Coffee Ornaments and...Poo

Last year, I made Christmas ornaments as party favours for my friends.  This year, I decided to carry on the tradition and create something as well.  I came across this article, "10 DIY Holiday Gifts for Literally Everybody in your Life" and the one project that caught my eye was the Starbucks figurines. If you look up "Starbucks clay mini figurines" on YouTube, you'll find lots of other tutorials that demonstrate how to make them.

Materials:

• Clay (brown and white). I recommend getting a better quality brand such as Sculpey because the more economical option may not be as easy to sculpt and mold.  A package of clay can make 4-5 mini figurines.
• Wires
• Brown paint
• A roll of ribbons
• Polymer varnish

Instructions:

1) To make the cup, take your white clay and roll it to the size you want for the cup.  Trim off the ends to even out the top and bottom.

2) To make the rim of the cup, roll a long thin piece of clay and place it around the rim of the cup.

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3) To make the whip cream, roll a long flat piece of clay and twist it.  Place the piece on top of the cup and wrap it around.

4) To create the handle, cut off a piece of wire and twist it into a loop and stick into the figurine.

5) To create the sleeve, roll a thin layer of brown clay and wrap it around the drink.

6) The drinks are now ready to be placed in the oven.  Check your clay package for baking instructions as they vary with different brands.  I baked mine for 25-30 minutes.

7) To add the syrup, dip your brush into some brown paint and dabble it sparingly around the whip cream.

8)  Once the "syrup" is dry, paint 2 to 3 coats of polymer varnish to your drink to create that shiny look.

9) If you want to make it more official, add a label to your drink! 

10) Tie a piece of ribbon and they are now ready to be hung on the tree!

You can also personalize them by writing names on the back.

The label in this picture is not sticking well.  I ended up painting a thin layer of craft glue around it, which seemed to do the trick. 

Drink up!

I Made Poo!

With all the extra brown clay I had left over from my one package (which allowed me to make 18 drink sleeves), I ended up making some poo ornaments and magnets.  This idea was inspired by my brother-in-law. When he found out I was doing a clay art project, he told me his dream was to have a smiley poo figurine with a sign attached to it displaying something (I may not have been really listening to him).  

The instructions are simple.  Roll a thin roll of brown clay and wrap it around to create the "poo" effect.  Once you're done, bake them!