal.
- Roll the ball between your hands first to make it as soft as possible. You will also make some lines on the surface of your rose petals.
- The size and shape of these petals should resemble that of a standard guitar pick.
- The tip, which will form the base of the rose, should be thicker than the opposite end, which will form the top of the petal. The top should be about 1.6 mm thick.
Step 5. Fold the petals to form a bud
Hold the petal with the thick end pointing down and use your other hand to fold the sides of the petal.
The edges of the petals should overlap each other
Step 6. Shape your second clay ball into a slightly larger petal than the first
The top should also be a little thinner.
Step 7. Hold the first petal in one hand and loop the second petal through it
These petals should face the first, not be attached to the smooth end.
Step 8. Form the third and fourth petals in a size that is slightly larger and thinner than the second petal
Step 9. Wrap the third petal around the first two
Do this so that the three petals form a spiral when you look at the rose from above.
Gently roll the sides of the third petal outward, using your fingertips. The edges of this petal should be rolled down and slightly past the second petal
Step 10. Attach the fourth petal to the other three petals
Keep the spiral design aligned with the one you created in the previous step.
Roll the side of this petal outward, making sure it is attached to the other three petals
Step 11. Form the three outer petals
These three petals can be the same size but must be larger than the third and fourth petals.
The edges should be thin
Step 12. Wrap these three petals around your flower
Make sure you spread it evenly so that the symmetrical spiral design is maintained.
Roll back the ends after you've attached each petal. For a wider, "blooming" look, roll the entire petal back up. To get the opposite look, roll only the outer edges of the flower
Step 13. Gently squeeze the flower base after all the petals are combined
This will help hold all the petals together.
Handle the flower carefully and use a knife or needle to cut off some of the base, making the base flat. This will make it easier to install the calyx
Part 3 of 3: Heating Your Clay Rose
Step 1. Place on a cooking tray and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes
Set the oven temperature so that it goes past 99 degrees Celsius but below 149 degrees Celsius.
- Heating will cause chemical changes in the clay and make it hard and strong. Polymer clay, like the one we use to form rose clay, doesn't require a special kiln and can harden using just a standard kitchen oven.
- The oven temperature should reach at least 99 degrees Celsius to ensure the clay hardens; However, if the temperature reaches more than 149 degrees Celsius, then the clay will burn producing smoke that is thick dangerous.
- Most manufacturers recommend a temperature between 122 and 135 degrees Celsius for all types of opaque clay. If your clay is translucent, keep the temperature between 99 and 105 degrees Celsius to ensure the color doesn't change.
Step 2. Remove the roses from the oven after 10 or 15 minutes
Allow the roses to cool so you can attach them safely and easily to the saplings once you've made them.
Step 3. Press a piece of clay into a thin base slightly larger than the diameter of your rose
This will be the cusp, which is the leafy outer part of your clay.
The trough should have 6-8 points and a thickness of about 1.6 mm. Gently pinch the sides of each segment to make them thinner
Step 4. Attach the cane to the bottom of the heated rose
Press hard to ensure there is contact between the rose and the sap.
Don't worry if your cane isn't perfectly attached to the rose. The reheating process will ensure that the patch is strong
Step 5. Heat the roses and put them in the oven
Use the same burning temperature and time as the previous process.
Once your roses have finished heating, let them cool for a few hours before you decorate or color them
Using Your Clay Rose
Step 1. Decorate with other clay creations
You can heat as many roses as you need, according to the decorations you want for your clay roses.
Make a box out of strong clay and attach some clay roses to it. Use preheated roses as it will be difficult to hold together two soft clay objects and can mess up the shape. Your box will now look practical and fun
Step 2. Make a fridge magnet
Use a clay rose magnet to display a family photo or show off a great report card.
Combine some roses with an oval plate made of clay. You can do this using superglue, or using the repeated heating method described above
Step 3. Make your own jewelry
Before you heat your roses again, use a needle to punch holes in the stems.
Hang roses on rings to make rose earrings. Make a hole in the crown and insert it into a necklace to use it as a pendant. Or, you can thread a bobby pin through the earpiece and use it as a pretty hair clip
Tips
- Before you attach the stem, pinch the base with your fingers to make the base of the rose.
- You can also make roses stemless by rolling clay to make roses without adding stems. Stemless roses can be attached directly to arts projects, crafts, decorations, etc.
- 'Scratching and slipping' means that you make a few scratches on your clay, wet it, do the same with other pieces of clay, and stick them together with low strength.
- These roses will be a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
- You can also bake it to harden it.
Warning
- Remember, clay shrinks as it cooks.
- Don't use too much; clay runs out quickly.
