Making Test Tube Jewelry- Familiars and Fetishes...
DeWyk has been making these for a long time, the common materials we are suggesting here can easily be picked up at a craft store.
Familar: (n) a spirit often embodied in an animal and believed to accompany, attend, or guard a person.
Fetish: (n) an object that is revered in a superstitious way.
Making test tube beasties is entertaining, relaxing, and fun for the whole family!(age appropriateness depends on materials being used)
What you'll need:
-Oven bake clay (polyclay). I like Sculpey, but Fimo works just fine too.
-Test tubes. If you can't get proper test tubes, you can also use the little test tube pendants you get at the craft store or small jars. Things to consider when selecting a container, especially if you're getting the craft store test tube look-a-likes:
- You'll be putting this in the oven. DON'T BUY PLASTIC TEST TUBES!
- Make sure you get a container that is big enough to fit a critter in, but not so big that you can't wear it if you're planning to make a pendant.
- If the mouth of the container is narrower than its body, make sure the mouth is wide enough to fit your critter through.
-A cork, or something else to seal the opening of the container after the baking is done-Sealing wax (or glue)
-Wire or a small eyelet to make the test tube a pendant
-A sculpting tool might help, but isn't strictly necessary. If you don't have a sculpting tool of some variety, a pencil or toothpick may come in handy.
-Chain, ribbon or leather thong for necklace.
-Jewelry pliers.
Once you have a test tube:
1. Pick a critter. It's good to start with simple critters, to make sure you get the sizing right. Always make the critter a little smaller than you think it should be. It seems to always end up bigger than you think! Squiddy things are good, so we'll start with one of those. Pick two contrasting colors of clay to make your squid -like critter.
2. Make several long, thin rolls of clay. Five to ten, depending on how many you think you can fit in the test tube. These will be the tentacles.
3. Make two small triangles of the secondary color to make the "pads" at the ends of the two longest tentacles. Cut a wedge halfway down each of the triangles, and put one tentacle into the wedge of each of them. (See the above picture of the small gold "fins" at the bottom of the test tube. That's the effect you're going for.) Squish the sides of the triangle in towards the tentacle to make them stick together, then shape the triangle into something fin-like.4. For the body, take a piece of the primary clay color and make a cone shape. Make a "dish" in the base of the cone and flare the edges of the dish out. Shape the rest of the cone however you feel the body of a squiddy thing should be shaped. See the examples above if you need ideas.
5. Stick the base ends of the tentacles into the dish at the bottom of the body. Push them into the body until they are firmly attached. The pencil or sculpting tool will help with this.
6. Make slits in the sides of the body for the eyes. The pencil or sculpting tool can help smooth the edges of these slits and widen them. Next make two small balls of the alternate clay color. Put one into each eye slit and push them in firmly.
7. Coil the tentacles around each other, and make any other adjustments to the body you wish to make. This is the time for any other small embellishments you want to make.....
8. Now for the tricky part......shove your critter into the test tube. Put the tentacles in first, carefully. Work the rest of the body into the test tube after it. This may take a couple of tries to get everything in smoothly.
9. Bake it! Look at the directions on your clay package for the temperature and amount of time to bake. Bake the critter for a little less time than the directions say, as the glass will make it bake faster. Baking for the recommended length of time could result in your squiddy critter having burnt tentacles.
10. Give your critter a few minutes to cool after it comes out of the oven. Get the cork or whatever you are using to seal the top of the container. If you are making the test tube into a pendant, then make a pendant loop out of wire and push it through the cork, and bend the wire over on the bottom of the cork (the side that will be inside the test tube) or get the eyelet and screw it into the top of the cork.
11. Push the cork into the top of the test tube, and use the sealing wax (or glue) to seal it in place.
You now have a completed test tube critter!
DeWyk
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