Jack O' Lantern and Crow Buddy by Violette Clark

Soon the ghosts and goblins will be at your door beckoning you for treats! What better way to get into the mood of this festive holiday season than to create a whimsical Halloween motif treat container? This miniature jack o' lantern and crow buddy all fashioned from paper clay and oodles of yummy glitter are just the ticket to start off the Halloween season.


Supplies:

Small paper mache box
Paper clay
Paper towel
Small black feather
Craft wire - 24 and 19-gauge
Assorted folk art paints
Gesso
Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Microfine Transparent Glitter:
Icicle #731
Raspberry #740
Rock Moss #742


Directions:

Basecoat paper mache box with gesso.

Roll a 1/2” ball with the paper clay for the tiny pumpkin. Cut a piece of craft wire (24 gauge) about 1” and insert it into the sides of the pumpkin to form a handle. Form a larger ball – approximately 1” for the larger pumpkin. With the end of a paintbrush poke two holes for eyes. Make indentations for the mouth and segments of the pumpkin with an awl or x-acto knife. Cut two pieces of 19-gauge wire for arms – about 2” turning ends over with a round nose pliers - poke into pumpkin. Cut two pieces of 19-gauge wire for legs – I used long pieces so they would be easier for me to handle while painting the pumpkin (I cut them down later). You only need the legs to be about 1” since you will be poking them into the paper mache box later. Poke into pumpkin. Spiral a length of craft wire around a paintbrush and poke into pumpkin head (this will be a tendril). Fashion a simple crow shape from the paper clay. Poke a hole for the eyes and one in the tail section where you will later glue in the feather. Cut two pieces of 19-gauge wire 1 1/2” for legs, insert. Form a conical hat with paper clay and a small leaf as shown.

Let your paper clay creations dry over night.


Paint the edge of the box with black checks. With thinned brown acrylic paint wash over the checks for an aged patina and blot off. Paint the base and top of the box orange and yellow with folk art paints. When it's almost dry apply a wash of brown paint. Blot it off lifting some of the paint underneath for a distressed look. Basecoat pumpkins, crow, hat and leaf with gesso. Paint pumpkin orange, eyes yellow with black dots. Paint a triangular nose and mouth with black paint. Paint black stripes on hat. Paint crow black with a yellow beak. Paint tiny pumpkin orange on the outside and black on the inside. Paint leaf green. When tiny pumpkin is dry paint face black with a liner brush or fine tip felt pen.


Apply a thin layer of Designers Dries Clear Adhesive to the hat, crow and edge of box and liberally sprinkle on Icicle transparent microfine glitter. Shake excess off. Apply the same adhesive to the two pumpkins and then sprinkle on raspberry transparent microfine glitter. Apply adhesive to the tiny leaf and sprinkle on Rock Moss transparent microfine glitter – shake off excess.

Dip a piece of scrunched paper towel (or you could also use a strip of green paper streamer) into turquoise and green paint (which has been thinned down with a bit of water). You are dyeing the paint so you should achieve a tie dyed effect. Hang to dry. Tear dyed paper towel into small pieces. With an awl or thumbtack poke four holes into the top of the box – two for the pumpkin and two for the crow. Adhere the hat and leaf to the top of the pumpkin's head. Glue feather into crow's tail section.

Scrunch up the small pieces of dyed paper towels and glue with Designer Dries Clear Adhesive to the top of the box. Add a dab of glue to the wire legs of the pumpkin and crow and insert into the holes in the box. Add a dab of glue to the tiny pumpkin handle and place beneath the crow's beak.