Hey everyone! I'm finally back. Here is a quick tutorial on how to create bird magnet party favors. These are super easy (meaning they can be made at the last minute if necessary. I know from experience.), practical, fun and pretty inexpensive. They do require several phases of drying time, however. If you substitute the clay I listed below, then they can be even cheaper. I created these for a bird-themed party, but you could create something else to fit your theme or use the bird magnets for a more open-ended theme such as nature, animals, etc. Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the process, so hopefully the instructions make sense. These are overall pretty self-explanatory.
For this project, you will need:
-Polymer Clay (NOTE: The acrylic paint is completely unnecessary if you have the colors of clay you want. I used old clay, so I had to paint on top of it once my birds dried. You can do details with the clay and skip that trouble, though.)
-Acrylic Paint or Nail Polish (I used Apple Barrel acrylic paint)
-Paint Brush(es)
-Clear Gloss (this could be Dollar Tree nail polish or a gloss paint. I like to use one from a local store called The Artful Barn that is only $2 or less, is triple-thick, and works great)
-Magnets (I bought mine in bulk on Amazon for cheap, although they are very miniature so I need to use two on the back of each)
-Adhesive (hot glue did not work for me, so I had to use J.B. Weld epoxy. Don't get it on your fingers, car, clothes, or carpet! I learned the hard way.)
Step 1.
First of all, you need to form the birds out of clay. Roll and squish the clay in your hands until the clay is pliable, then roll it into a ball. You'll want the ball to be just a tad bit wider than a quarter, probably, if that makes sense. Then place the clay down on a plastic plate, parchment paper or anything it won't stain or get stuck to. Use your thumb to press down and make a two-ball snowman shape with a small circle and large circle (all in one piece). Pinch the tip of the small, top circle and pull it to form a beak. Pinch and pull the bottom left part of the large, bottom circle to create a broad tail. Pinch and pull on the bottom of the large circle to create a cylindrical shape and press down so it is rectangular. This should be narrow. At the bottom of this rectangle, pinch both the left and right sides to create feet. The right should be longer than the left if your bird is facing right. You can use a fork, needle or other tool to engrave toes. You can add other details if desired, such as a wing sticking up, a varied head shape, a branch, etc. If you have the right colors, form the eyes, wings, beak, feet, and other different-colored elements and stick them on, making sure the edges are securely combined, and skip Step 2. I did not do this, so I will describe my process in Step 2. Bake the clay at around 275 degrees for around thirty minutes. This is a vague estimate, and ovens vary.
Step 2.
Once the clay has hardened and cooled off completely, coat the bird in the acrylic paint or nail polish color of choice. If you use paints, this may take three coats, involving each to dry before adding a new coat. Once that is dry, use black to paint on tiny dots for the eyes, and use black or another color of choice to paint a simple wing shape, the feet, the beak, and any details or designs you wish to add. I went for a very minimalist, graphic-design look, so my birds are highly unrealistic and more whimsical. To save time, you could paint the backs of the magnets plain black. Let the paint dry.
Step 3.
Add a coat of clear gloss to one side, let that dry, then do the other side and let that dry.
Step 4.
Glue on the magnets. Hot glue was not strong enough for my magnets to I used J.B. Weld epoxy. I had to mix two different parts together, and I used a popsicle stick. Then, with the popsicle stick, I dabbed two spots of glue for two magnets on the back of each bird, rubbed some on one side of each magnet, and stuck the magnets on. Do NOT get J.B. Weld or super glue on your skin or anything but this project! Let that dry, and you're done!
To package the magnets, I cut out squares of card-stock and wrote "You're a mother like no other!" You could substitute 'mother' for any word befitting your purpose. At the bottom I wrote "Happy Mother's Day!" I just used a regular gel ink pen. Even a decent ball-point pen could work. I tied them on with string or twine, and punching holes into the card-stock to tie the string through is highly recommended.
I hope you find this useful! I have a lot of events to share soon!
-Lauryn
