Creating a Crystal Guardian Dragon

Presented by Christi Friesen, Award-Winning Artist
Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®
E64N

Award-winning artist Christi Friesen walks you through some fun steps to create a custom polymer clay dragon from Premo! Sculpey® with basic jewelry clay molding techniques and tools.

Ridge Ornaments

Choose your beads then string several onto a crystal headpin. Trim extra headpin wire then bend a "U" into the end of the pin. Repeat until you have the desired amount of ornaments.

Clay Dragon

STEP 1
Mix a color of your choice using Premo! Sculpey® Polymer Clay into a ball approximately the size of a hard-boiled egg yolk. Roll the clay around using your palms to make it smooth then roll it into an oval.
STEP 2
Pinch and pull to create the nub of a tail on one side of the oval clay. The clay should now resemble an "L" or a very rough dragon shape. Form the nub into a point then squish the oval down onto a flat surface to create a level bottom. The clay should now be able to stand on its own.

If you would like the dragon to be taller, squeeze and pull the clay above the tail to stretch it out. Once the clay is tall enough, use your fingers to squeeze and indent around the neck area to create definition between body and head. From the head, pinch and pull on the clay to create a snout.
STEP 3
Lightly place two hotfix flat backs onto the head of the dragon to create eyes. Make sure that they are correctly aligned then use your fingers to imbed the flat backs into the clay.

Tip: Embed the flat backs relatively deep or they will run down the face of the dragon during baking.
STEP 4
Pinch a ridge down the back of the dragon starting from the base of the head and ending at the tip of the tail.
STEP 5
Use a tool with a small point on the end to poke two small indentations into the tip of the snout to create nostrils. Then use a cutting blade to carefully slice open a mouth on the bottom third of the snout.
STEP 6
Take two small dots of clay and form them into flattened teardrops. Stick one teardrop on either side of the dragon's head above and behind the eyes to create ears.
STEP 7
Roll a needling tool across the front of the dragon to create belly ridges.
STEP 8
Embed crystal headpin ornaments down the ridge of the dragon's back, head and forehead. Push the ornaments far enough into the clay that the beads have no wiggle room.
STEP 9
Using an artist brush, apply mica powder to the stomach, ears and snout of the dragon.

Tip: If desired, a scaled look can be applied to the dragon by lightly rolling the flat/pointed end of an artist brush on the clay.
STEP 10
Bake the dragon according to manufacturer's instructions then allow to cool.

Tip: Tissue can be used to prop up the head and neck of the dragon if they will not stand on their own.

Have a question regarding this project? Email Customer Service.

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