How to Make a Clay Skunk
Skunks have gained quite the negative reputation for their nauseatingly foul odor that can take days to fully get rid of. At the same time, skunks have also inspired numerous adorable characters in popular culture, including Flower and Miss Skunk in "Bambi," Fifi La Fume in "Tiny Toon Adventures" and Petunia in "Happy Tree Friends." Thus, as far as children may be concerned, skunks are cute, friendly critters. With some polymer clay, children can mold their own skunk figurine to display in their bedrooms.
Instructions
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1
Roll a 2-inch ball of black clay and mold it into an egg shape to serve as the skunk's body.
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2
Roll a thin piece of white clay to form a stripe across the top of the skunk's back. Press the stripe on the top of the black egg shape you created in Step 1.
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3
Mold two small black triangles to represent the skunk's ears. Place the triangular pieces onto the front end of the squirrel's body on each side of the white stripe.
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4
Roll a small ball of black clay and position it at the front of the black egg shape to represent the skunk's nose. Then, place two circles of white clay on the front of the egg where the skunk's eyes belong. Roll two tiny black balls, and place them on top of each white circle to represent the skunk's pupils.
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5
Roll a 1-inch ball of black clay and flatten it into an flat teardrop shape to serve as the skunk's tail. Repeat this step with a slightly smaller piece of white clay to make a white stripe for the tail. Press the white stripe on top of the black tail.
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6
Attack the narrow end of the teardrop-shaped tail to the back of the skunk's body.
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7
Use a toothpick to gently create narrow indentations in the stripes on the body and tail of the skunk. These indentations will create fur lines, giving the skunk a more realistic and textured appearance.
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8
Cover a baking pan in a layer of tin foil, and center the skunk on the pan. Bake the skunk figurine at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove the pan carefully from the oven when 30 minutes has passed, and set the skunk aside to cool.
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Tips & Warnings
Young children should be accompanied by an adult when baking the skunk and removing it from the oven to prevent burns or fires from occurring.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
