The direction “Ceramic floristry” is gaining more and more popularity in the world. Flowers made using this technique can become a wonderful decoration, indistinguishable from real flowers.
Materials used in ceramic floristry
Polymer clay is an industrially produced plastic mass that feels and looks like plasticine and at the same time has a recognizable smell of grass. To harden, the product is usually subjected to heat treatment.
Polymer clay comes in a variety of colors and is sold in many craft stores.
Cold porcelain is a clay-like mass that dries fairly quickly in the open air. This mass is simply ideal for sculpting flowers or small figures.
Cold porcelain appeared in the middle of the 20th century. Initially, the composition was very simple: only PVA glue and starch were mixed.
Later, when professional florists paid attention to cold porcelain, the composition began to be refined and improved in pursuit of elasticity and softness. The name is related to its appearance: the dried mass looks like porcelain, but dries on its own and does not require firing in an oven.
Cold porcelain recipe
You can make cold porcelain at home yourself. The Internet offers a lot of recipes, for example this one:
- 2 cups PVA glue
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons glycerin
- 2 tablespoons stearic acid
- 1 tablespoon sodium benzoate
All ingredients must be mixed and heated over low heat until the resulting mass stops sticking to the walls of the pan. The resulting mass should be stored wrapped in polyethylene or placed in a plastic container that does not allow air to pass through. It takes 1 to 3 days for the mass to harden.
Of course, the recipe is very approximate, and the ideal mass can only be obtained after several experiments. You can paint both the finished product from cold porcelain and the mass before sculpting.
What is better to choose: clay or porcelain?
There are a huge number of polymer clays. But cold porcelain has its advantages. The most important thing is the price. Factory-produced polymer clay is expensive, but the material for making porcelain yourself will cost you several times less. Another equally important quality is elasticity during sculpting. After several attempts at preparing cold porcelain, you may well end up with a material that is highly elastic.
Equipment for ceramic floristry
So, if you decide to try your hand at ceramic floristry (let me remind you that this is what the art of making flowers from polymer clay or cold porcelain is called in Russia), then you may need the following devices.
Paints
The most important of the secondary materials is paint. Paints can be used to color the finished product (if the clay was not colored initially), or it can be added directly to the clay to give it the desired color. Professionals usually prefer oil paints because they dry more slowly than acrylics. In addition, when tinting with oil paints, you can achieve beautiful and smooth transitions, which is impossible to achieve with acrylic.
Oil paints
Glue
Usually all flowers are made in parts, and then to connect these elements using ordinary PVA glue. But it is worth remembering that PVA perfectly connects parts made of raw material with the same raw material or already dried one, but several dried pieces of clay most likely will not stick together with PVA. More reliable - Super glue or Moment. The grip is immediate and strong. Some professional florists use latex glue instead of PVA. It is designed specifically for working with plastic; it looks very similar to PVA glue, and when it dries it becomes transparent.
Glue: PVA, Moment, latex
Wire
The basis of most flowers in ceramic floristry is a wire frame. The wire can be as thick as a pencil lead, or it can be very thin - it all depends on the size of the flower. You can buy it in craft stores or construction markets. Wire for beading is quite suitable. Or you can look for it in special floristry stores.
Tape
This interesting tape is needed to connect parts mounted on a wire with a frame. Externally it looks like double-sided adhesive tape. The tape connects the individual wires well. The result is a neat stem, which can then, at the master’s request, be covered with clay. You can try replacing this tape with construction paper tape, but the result may not be very beautiful.
Modeling mat and cling film
The film is needed to preserve the finished clay for a long time, and the mat keeps the work area clean. An airtight plastic container for storing pieces of cold porcelain wrapped in cling film would also be a good option. This keeps the little colorful pieces (which will accumulate) organized and provides extra protection against drying out.
Scissors, pliers, wire cutters, etc.
For the first experiment, ordinary nail scissors may also be suitable. But then you will definitely need several scissors: with long, straight and thin blades. The longer and thinner the better.
You may also need:
- round nose pliers - for making jewelry using fittings
- tweezers - for attaching small parts. In addition, you can quickly and accurately make a loop on a thin wire with tweezers.
- pliers - for bending or straightening thick wire.
- Side cutters are useful for cutting thick wire
A little advice: in construction and hardware stores, these tools are sold 2-3 times cheaper than in specialized departments of handicraft and creative stores!
In addition to special tools, you may find regular blades (only very sharp ones) and needles useful.
Syringe extruder
It works on the principle of a pastry syringe and is intended for squeezing out motifs. Fill the syringe with polymer clay, select the desired nozzle and push the clay using a piston. Nozzles for an extruder syringe can be very different: from geometric shapes to complex patterns.
Stacks
One of the last is stacks - small sticks for creating indentations and grooves. They come in the form of a simple stick with a sharp end or a stick with balls at the ends.
As a substitute for the first, you can use a knitting needle, an awl or a stick from Japanese cuisine.
A second stack of balls may seem indispensable, but this is not at all the case. Look in your supplies for a strong stick (pencil, brush or piece of thick wire) and glue a smooth bead of the size you need to it.
Molds and cutters
A mold is a print made from the texture of a leaf of a living flower or petal, which is used to obtain a realistic likeness when sculpted. It will be difficult to do without molds, but many elements can still be sculpted without them, so don’t rush to purchase molds.
As for cutters - molds for foliage and flowers, professional florists do not use them. Identical petals are boring and don’t look very natural. If you still decide to use this form, then do not forget to work on each petal and leaf by hand: by slightly changing the shape, you can add individuality and realism to it.
Many craftsmen make their own cutters from tin cans, cutting them into tin strips and then bending them to the desired shape. Some cutters are really quite useful, but you can still do without most of them: for example, make a pattern from cardboard, which is applied to a rolled out piece of plastic and carefully cut out with scissors or a roller knife.
The operating principle of the machine is the same as that of a noodle rolling machine. A slight movement of the hand and a block of clay turns into a thin plate.
Master class on ceramic floristry
And finally, several very visual master classes on sculpting flowers.
Rose made of fine porcelain
Polymer clay sheet
Polymer clay poppy
Whatever material you choose (cold porcelain or polymer clay), the result can be a wonderful product indistinguishable from real flowers!
Be sure to check out our forum topic
Categories,
Today I want to show you how I create paintings from salt dough.
Let's get started.
Having prepared all the materials, prepare the salt dough: flour, salt, water 1:1:1, a few drops of sunflower oil. At the end, mix in a little flour until a stiff, non-sticky dough forms.
Here's everything you need for sculpting 
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We are making a service. Plate.
Place foil under bulky items. To make it smooth, smooth everything out with a brush dipped in water. 
All items are ready. I didn’t get the bowl right away, but I’m not very happy with the end result. So I corrected it later at the very end 
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Let's make a frame. Roll out a drop of dough, you can press it with a stack and make veins. 
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Place the petals next to each other. 
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Insert the center circles and smooth them with a wet brush. 
Let's make raspberries. We cover the triangular center with small balls of dough, smoothing it with a brush. 
Color the base in the desired shades. 
We glue all the parts onto the fiberboard with “Dragon” glue. We add fresh leaves directly to the fiberboard.
Color in primary colors.
Add raspberries and add shades to our dishes. Paint on the grass in the background. 
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The work is ready. All you have to do is wait until it dries and apply varnish - glossy or matte.
Craftsman's shop Elena Podlipenskaya
Pictures from salt dough will please you for a long time. Individual execution. The painting is an excellent decoration for the kitchen or living room
Modeling from salt dough: painting “Cat gatherings”
Modeling from salt dough is a type of handicraft that our ancestors practiced. Thanks to the availability of materials necessary for modeling, making beautiful crafts is so easy! If you think that you can only sculpt various figures from salt dough, then you are mistaken. There is nothing stopping you from making a picture out of the dough. It will decorate any interior and create a cheerful mood in your home. And such work can also be presented as a gift - the hero of the occasion will not remain indifferent to your creativity - that’s for sure!
Materials required for modeling salt dough:
- flour - 2 cups,
- water - 1 glass,
- “Extra” salt - 1 glass,
- frame without glass,
- paints: watercolor, gouache,
- knife, rolling pin, cling film, shaped roller for dumplings, garlic press,
- figured buttons, stamps for prints,
- brush, wood varnish
First, knead the dough from flour, salt and water. Add water gradually until you obtain a plastic mass similar to plasticine. If the dough crumbles, add water; if it sticks to your hands, add flour.
Draw a sketch of the future picture on a regular sheet of paper, place it on a hard surface or directly in a frame, wrapping it in cling film.
We make chairs: roll out the sausage into a flat cake under the back; use a knife or other tool to make a checkered pattern; Make the legs for the chair from a thin sausage, narrowing it downwards, and press the design with a stack.
Our table will be voluminous, so immediately under the bottom place foil rolled into a small flat cake. The base of the table is an oval layer.
For a tablecloth, roll out a thin long layer of dough in the form of a ribbon, cut its edge on one side with a figured roller, and decorate with figured prints.
Place the bottom of the tablecloth in pleats along the edge of the table. Mask the resulting “seam” with a zigzag line from a syringe.
For the cat's dress, roll out the dough, cut it in the shape of a drop, apply textured fabric or mesh, and roll with a rolling pin to leave an imprint.
Use the tool to place the resulting “fabric” into the dress, as shown in the photo; lift the corner of the tablecloth up and carefully place it on the dress.
Mold the cat's paws, using a knife to make veins in the places of the claws. For the tail, roll out a sausage, tapered at the edges. Lay it out figuratively along the bottom of the dress.
Shape the breast into a large drop and place it on the top of the dress. Make hands in the shape of sausages for the cat. Decorate your right hand with a sleeve, making exactly the same print on it as on the dress.
For the head, roll a piece of dough into a ball. Insert half a toothpick into the place where it is attached to the head so that the head does not fall off during the drying process.
Use your fingers to press down the eye sockets, and with a tool, draw the cat’s jaws and mouth. Make a nose out of a small ball of dough. Use a toothpick to mark where the antennae grow. The eyes can be made from patekas or small balls of dough.
Using a garlic press, make noodles from the dough, roll into waves and style your cat's hair. Roll out a small flat cake into a thin layer and form a hat.
Make the back part of the cap and two ears in the form of triangles, press the indentations in the ears with a stack at the place of attachment to the head. Then use the noodles to create bangs for the cat.
For the samovar, form a piece of dough into a drop and flatten it in your palm, apply veins with a knife. Mount the samovar in the center of the table on half a toothpick. Decorate the top and bottom of the samovar with narrow small sausages and attach handles to the edges.
Start sculpting the cat from the torso. Then place the thigh on the lower part of the body, and hide the shin under the tablecloth. Form the bottom of the leg into a trouser leg and attach the paw to it. Don't forget the ponytail.
Dress the cat in a tuxedo by turning the collar down and cutting the bottom of the jacket at an angle. Place the dough breast on top. Insert a toothpick into it to secure the head.
Make a cat out of a sausage of dough into your left hand, separately - a hand. Form a cup and “give” it to the cat’s paw.
Make the cat’s head exactly the same way as for a cat.
The mouse under the table is molded like this: the body and head are in the form of two small drops, the ears are two balls of dough, squeezed into circles, the eyes are small black beads, and the tail.
Place two plates on the table and place cakes in them (the top of these sweets is decorated with a syringe). “Treat” the mouse too.
Give the cat a cup for her paws too, and put a faucet on the samovar.
Leave the painting to dry for 5-7 days. Paint with watercolors, gouache or acrylic. Open with waterproof wood varnish. Decorate the background to your liking: you can cover it with ceiling tiles or coarse fabric (burlap, linen). Attach the background with universal glue.
One day, Yaska and I wanted to make a real panel out of polymer clay. Why exactly the panel? This idea came gradually. When you look at products made from polymer clay by different artists on the Internet, you admire their beauty, the talent of the creators, and, of course, you want to repeat them. But most often it happens that you like the idea and its implementation and delight, but you want to do it a little differently.
For example, I came across such elegant pendants.
And we decided to repeat them in the form of panels. Small intricate things will decorate any interior, and those made and given with love will be remembered forever.
We will need: colorful clay, a rolling pin, a toothpick, wire or paper clips. Let me remind you that you can use a glass bottle instead of a rolling pin. The main thing is that it is quite heavy and you do not have to make excessive efforts when rolling it out.
We decided to make small panels, one might say miniature panels.
Roll a ball out of gray clay, turn it into an oval-shaped cake and use a rolling pin to level the surface. This is the base for the panel. Its size is about 5-6 cm, thickness 3-4 mm. If you take more, the product will be fragile and will not bake. We make a loop from wire or a paper clip and attach it to the top of the base.
First we made a small panel with daisies. We sculpt several teardrop-shaped petals from white clay. Please note that they are all different sizes. Thus, the chamomile turns out voluminous. Make the second flower half-bloomed. Using a toothpick, lightly press the petals at the base.
Cores are made from yellow balls. Divide a thin green sausage into several parts, sharpening the ends. These are stems and blades of grass. It is better to make them from green in different shades. We form a piece of paper and press lightly in the middle with a toothpick.
Petals, cores and blades of grass should be slightly convex, so the product looks three-dimensional and more realistic. The petals even slightly extend beyond the boundaries of the base. Using a toothpick, we make several dots on the base, behind the stems, as if emphasizing the depth of the product.
In the same way, we made another small panel, choosing a plant with small pink bells.
First, we placed a graceful stem and blades of grass of different shades of green on the base, secured a small leaf at the bottom, then worked on the flowers.
First, we make several pink balls of different sizes. (Determine the quantity yourself, based on the size of the base). The largest will be the bottom flower, and the smallest will be the bottom bud. Roll the ball into a drop and carefully place it on the handle without a rod. Take it off and you get a small bell.
Using a pen, we make small folds on it and lightly press it. Now we attach it to the base, and carefully press a smaller flower on top, and so on. The very last one will be the unopened bud.
I want to say that if during the cooking or baking process some fragment of the product falls off, it can easily be attached back with special glue.
Our grandmothers adore flowers in all forms. And their window sills are bursting with indoor plants, and in the summer everything blooms and smells fragrant in the areas, and at the same time they also have reproductions of flowers hanging in the house to remind them of summer in the winter. And so I wanted to make a similar panel to please them. We came across it on the Internet and really liked it.
Here, as you can see, the base is not made of polymer clay, but some kind of fabric. We used a canvas on hardboard as a background, and after firing, the sculpted flower was varnished and glued.
First we made the petal and leaf templates.
Using a rolling pin, roll out yellow and red clay, apply templates and cut out petals. We slightly bend the petals, achieving naturalness, and form a flower. We make holes in the core using a toothpick. Lightly press the core.
We make unopened buds in this way - we almost roll one petal into a tube, half wrap a petal of a different color around it, then the next one. Bend the last petal slightly outward. This is how a bud is formed.
Leaves are made using molds or templates. In the second case, the veins are scratched with a toothpick.
We sculpt a small ladybug, it will give our flower expressiveness.
All parts of the flower are laid out on the base, carefully tried on and, after making sure that the composition looks good, they are fired. And then carefully glued to the base.
For greater expressiveness, the product is tinted after firing. They draw veins on leaves and flowers, paint a ladybug, and cover it with varnish.
While looking through photos on the Internet for inspiration, we came across a lovely basket of mushrooms made from salt dough. I thought that this could easily be made from polymer clay; it would make an excellent panel that would decorate any kitchen. You can also give it as a gift to an avid mushroom picker.
For the background we again used canvas on hardboard, but fabric would also work, or even the back side of plywood, which can be primed in the desired color.
First we “weave” a basket. Roll out sausages from clay of brown color and a lighter shade, for example, beige. We make the light ones thicker, and from the dark ones, thinner ones, we create the frame of the basket. The bottom and top are made of sausages intertwined with a rope, between them there is the base of the basket and rods. Carefully slide the light rolled sausages between them, bending them slightly over the edges so that the basket does not look flat.
The handle is also made from a twisted rope of dark colored clay.
Now let's fill our basket with the gifts of the forest. We sculpt mushroom stems from white clay. Personally, I made a voluminous leg and cut it in half with a blade. The flat part is easily glued to the base, and the side facing the viewer remains convex. The same goes for the hat. When “trying on” your mushrooms for the basket, lightly trim both the stems and caps so that they look like they are lying inside and not falling out.
Leaves, I repeat, can be made using molds or templates; the veins can be easily pressed through with a toothpick. Attach the leaves to the basket, bending them slightly to make them look more natural. Several leaves can be placed on the base and placed on the mushroom cap. In addition to the leaves, we place one or two mushrooms on the base.
After firing, you can tint your mushrooms and varnish them. If you carefully draw the veins on the leaves, spots on the legs and caps of mushrooms with a thin brush, and emphasize the wooden texture of the basket, this will give your panel sophistication and depth.
Mushrooms do not have to be of the same variety. The different mushrooms look very picturesque - chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, russula. You can place a bunch of rowan berries on the base below, it will look great, especially if varnished. And rowan leaves will also decorate any still life.
For inspiration, look at photographs and drawings, because what you see done in another technique can turn out interesting in polymer clay. Or it will inspire you to create a new masterpiece! Create!
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Gradually my sculpting skills gained momentum. And so I got to the point of creating narrative compositions - paintings. The main parts were created from polymer clay, and in addition I could take any other material.
I am simply delighted with plastic surgery, so I recommend it to everyone! It comes in different types for different products. You can even take children's polymer clay and sculpt with your children. Unlike plasticine figures, they will last for many years and will be pleasing to the eye.
So look what I've come to
This is not quite a painting, but it also has a plot. It will be even more interesting further! I invite you to watch
The first painting consists of simple figures assembled into one composition. It's called "Dachnitsa". This is my mother-in-law's prototype (created at her request).
Process: white polymer clay, acrylic paints.
Later I realized that cardboard is not very suitable as a background, but it took me time... Then I will use fabric or pastel paper.
