STYROFOAM brand foam crafts

Clowning Around Pumpkin

Embellish an ultra-easy paper-crafted centerpiece with a playful clay-covered pumpkin and you've got a tablescape to remember. Try a black cat or spider if you prefer.
   Completion Time - 
2 hours
   Designer - 
Rebekah Meier

Materials

STYROFOAM Brand Foam
  • Ball, 1-1/2"
  • Cone, 6" x 3"
  • Disc, 4" x 1"
Other Materials
  • Acrylic paints: black; cream; orange
  • Air-dry modeling compound, one package
  • Gloss-finish varnish
  • Cardstock, one 12" x 12" sheet each: black; orange
  • White crepe paper streamer, 2 yds.

Tools

  • Serrated knife
  • Candle stub or paraffin
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Wooden items: toothpicks; skewer
  • Small, clay-dedicated roller
  • Paintbrushes: fine liner; 1/2" flat
  • Disposable palette
  • Water basin
  • Paper towels
  • Scissors: standard; pinking-edge paper cutters
  • Sewing needle and white button thread
  • Small star craft punch
  • Sandpaper
  • Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
  • Paper glue

Instructions

Note: Use foam glue unless otherwise indicated.
  • 1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut thinslice from tip of foam cone to create flat surface.

  • 2. Insert wooden skewer into center bottom of foam ball.Following manufacturer's instructions, roll a large, thinsheet of air-dry modeling compound. Using fingers, gently moldmodeling compound around foam ball to completely coversurface. Continue adding bits of modeling compound as needed.

  • 3. Use fingers to create indentation in modeling compound formouth. Shape two small, flat circles from modeling compoundscraps and press to face for eyes. Shape and press small,triangular nose to face. Smooth surface with wet fingers.Place skewer in heavy glass or jar and let dry completely.Gently sand surface and wipe away dust with paper towel.

  • 4. Holding skewer as a handle, use flat brush to paint headorange. Place skewer in glass and let dry completely.

  • 5. Refer to photo as a painting guide. Use liner brush topaint primitive facial features as shown. Paint nose and mouthcream. Paint eyes and teeth lines black. Use end of paintbrushhandle to dot eyes cream. Use toothpick to dot eyes black.Place skewer in glass and let dry completely.

  • 6. Apply one coat varnish to entire piece; place skewer inglass and let dry completely. Remove skewer.

  • 7.Cut pattern from cardstock as indicated. Wrap and gluecardstock around foam cone; let dry.

  • 8. Trace foam disc twice onto orange cardstock; cut out shapeswith pinking scissors and glue to top and bottom of disc. Cuta 1" x 12" black cardstock strip and glue around foam disc.Punch several orange cardstock stars and glue to disc edge.Glue cone to disc; let dry.

  • 9. Cut crepe paper into one 1-yd. length and two 1/2-yd.lengths. Using button thread, sew gathering stitch along onelong edge of each crepe paper piece.. Pull up gathers and knotthreads; trim excess. Glue large crepe paper rosette to top ofcone. Use pinking scissors to trim 1/8" border from each smallrosette; glue rosettes to cone.

  • 10. Insert two toothpicks halfway into bottom of head, useglue gun to apply glue to free ends, and push toothpicks intocenter top of cone. Punch two black cardstock stars; glue tocone. Let dry completely.