Dango Hair Pin

In this tutorial I will show you how to make a Dango Hair Pin that is fairly simple. I hope you enjoy the process and outcome as much as I did!

• (2) Popsicle Sticks
• (1) Acrylic Paint Set + Paintbrush
• (1) Two Part Apoxie Sculpt (Clay also works)
• (1) Hair Clip
• (1) Hot Glue + Hot Glue Gun
• (1) Pair of Disposable or Non-Disposable Gloves
• (1) White Primer/Spray Paint Primer
• (1) Roll of Masking Tape
• (1) Chopstick/Wooden Skewer
• (1) Glossy Sealant
• (1) Pliers

Before starting the process make sure you are wearing gloves. This process will become a little messy and it is best to be safe. Once that is done you should also prepare your work station by putting a mat/paper on top to protect your workspace.

Now that our area is set up we can start mixing the apoxie. Take equal parts A & B then start kneading them together for about two minutes. The end result should show that the apoxie is one color.

You may replace the apoxie with clay or another moldable material.

Once all the apoxie is mixed you can start creating the dango spheres. Separate your apoxie you just mixed into three even parts (about half an inch each). Take one piece and move it in a circular motion in your hands until it becomes a sphere (you may need to add water to make it smoother) until it has become a sphere shape. Repeat this progress for each part you separated.

Now that you have the spheres made you can add them to the chop stick. One by one pierce the spheres through the chopstick and have them placed together. Make sure to do this near the middle so we can trim the access wood later.

Once you are done with your dango spheres you must let them sit for 24 hours (or the amount of time labeled for your clay). Make sure to prop it up on something so one side will not be smushed!

Before adding the base coat you must use masking tape on the chopstick. This will prevent it from being painted when adding the base coat. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Now that you have masked off the chop stick we can start painting the base coat. Find an open area to hang up your project then tape it up. Once it is secure you can start spray painting it with the first base. Make sure to have an even coverage. Wait a few minutes then do the same for another coat.

Side note! You may also just go over the project with white primer and just paint it on by hand.

Once the base coat is dry you can grab your paint supplies. Mix your paint into the colors you want, I will be using pink, white, and green. One by one you can start painting them with nice even strokes. Your dango may need 2-3 coats to be completely opaque.

I unfortunately didn't realize how thick my paint was, so I had to sand off the bumps and remix the paints being to lumpy.

Your paint should be dry before you start this step. Grab your sealant and start spraying it on the dango (or painting it on if you chose a different type). You should add 1-2 coats to get a nice shine. At this point you can trim the chopstick with some pliers to make the stick more to scale.

To make sure the dango sticks you should use some sandpaper on the hair clip. I recommend finding a hair clip that won't bend when used so the dango will stay on. Before hot gluing put the dango where you think it should be to see how it looks. Once you believe you found a good position apply the hot glue over the scraped up area of the clip and press the dango onto it.

Here is the final result of the hair clip! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and enjoyed. (●'◡'●)