Learn how to make a super simple beehive without having to use a cookie cutter. Super cute addition to last week’s Tutorial Honey Bee. You can attach your foam clay beehive to wreaths or make a cute fake flower bouquet. Since foam clay is so lightweight it can be easily glued to anything and used in many crafts.
If you’re new to foam clay, check out my post “Everything You Need To Know About Foam Clay“. This will give you a great basic understanding of what to do with foam clay and what it is made of. Hopefully, it answers all your questions, but you can always leave more in the comments below or ask in my Facebook Group.
What to do with your finished Beehive?
A couple of weeks ago I tried myself on a wreath. It’s definitely not my strength to know where to place each item. And it’s absolutely missing a big yellow bow, but just to give you ideas I am showing you anyway. Check out what I made with the Bee from last week. How cool is that? If this is something you’d like to try out it is called “fake baking” and I will make more tutorials on how to fake bake in the future.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here
Currently, I am running a Huge Giveaway in my Facebook group. My goal is to grow 1000 subscribers on YouTube and I would love it if you would become one of them. If you love my tutorials come join us and get a chance to win a big highland cow piggy bank and sheep figure hand-crafted by me. This is also a great way to connect with other crafters, share your work, and cheer each other on.
Why I LOVE Foam Clay
Crafting with foam clay is not just about creating cute figures; it’s like a therapy session that’s all about relaxation and pure enjoyment. Imagine the joy of squishing, molding, and creating without any mess – that’s the beauty of foam clay! It’s not just for the kids; adults can totally get in on the fun too.
So, if you’re looking for a creative outlet that’s soothing and brings out your inner artist, foam clay is the way to go! It’s a fantastic indoor activity for the whole fam! No Day goes by without my son asking for some squishy foam clay time. And the best part is when it dries it does not crumble like playdough would. Not even if it’s left under the couch or forgotten in some corner. What are you waiting for? let’s get those creative vibes flowing together! 🌈✨
Tips for working with Foam Clay
- If you have a particular soft and sticky clay I suggest to let it dry just a little bit and then mix it well or you can add a different type of clay called SOFT Clay. This will take the tackiness out and give the foam the needed support to hold its shape.
- The Secret to a super smooth and wrinkle-free appearance is your palm and the right pressure. When you roll the clay between your palms don’t be afraid to really squish and roll it around. This will ensure all the wrinkles disappear. Then you lessen the pressure and shape it into its final form.
- if you are trying to save money and color your own clay use Gel Food Colors. I find that acrylic colors will mess with the clay’s consistency and will dry it out which makes it impossible to work with.
If you are brand new to foam clay watch my beginner playlist on youtube that will go more into detail and teach you everything you need to know about foam clay.
Let’s get started!
Materials you will need:
- Foam Clay: yellow, black, white (I currently use Bohs Foam Clay
- Orange soft pastels
- Paint Brush
- Scale
Watch me make the Beehive Step-By-Step
Step 1: The Beehive Backbone
The first step is to shape a log out of yellow clay. I give exact size measurements in my printables for you to follow along. You can find them in my free private Facebook Group.
Next, cut the log into 4 pieces. A couple of slightly smaller ones and two slightly bigger ones. You can always take away some more to reduce the size or add to it before you put it together.
Now, roll each piece into a log. Your goal is to have different sizes of logs. 2 small, one large and one medium-sized.
Arranging the logs to create the hive:
Here is the fun part. You could create many different versions and make a little bee town with all different “houses”. I chose to go like this:
Small
Largest
Medium
Small
Shading to create depth:
Now it’s time to get that soft coloring that makes everything look so good! It gives it a realistic look while still having that comic aesthetic.
I use soft pastels for the most vibrant and long-lasting color effect. You can use eyeshadow but I dont know how well the pigment will hold up over time.
Use a soft bristle brush and dab some pigment on, shake off excess, and brush it on the outer edges of the hive, as well as in the crevices.
Step 2: Fun Beehive Details
making a door:
To make the door, take a small amount of black clay and shape it into a ball. Then flatten it and place it in the lower middle of the hive.
Decorating with a flower:
Making flowers out of foam clay is super fun and trendy right now. People are decorating picture frames and mirrors with 100rds of flowers and it’s going viral on TikTok. I get bored if I have to shape the same thing over and over again, so I have not been part of that trend much.
The flowers are super simple. Basically just balls put together.
Take some white clay and rip off 5 equally sized pieces. This is where I use my scale because keeping proportions right majorly improves the result.
Next, shape all pieces into smooth balls. Get out all the wrinkles. read my tips at the top of the page if your clay is giving you a hard time.
Take some yellow clay and shape a smaller ball for the middle of the flower.
Arrange all the white balls first, then add a little bit of detail on each petal before you add the yellow ball into the middle. It makes the flowers look even cuter.
Last step is to attach the flower to the beehive. You can use a little glue to secure it.
Let me know below if you have any questions or want to share how your beehive turned out. If you know someone who loves to craft please, share this tutorial with them. I really appreciate it!
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