Cute Ladybug Clothing Pin Made FromSaltdough

In this instruction i will show you how to make this cute Ladybug clothing pin. This project can be done by kids of any age, as the used material is nontoxic salt dough and the modelling part is really easy . For older kids you can change it and use Polymer clay. The goal is for each child to make a nice memory charm they can wear on their clothes or backpacks for a long time to come.

• Ready to use Salt dough - I am using this recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-salt-dough-recipe (alternatively you can use polymer clay in red, green, black and white)
• Safety pins
• Food coloring in red and green, maybe a bit of yellow and blue
• Flour (if your dough becomes to wet)
• Water (if your dough becomes to dry)
• a black marker and a little bit of white paint for the details (not needed, if you use polymer clay)
• clear coat

Mix one third of your dough with red food coloring and the rest with green colour. If your red is a bit to pink, you can mix in a bit of yellow to get a red that is more like vermilion. If your green is to dark or to light you can also use a bit of yellow or blue to get the right colour. If the green gets to blue you can rescue it with yellow. Please remember that the colours will change a little bit when you bake the dough - usually they get a bit lighter.

If your dough gets to wet and sticky, you can mix in a bit of flour. This will make the dough a bit firmer.

Put flour onto your working space and roll out the green dough to a thickness of approximately three to five millimeters. Then use a knife or a cookie cutter to make your leave. Carve in the details with the knife or a toothpick. Transfer it to a backing sheet and press a safety pin onto the back of the leaf. Secure the safety pin with a bit of extra dough, so it won't come of later. Use the Baking sheet to make sure that the safety pin does not stick fully to the dough.

Take a bit of red dough and form a ball. Shape it a bit like an egg and use a toothpick to carve in details. Mark the head and wings. Then use a bit of water to wet the bottom and secure your ladybug onto the leaf. Bake everything for at least one to two hours by 50 to 100°Celsius. Another way is to just let it dry naturally, but this will take at least a few days to a few weeks.

Use your black marker and add the details: Make the spots on the wings, color the head black and add eyes with a little bit of white paint. Give the leaf a bit more texture by coloring the stem. To finish the project give it a clear cover. Now it can be used in the outdoor too, as it is waterproof.

Have fun!! :)