How to Sculpt Clay Fairy Wings

A clay fairy adds a whimsical touch to your home or garden decor. Whether you want to sculpt a fairy out of polymer clay or regular mineral clay, the final touches can sometimes be the trickiest. If you want to sculpt your fairy wings out of clay rather than wire and other materials, there are a few tips that can help.

Instructions

1. Roll two balls of clay with your palms on a flat surface. Spread the clay outwards into a wing shape with your fingers, but keep the wings slightly thicker in the center to ensure they'll hold up. In addition, wings that are completely flat with uniform thickness will look more like slabs of dough rolled with a pin.

2. Press a leaf onto both sides of the clay. This will imprint tiny line patterns in the wings to give them a membranous look that resembles actual butterfly wings.

3. Pull on the tips and outer edges of the fairy wings gently with your thumb and forefinger. The result should be wings that are thicker at the center and get gradually thinner at the edges, to create a wispy or gauzy effect. The top of the wings should flare upward.

4. Paint the fairy wings after the clay has hardened; use a lighter shade of paint in the center of the wings. Accent the outer edges and tips of the wings with a darker shade of paint and use a fine-tipped brush to create small detailing.