Dragonfly Brooch

Create a unique and colorful dragonfly brooch with polymer clay.

By Emi Fukushima for AMACO

Materials:

• FIMO® Soft clay (two ounces of each) – Black, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red, Violet
• FIMO® Decorating Gel
• Amaco® PolyRoller or rolling pin
• Amaco® PolyBlade
• Amaco® Pasta Machine
• Seed beads – Black
• Pin back
• E6000 glue

Steps:

1. Condition the clay. Make a Skinner blend using four different colors.
    
2. Stretch this clay from the thickest setting on the pasta machine gradually to #5. Cut off the ragged edges.
    
3. Using the scraps of the Skinner blend, flatten and cut into very thin strips.
    
4. Place the strips at random on the top half of the Skinner blend clay.
    
5. Fold over the other half of the Skinner blend with the strips inside and flatten with the PolyRoller or rolling pin.
    
6. Put through the pasta machine at the thickest setting. Cut in half, stack and flatten with the PolyRoller or rolling pin.
    
7. Keep cutting in half, stacking and flattening until reaching a desired thickness and make a cane (a roll) with this striated clay. Cut five slices from this cane.
    
8. Put one block of conditioned black clay through the #5 setting on the pasta machine.
    
9. Place the five slices of the cane in the shape of a dragonfly.
    
10. With the PolyBlade, shape the five slices of the cane into the body of the dragonfly and the four wings.
     
11. Make the head of the dragonfly with a small piece of black clay about 1/4" in diameter. Push in two black seed beads for the eyes.
     
12. Bake in an oven at 265 to 275ºF (130 to 135ºC) for 30 to 60 minutes.
     
13. Let Cool.
     
14. Glaze with Liquid FIMO® Decorating Gel.
     
15. When dry, add a pin back using E6000 glue.