Square Skeleton Bowl

Your friends will be scared out of their bones when they get to the bottom of this bowl. Homemade Halloween crafts are fun and easy to make. This bowl from I Love to Create can also be used as a decorative piece.

Materials:

• X-TREME Dimensions™
• XD204 Electric Plum
• Concepts® Underglazes for Bisque and Majolica
  • CN 013 Dark Straw
  • CN 232 Bright Briarwood
  • CN 244 Really White
  • CN 253 Dark Black
  • CN 281 Light Brown
• Dinnerware Bisque Designs
• 21782 Large Square Bowl 11.25" x 11.25" x 3"
• Signature Brushes
  • SB 803 No. 4 Liner
  • SB 807 No. 6 Fan Glaze
  • SB 811 No. 8 Round
• French Dimensions™
• FD 254 Black Licorice
• pure•brilliance™ Clear Glaze
• Clear self-adhesive shelf paper
• Margarine size container for water
• Painter’s tape
• Foil or palette
• Old used toothbrush or stiff bristle brush
• Ballpoint pen
• Crafter’s knife
• Cutting mat
• Scissors
• Sponge
• Patterns

Steps:

1. Wipe bowl with damp sponge to remove any dust or particles.
    
2. Cut an 8–10” piece of shelf paper.
    
3. Trace skeleton pattern on non-printed side with ballpoint pen.
    
4. Lay pattern on cutting mat and cut out head, body and limbs with crafter’s knife.
    
5. Remove backing paper and stick skull and body parts inside bowl (refer to picture for placement).
    
6. Tape off bottom inside bowl up to where sides begin. Pour a good size puddle of Light Brown on foil and sponge 3 coats over inside and outside of bowl but not inside bottom. Let dry between coats. Repeat with outside bottom of bowl.
    
7. Remove tape on bottom of bowl being careful not to lift up skeleton stencil. Carefully retape sides just above bottom.
    
8. Pour a small puddle of Bright Briarwood on foil and sponge 3 coats on inside bottom. Let dry between coats. Remove tape.
    
9. Using No. 4 Liner brush and Bright Briarwood, paint thin irregular lines along inside and outside of bowl to simulate wood grain (refer to picture).
    
10.  Pour a small amount of Dark Black on foil and dilute with water to create a watercolor consistency. Dip toothbrush or bristle brush into mixture and pull bristles back with index finger to create spatter spots over bowl. Let dry.
     
11. Remove skeleton stencils. Freehand two oval shapes for eyes (refer to picture) and upside down V for nose. Note: This is a silly skeleton so shapes need not be perfectly symmetrical.
     
12. Pour a puddle of Really White on clean foil. Brush 3 coats on skeleton. Let dry between coats.
     
13. Place piece of graphite paper on rib cage and pattern on top. Trace over rib lines to transfer with pen. Using No. 4 Liner brush, apply 2 coats of Bright Briarwood between rib bones. Let dry between coats.
     
14. Paint in eyes with 3 coats of Dark Straw. Let dry between each coat. Dab wood end of brush in Dark Black and apply dot in center of eyes. Use No. 4 Liner brush dipped in Dark Black to line around eyes and paint nose and teeth. If desired, you may use Black Licorice French Dimensions instead.
     
15. Use Black Licorice for crack in skull, spiders and spider webs. Apply dot of Electric Plum on spider’s back.
     
16. Outline around skeleton with Electric Plum and complete fingers and feet with Pure White. Let dry.
     
17. Sponge a thin coat of Pure Brilliance over bowl and bottom. Let dry. Using No. 6 Fan Glaze brush, apply a second thin coat of Pure Brilliance. Let dry.
     
18. Stilt and fire to shelf cone 06.