This inspiration could not have come at a more appropriate time! After getting the materials for this project, I was out with Matt and saw all kinds of Nightmare Before Christmas paraphernalia displayed in stores for Halloween. Like my last ring DIY, this piece is simple and affordable… and it ought to make you feel all Halloweeny inside!
Supplies Needed for This Project:
- AdTech HiTemp Mini glue gun
- AdTech Mini Multi-Temp Glue Sticks
- White Sculpey clay
- Lacey black rings
- Sculpey Style & Detail Tools
- Access to an oven
- Non-stick cooking sheet
- Black acrylic paint
- Fine paint brush
- Aleene’s Acrylic Spray
Step One:
Take a chunk of clay and make a round a little smaller than a large lollipop. You can do this as many times as you want to make rings. I made a few extra just so I could test different skull shapes and try out the tools.
Step Two:
Use the medium-sized sculpting tool to create eyes in the rounds, pressing into the “face” as it sits on a countertop or cooking tray. This will make the back side of the skull flat, creating a greater surface area for the glue later on.
Step Three:
Use the small sculpting tool to create nostrils between the two eyes. Make sure when using these tools to keep them upright so that the indentations you’re creating come out smooth.
Step Four:
Place the skulls on a cooking tray and bake for about 18 minutes at 275 (or according to package instructions). Allow to cool.
Step Five:
Using black acrylic paint, fill in the eye sockets and nostrils, and paint on a jagged mouth, Tim-Burton style. Allow paint to dry.
Step Six:
Spray the skulls with Aleene’s acrylic spray to seal in the paint. If you want the rings to be shiny, use a gloss finish, or if you want them to remain looking like clay, spray with a matte finish.
Step Seven:
Using your AdTech HiTemp Mini, secure the flat back of each skull to a black lace ring. This glue gun is ideal because its compact size will put you close to your surface area, and the high temperature will keep the glue thin enough to create a bond that doesn’t put a huge gap between your materials.
And ta-da! A slightly sinister ring that isn’t too ostentatious but tells everyone that you did not forget the holiday. Oh, and did I mention: It’s black and white, so it goes with everything. (Wink.)
