Well, who is that looking around the corner with his long neck and big googly eyes? The cute giraffe duo!
The giraffes were modelled from soft clay and decorated with the typical spots after drying. A great craft idea for an afternoon together with children.
Create the basic structure
You will need the following material for the giraffes:
Giraffe large: Styrofoam ball Ø 8 cm and 4 cm, bear/animal eyes Ø 12 mm. Giraffe small: Styrofoam ball Ø 6 cm and 3 cm, bear/animal eyes Ø 9 mm
To begin, cut the round sticks for the neck to any length. Cut shorter pieces for the legs and horns.
Use an awl to poke holes for the cut pieces of wood in the polystyrene balls. Fix them in the holes with a little craft glue.
Now the basic structure for the giraffe duo is ready.
Modelling the giraffes
Knead the clay well before modelling. This will make it easier to work with.
Shape the clay around the base. The ears are modelled separately and placed on the head.
Important: The clay should not be modelled too thinly around the structure, as cracks often form after the drying time. In this case, the areas are filled with clay.
Small cracks are not bad, as the clay is hardened by the clay sealant and no further cracks will form.
So the thinner the clay, the more cracks can form!
With a little water and the modelling brushes, you can smooth out any unevenness and get clean transitions.
Now insert the eyes: for this, the pins on the back have to be shortened. Also make holes with a pointed object for the nostrils.
Leave the giraffes to dry for at least 24 hours.
Design the giraffes
After the drying time, coat the giraffes with clay sealant. Once this has dried, you can stain the giraffes. Use craft paint for this.
Once the colours have dried, you can arrange the giraffe duo as a cute decoration in your home.
