How Do You Make a Scorpion Paperweight?

Decorative paperweights can be gifts for anyone with a desk, and giving a homemade paperweight is even more personal, since it showcases your creativity and thoughtfulness. For someone who studies arachnids or has the astrological sign of the Scorpio, fashioning a clay scorpion paperweight is a fitting gift. You don't even need to purchase anything. Make your own chemical-free clay at home.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• Pot
• Wooden spoon
• Plate
• Damp cloth
• Flour
• Diagram of scorpion
• Acrylic paints
• 2 paintbrushes
• Clear shellac

Instructions

1. Mix the baking soda, corn starch and water together in a small pot for four minutes over medium heat. Combine it until it has the texture of mashed potatoes.

2. Pour the mixture onto a plate. Cover it with a cloth and let it cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle flour onto your work surface.

3. Knead the clay on your work surface until it has a smooth consistency.

4. Consult your diagram of a scorpion and sculpt the body of the scorpion which should be a thick oval shape about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide. Sculpt five log-shaped pieces about 1 inch long, and attach them together adhering them to one end of the oval body. This is the scorpion's tail.

5. Sculpt a small round ball for the edge of the tail and give one end of it a sharp point. Attach it to the end of the tail. This is the stinger of the scorpion tail, or the "aculeus."

6. Roll out six legs that are as thin as pencils and 4 inches long. Attach three legs to either side of the body. Bend them slightly in the middle.

7. Sculpt the front claws of the scorpion. Consult your diagram. Attach them on either side of the end of the scorpion's body that is opposite the tail.

8. Compare your finished scorpion to your diagram of a scorpion and make any necessary changes.

9. Allow the scorpion to dry overnight, then paint it with acrylic paints. Once the paint dries, use a separate paintbrush to cover it with shellac for a glossy finish.

References

• Family Education: Homemade Clay Recipes
• "Creative Ways with Polymer Clay;" Dotty McMillan; 2002

Resources

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology: Scorpion Diagram