This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in April 2013.
Looking to add a little zing to your office space? Here’s a quick way to make over your bulletin board. Fimo clay’s great for many reasons: it’s inexpensive, easy to work with, and available in an array of colors at most craft stores. I picked up a few packages recently, a palette of yellows and yellow-y oranges that would coordinate with my home’s color palette.
For this project, I picked up a package of escutcheon pins from the hardware store, and a tube of e-6000 (most other strong glues would work well too).
Step 1
I started by dividing the clay up, softening it in my hands, and then rolling it into little balls. If it becomes a bit too malleable, roll the balls into the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. Before I started carving bevels into the clay, I poked into the ball to create a space for the pin. Carving is easy with a sharp knife—you’ll just make quick short cuts along the outside of the clay to create geometric bevels, carefully handling the areas you’ve already cut to keep the edges crisp and flat. Before baking them into the oven, I re-poked the pin through the hole in the the soft clay to ensure there would be hole for the pin once it was baked into a solid bead.
Step 2
Brands of clay bake differently, but these Fimo pushpin beads were solid after being in the stove for 30-minutes at 230-degrees Fahrenheit.
While they cooled, I took snips to the end of the pins and removed the heads (which just makes them a little easier to insert into the clay balls). Wiss snips are usually good for heavy-duty cuts, but the smaller tools will work too, depending on the weight of your pins.
Step 3
After poking the end of each pin into the glue, I positioned them into the clay and allowed everything to dry for a few hours.
Step 4
The finished pieces are wonderful. And as hoped, they look nice on my bulletin board! What are your favorite ways to customize your home or office workspace?
Leave A Reply