Gingerbird House
Sweeten up your holiday décor with a “gingerbread” birdhouse dotted with Sculpey candy canes, gumdrops, and lollipops!
As seen in
Crafts 'n Things
magazine
YOU’LL NEED
Materials
Wooden birdhouse, 9” tall.
Studio By Sculpey Oven-Bake Clay: Poppy #6210, Whipped Cream #6101, Clover #6461, Denim #6576, Iris #6328, Lemon Drop #6431, Clementine #6440, Raspberry Smoothie #6319.
Plaid FolkArt Artists’ Pigment Acrylic Paint, Raw Sienna #452.
6 white lollipop sticks, 4”.
Crystal glitter.
Black paint pen, fine point.
Tools
Studio By Sculpey Super Slicer.
Studio By Sculpey 5-in-1 Clay Tool.
Studio By Sculpey Acrylic Roller.
Studio By Sculpey Shape Makers Leaf Set IV, small leaf.
Ruler.
White craft glue.
Foam paintbrush.
Aluminum foil.
Cookie sheet.
What To Do
1. Use the foam paintbrush to paint the birdhouse Raw Sienna. Let dry. Apply a second coat and let dry.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
3. To create the candy canes, slice off one section of the Whipped Cream clay using the slicer and roll by hand on a smooth surface to create a 9” snake. Repeat with the Poppy clay. (Be sure to wash your hands in between colors so the red will not transfer onto the white clay.) Cut each snake in half segments. Twist one red and one white snake together tightly and roll into a smooth snake with a ¼” diameter. Cut a 4” piece of the red-and-white snake and lay it on the cookie sheet. Form into a candy cane. Repeat until you have four candy canes.
4. To make the gumdrops, cut two sections of Iris clay and roll into four ½” diameter balls. Shape one end of each ball so it is slightly pointy. Press the other end down on a flat surface. Repeat using Clementine, Lemon Drop, Poppy, Clover, and Raspberry Smoothie, making four gumdrops in each color.
5. Make snowy shingles on the roof by cutting one section of Whipped Cream clay and rolling into a 12” snake. Cut the snake in half and form each segment into a strip of snowy shingles. Each strip should measure about 4½” long. Make six total.
6. Form snowcicles for the eaves and roof peak by cutting one section of Whipped Cream clay and rolling it into a thin snake 14” long. Fold and crimp the snake back and forth to make an icing ribbon 5½” long. Repeat for the second eave and make two for the peak, trimming to fit the birdhouse.
7. To create the lollipops, make a jellyroll by cutting four sections of Lemon Drop clay and four sections of Clementine clay. Roll each color into a strip ¼” thick, 1” wide, and 6” long. Lay the Lemon Drop on top of the Clementine. Trim one end and start rolling the two colors together into a jellyroll (like rolling up a sleeping bag). Slice off the uneven sides with the slicer using a sawing motion. Use the same technique to cut 6 slices from the jellyroll. Using scissors, cut 4 lollipop sticks down to 1½” tall and cut 2 down to 1¾” tall. Create a starter hole in each lollipop head using the pointer end of the 5-in-1 tool. Press a lollipop stick into each lollipop head.
8. For the red and green M&M’s, cut one section of Clover clay. Cut that section into 8 equal parts. Roll each into a ball and then flatten slightly. Repeat to make two red ones using the Poppy clay.
9. To create the blue bird, cut off two sections of Denim clay and shape into a giant jellybean. Bend one end up to form the head. Cut another section of Denim clay and roll out into a pancake about 1/8” thick. Use the leaf cookie cutter to cut four leaves. To create the tail feathers, press one leaf onto the bird’s rear, and a second leaf on top of the first. Create wings by pressing the other two leaves to the bird’s sides. Create a bill out of Clementine clay and press onto the front of the bird’s face. Roll two tiny dots of Lemon Drop clay and press them on either side of the bill as eyes. Use the 5-in-1 tool to smooth the connections between the bird’s face and the bill and the bird’s body and the wings. Press the bird onto the birdhouse perch to form an indentation in the bottom of the bird where it will sit once finished. Crumple a piece of aluminum foil and flatten it back out. Place the bird on the crumpled foil on the cookie sheet.
10. Lay all the clay candy on the cookie sheet beside the bird. Bake at 275º F for 30 minutes. Let cool.
11. Sugar the gumdrops by painting them with white craft glue and rolling each one in the crystal glitter. Let dry.
12. Glue the Sculpey candies onto the painted birdhouse using white craft glue. Add pupils to the bird’s eyes with the black paint pen. Glue the bird to the perch.
Candy Land: To personalize your birdhouse, make Sculpey versions of your family’s favorite candies. You can make everything from Starlight mints and Necco Wafers to Chuckles and Gummi Bears. Sweet!
