Spring is upon us and there is no cuter insect than a big, fat, round bee. If you are looking for fun spring crafts with kids you are in the right place. This tutorial is great for clay craft beginners and so versatile in what you can make with the finished product.
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What to do with your finished Honey Bee?
You can do anything with her. I chose to do some fake baking. I found these really cool ice cream cones at my local grocery store and used some molds to create this phenomenal foam clay dessert. I will share a tutorial on these in the future. So make sure to check back if this is something you’d like to try.
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. Especially when creating cake desserts and cakes. If you’re looking for a creative outlet that’s soothing and brings out your inner Baker, foam clay is the way to go! It’s a fantastic way to combine the love for beautiful desserts with the desire to create something everlasting. 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 (I currently use Bohs Foam Clay)
- 0.5 inch clay cutter
- 2.25 inch styrofiam ball
- 24mm/1Inch Eye pin
- Pink soft pastels
- Paint Brush
- Super Glue
- Acrylic rolling pin
- scissors
Watch me make the Honey Bee Step-By-Step
Step 1: The Honey Bee’s Body
Grab a good chunk of yellow clay. Approximately 70g and roll it out about 1/16 of an inch or as think as you can comfortably get it. I find going slow helps a little not to create too many bubbles. If that happens just poke and smooth with your finger.
Cover a 2.25-inch styrofoam ball and press the clay all around. Cut any excess with scissors and join the seams together as best as you can.
To smooth out the surface roll the ball between your palms, then use a wet wipe to further smooth its surface. Don’t worry about it being perfectly smooth, it will look just fine once all the details are added.
Step 2: Honey Bee Details
Take some black clay and roll it out to about 5-6 inches long logs. Place it on the top front of the bumble bee’s body and press gently. Cut off any excess.
Repeat this process, adding a second stripe to the top back of the bumble bee’s body.
Next, take 0.15g and shape a ball. Then flatten it into a wing and repeat for the second wing. Attach the wings on an angel to the very to of the bee. (see picture)
Step 3: Facial details
Flatten out some black clay and use a 0.5-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 2 circles for the eyes. Then shape 2 small balls (about 0.03g) and 2 even smaller balls that my scale wasn’t able to pick up the gram. These are going to be the sparks of the eyes and give the figure its charm and personality. Arrange them just like shown in the pictures below.
I am using soft pastels for the blush but you can use makeup/ eyeshadow as well.
Step 4: Make it an ornament
Lastly, add an eye pin with a little bit of glue and pull through some fishing line. Now you can hang your bee anywhere you like!
Let me know below if you have any questions or want to share how your bumble bee turned out. If you know someone who loves to craft please, share this tutorial with them. I really appreciate it!
This is so cute!
Thank you very much!!!