Everybody’s got a Smartphone, right? And we all need a nice holder for it to rest that is accessible – what about unique and interesting? Check, check! This tutorial will show you how to do it.
I’ve been wanting to get to this one for awhile now….Who knows how long it has been on my to-do list? When I’m at my desk (which is most of the time!) I don’t want to have to hunt around for that phone. This is how I came up with a pretty answer!
It took (most of) a large 8 oz size block of Sculpey clay and my regular set of tools…
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Measure Your Phone
Most of these phones are similar in size – measure it first lengthwise and width and jot these down as you will be making your clay holder with these in mind. Mine is 2.75″ wide and 5.25″ in length.I gather these phones don’t deviate that much when it comes to size.
What Will You Make?
Now for ideas…You can always do a simple square, but if you want to go a little more wowza…there are other ways. It took a few hours on Pinterest to see what kind of things I could come up with.
Some things I came across….a cat, monster head, simple scroll…Here is a page of blueprints in which I did thumbnail sketches of the ones I liked the best…
And I settled on the shoe. Why? I liked the hand at first, as a few years ago I made a hand sculpture for my rings but I was like….uh, no. (Replicating human anatomy is very challenging…) And the cat? Nah, I’ve already got the real thing, lol….
So take awhile to brainstorm and come up with some cool ideas. If you’re looking for something a little easier, I think the scroll look would be your best bet.
Materials List
One 8 oz, 1 lb package of Sculpey clay
Assortment of tools (a few shapers, acrylic roller, and needle tool will be the most needed)
Fine grit sandpaper
Assortment of acrylic paints (I recommend Liquitex
These are optional – things like mica powder or chalk pastels if you want to add natural color to your clay, some glitter and bling for the outside
Roll Out the Foundation
Start with a slab. Grab a large enough strip of clay and start working it , you may need to pre-soften it, which I did…and if you’ve got your roller tool nearby, use it to roll out a fourth-inch slab.
This is a good thickness to strive for because it is the “standard” for accurate baking time, plus if the slab is too thin it may not be as supportive.
Try to get the width of the slab to match the phone width (remember your measurements…).
This slab will serve as the foundation of your design so whether you want to shape a scroll shape or kitty cat, you’ll be sure to have a foundation that will work. Now we need to work out the part of where the phone will rest eventually.
I also made a “slot” in the middle, yes, I took my actual phone and pushed it (slightly) into the slab to make an actual imprint (I did clean it off afterward…don’t worry, this clay won’t hurt it!)
I used another shaper tool to define the area a little bit. I’ve also started work here on the heel and the vamp.
The beauty of this kind of clay is that if you’re not satisfied with something you can keep working it. I did experience this at first, when working on the heel of the shoe.
As it turns out, that sexy stiletto was a little more delicate that I thought. You can use something as an armature, I used some crumpled foil at first to provide support, but it left marks in the clay, so… I ended up reworking that part into a new “chunkier” shoe heel.
Some fashion shoes in real life have cute adornments on the vamp, so decorated that part by scraping together a little rosette with some of the scraps of clay I’d had left behind. (That part was easy!)
When you’ve got it like you want it, bake it in your oven at the stated temp and time…(275 degrees for about 20 minutes)
Afterward you can sand it and buffer, and dab a little alcohol on to make the surface better. I also gave it a nice white primer coat, which I would encourage you to do if you’re not using the white clay.
The painting part will be the most fun! Choose good colors and and if you need to you may want to apply two coats (I usually do- it helps make better coverage).
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I painted mine with the addition of glitter to make it look more interesting. I pretty much stirred loose silver and white glitter into the paint – try it sometime – it will distribute perfectly!! Or you could also add in a little mica powder which would look really stunning with its shimmery appearance.
Finished it off with a little spray sealant (this is a satin finish) and there you go.
A few days of curing time (I’d do at least 24 hours) and she’s all yours to set your phone to rest on. And if you made yours unique and colorful enough, you won’t have to look very far to find your phone when you need it. Enjoy!
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