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How to Make an Elf Shoe: Air Dry Clay Ornament DIY Tutorial!
Any beginner can make the comon cookie cutter clay ornament. But come one, you’re way craftier than that! You need a project that takes your clay and turns it into something a little more impressive. This elf shoe is an easy but impressive next-level clay project that actually makes use of the third dimension. Added bonus: Your friends and fam will be utterly amazed that you FREAKIN’ made this! You can watch the video tutorial for this project here. You can download the
How to Make a Christmas Ghost: Air Dry Clay Santa Tutorial Step-by-Step!
Watch the video tutorial here ! The most famous trio of Christmas ghosts are probably the trio from Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. However, long before Christmas became a Christian holiday, winter solstice festivals were associated with the thinning of the veil between life and death. It’s certainly not hard to imagine that families long ago would want to cuddle up next to a fire and tell ghost stories during the longest, darkest nights of the year. So ghost
How to Make a Simple Snake Dish with Air Dry Clay: Coil Method
Watch the video tutorial here ! This simple coil-built dish is one of the most versatile air dry clay project ideas you can try. I made a snake-shaped dish (template below) but you can use this beginner friendly method to make a dish in any simple shape you'd like. I'll show you how to use a napkin decoupage technique to decorate the bottom of your dish so even the artistically-challenged beginner can achieve an expert-level finish! Let's grab some good quality air dry cl
3 Reasons All Artists should Definately do Game of Shrooms
Last year I participated for the first time in an annual art abandonment event called Game of Shrooms . Game of Shrooms is an international event where artists make mushroom-themed works of art and hide them in public places for people to find. I made a paper mache mushroom guy and summarized both the build and my experience as an artist participant in the video here . Download the FREE template to make him here! 3. A Chance to Play I don't typically make mushroom-themed ar
Jane Sawyer Makes
Jun 12, 20232 min read
5 Biggest Reasons you're a Fake Artist and How to Embrace it!
I received the angry comment below on a short video I posted on Instagram . I used a portion of an old novel to make the tiny books I used in my apothecary walnut project. The commenter was very upset I had ripped up a book and told me I was not a real artist. I think they left the comment to be mean, but I was immediately relieved . I thought, "Yeah, I'm definitely not a "real artist"! Thank gawd! I'd much rather just be a fake artist - way less pressure!" Click through
Jane Sawyer Makes
May 31, 20233 min read
Alice in Wonderland....errrr.... WALNUTland
Watch the video tutorial here! I'll be showing you how to create your own miniature Alice in Wonderland scene inside a walnut! With a bit of polymer clay, a mini bottle from the discount store, and a few crafty scraps, you can bring the whimsical world of Lewis Carroll's classic tale to life in the palm of your hand. This is an easy beginner-friendly mini diorama that you can make for yourself or as a handmade gift for the Alice in Wonderland fan in your life. You can make th
Jane Sawyer Makes
May 8, 20233 min read
Walnut Shell Ring Box
Watch the build video here! Secret away a little treasure in the compartment inside a walnut ! This enchanted little box is a great choice for an engagement ring - or any ring you might gift someone! Heck - it would be an adorable ring holder for a piece you already own. If you're looking for a fantasy ring box with a touch of nature and a bit of craftmanship and whimsy, this one is for you! In this article, I'll guide you through making a whimsical and budget-frien
Jane Sawyer Makes
May 4, 20232 min read
Mini Apothecary in a Walnut Shell
Watch the build video here ! Nestled within the hollowed confines of a tiny walnut shell, a miniature world unfurls—an enchanting microcosm of an apothecary's realm. Within this compact sanctuary, every millimeter teems with an abundance of ancient knowledge and forgotten curiosities. This is an easy beginner-friendly mini diorama that you can make for yourself or as a handmade gift for the witchy person in your life. You can make this cute miniature witch's kitchen using a
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 21, 20233 min read
Mini Forest in a Walnut - with Bigfoot
Watch the build video here ! There's not many things more relaxing than a calm walk through the woods. If you can't be in the forest, the second-best facsimile is inarguably a tiny forest in a walnut you can carry in your pocket. Stressed? Take out your forest walnut and get a little zen! Perhaps you'll even see my favourite cryptid - Bigfoot! This is an easy beginner-friendly mini diorama that you can make for yourself or as a handmade gift for the cryptid fan in your li
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 19, 20232 min read
Baby Dragon in a Walnut Shell
Watch the build video HERE! Here's a walnut shell craft for the dragon fans! Baby dragons are some of the most enchanting and delightful creatures in all of fantasy. With their tiny wings, scaly bodies, and playful personalities, they capture our imaginations and steal our hearts. I like to imagine that this miniature dragon is just starting his life and building his hoard inside this walnut shell. This is an easy beginner friendly sculpt that you can make for yourself or as
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 17, 20233 min read
How to Make a DIY Tiny Hinge
Watch the video tutorial here ! Look no further if you're looking for a robust, small hinge that you can DIY for your art or craft projects. This instagram vira l workhorse of a hinge is easy to make out of a few scraps of wire. You just need a pair of pliers and other common household tidbits. You can use these hinges for kinetic sculptures, tabletop gaming terrain, or for the mini walnut boxes I wrote about here . The step-by-step breakdown of how you can make a small hin
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 13, 20232 min read
How to Split a Walnut Perfectly in Half
Watch the video tutorial here ! If you want to use walnut shells for crafting, it's a great trick to be able to split them perfectly in half without destroying one side. This can be especially difficult for the walnuts I get from the grocery store around Christmas! This method is fairly consistent in helping me crack a walnut without breaking the shells, but I do still get a few failures. The step-by-step breakdown of how you can cleanly break a walnut shell in half is
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 12, 20232 min read
DIY Crystal Geode Propagation Station
Watch the video tutorial HERE! Here's how to make a fake but GORGEOUS mystical crystal geode with no actual crystals, no resin, and no molds. In fact, this project is mostly dollar-store foam board and hot glue sticks. I turned my geode into a plant propagation station, but you could use the same techniques to make a kick-ass book nook, magical fantasy miniatures, or epic tabletop gaming terrain! Check out my previous tutorial for a deep dive into the techniques I used on t
Jane Sawyer Makes
Feb 16, 20232 min read
No Drill Propagation Station DIY
Watch the Video Tutorial HERE! So you want to build a propagation station but don't have a drill . The internet is lousy with all kinds of tutorials for DIY propagation stations, but options are limited for those without power tools . Here's a versatile tutorial for a prop station that requires only a few simple craft tools and inexpensive supplies. You can get all the tools and supplies you need from your local dollar or discount store! The tools you'll need are: a
Jane Sawyer Makes
Feb 2, 20232 min read
Tiny, Tiny Chairs
Words will go here.
Jane Sawyer Makes
Jan 19, 20231 min read
The Abominable Snowman Butler
Watch the build video on YouTube! Last year, I made a Krampus figure - which I love - but Krampus was not my "first love" of Christmas monsters. No, that title goes to that bouncing monster tamed by Yukon Cornelius in the 1964 stop-motion Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movie : The Abominable Snowman (aka The Bumble). Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snowman as seen in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special by Videocraft International Ltd, 1964 My goal was to
Jane Sawyer Makes
Dec 20, 20221 min read
Krampus
Watch the build video on YouTube! Listen: It is not fair that spooky season only lasts for one month. The Christmassy people get ALL of November AND December, and I don't think that's right. But some of the cool kids got together and formulated a plan to add some yuck to your Yule: Spooky Christmas. Last year, to put some creepiness into my Chrismas, I built pop culture's favourite Christmas monster, Krampus. You can check out the build video here . Popularized in North Ame
Jane Sawyer Makes
Nov 25, 20222 min read
Sock Mothman
Watch the tutorial video on YouTube! Sock gnomes can be cute, but you know what's cooler than a sock gnome: a sock Mothman. Let's make one. There's a complete step-by-step video tutorial here ! If you're here, you probably know who Mothman is, but just in case you don't, Mothman is a humanoid cryptid hailing from West Virginia who was first cited in 1966 in the town of Point Pleasant. Several people reported seeing a large gray man with red eyes and 10 foot wings. These sigh
Jane Sawyer Makes
Nov 15, 20222 min read
Mini Top Hat - A Tribute to Gord Downie
Just a couple of Go[u]rds. This is the second year I've made my Halloween pumpkin as a tribute to the the late Canadian rock poet, Gord Downie. I call it Gourd Downie. Below is the template I used to make the hat . You may need to resize it if you want to make your own. It's fairly straightforward, but if you want some brief instruction on how to assemble it, there's a 1 minute video tutorial here .
Jane Sawyer Makes
Oct 31, 20221 min read
Baba Yaga's Hut
Watch the BUILD VIDEO HERE! You may not be familiar with the folklore behind this chicken-footed hut, but I'm sure you've seen this image before. It creeps up in pop-culture occasionally and has been featured in Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons modules, comic books, films, and even on beer cans. The cottage on chicken legs has its origins in Slavic folklore and belongs to the complex witchy character, Baba Yaga. In folklore, Baba Yaga is sometimes benevolent, sometimes cruel
Jane Sawyer Makes
Oct 21, 20223 min read
Less Mess Paper Maché
Fancy title graphic. Pin it to your Pinterest board if you wanna! There's nothing wrong with making a mess to make some art. BUT if you're wanting to do some paper maché and keep the mess under control, here's how I make paper maché in a less messy way! I set a plastic placemat down on my work surface. You can grab these at your local discount store, or get a pack here . When I do paper maché with my daughters, I find this helps not only to protect my table, but to give a vis
Jane Sawyer Makes
May 6, 20222 min read
Head Mount Dragon - Fantasy Faux Taxidermy!
Fancy title graphic. Look at that mesmerizing glowing text! This is a beginner beginner-friendly paper mache sculpture that you can put together with an empty cereal box and a few simple art supplies, but there's so much potential for more experienced makers to build off of it and make it their own. (I'm really proud of this! Can you tell?) I've shown two different finished projects in the instruction booklet to get you started on how you can make your dragon your own - but
Jane Sawyer Makes
May 1, 20221 min read
Building Moonwatcher, A GREAT BIG Dragon
Every year I try to make a handmade gift for each of my (3) daughters and my husband. I love making stuff, and I want to put that joy into things for them, but it also shows my girls that you don't necessarily have to spend (much) money to be a generous person. By making stuff for them, I think it also demonstrates that we (my husband and I) value the stuff they make for us. There's so much joy to come from creating with your hands, and adding a gifting element multiplies th
Jane Sawyer Makes
Apr 28, 20223 min read
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