Welcome back to Day 2 of Ornament Week!
If you are just now joining us for ornament week, you can catch up by checking out the other ornament week posts:
Today’s DIY Ornament inspiration: a mandrake!
It’s finally time. This is the year that I finally have a Harry Potter themed tree. And today’s ornament is a grimacing, angry, ugly little mandrake. No muffs required.
Materials:
- Mini flower pot (you can also buy them individually at Michaels)
- Foil
- Small gauge wire & cutters
- Super Sculpey Oven Bake Clake
- Clay sculpting tools (if desired)
- Brown craft paint
- Beige craft paint
- Paintbrushes
- Faux foliage
- Hot glue gun
- Twine, string or cord
- E-6000 glue
Mold the Mandrake Body
To start, I made a frame for my mandrake’s little body out of foil and wire. With the wire, I planned out the two arms and three little vines coming out the top of his head.
After kneading the clay for a bit so that it was pliable, I started applying it to the foil and wire frame. I used my fingers to sculpt his general shape.
I kept the small flower pot nearby so I could keep checking the size and make sure he fit in there securely.
I then used a few different tools to sculpt his little face and add details to his body. I also twisted additional little vines around the ones on top of his head and created little vine-like fingers for him. When I was happy with how he looked, I baked him according to the package directions on the box of clay.
Paint the Mandrake
Once my mandrake was cooled, I I used a dark brown paint to fill in all the little creases and crevices.
Then I gently added another layer of beige paint, being careful to not apply it in all the creases and crevices to create shading.
Then I touched up the crease shading and did some blending with the darker color and a super fine paint brush.
Glue the Mandrake in his Flower Pot
I used E-6000 glue to secure the mandrake inside his flower pot.
Add Twine for Hanging
I used E-6000 glue to secure a length of twine to two sides of the flower pot so I can hang him on my tree. I made sure to make it long enough to account for the leaves that I was going to add on top.
Add Foliage to Vines
Finally, I pulled out some faux leaves leftover from another project to add to the top of the mandrake. I had to cut some of them down to size. I secured them to the tops of the vines with a little dollop of hot glue.
Add to Your Tree
Using the twine loop, I hung my angry little dude on my tree, making sure not to get the foliage tangled.
Check out the tutorials from last year’s Ornament Week!
Wood Memory Ornaments and my 14er tree
Glam Dinosaur Ornaments
Cinnamon Gingerbread Ornaments
Fabric & Fur Covered Letter Ornaments
Pom Pom Ornaments
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