Recently we’ve been experimenting with foam clay. Foam clay is an air-drying modelling clay which is super soft and very light. It’s very easy to shape and we enjoyed making foam clay sunflowers. It’s definitely sunflower season here in the UK and we can’t wait to go and pick some sunflowers next month.

List of supplies:

Foam clay in light brown, yellow and light green

Clay craft modelling tools

How to make foam clay sunflowers

Select yellow, brown and green clay for the clay sunflower craft. Take an amount from brown clay for the center of the clay sunflower and a good amount to craft 6 sunflower petals. Roll both clay amounts into ball shapes.

Flatten the brown ball shape into a disk shape. Roll the yellow ball into a rope shape.

Use a clay cutting tool to cut out 6 even pieces from the clay rope.

Take any one of the clay cutouts and roll into a ball shape.

Flatten the yellow clay ball into a disk shape.

Pinch any side (around the edge) of the clay disk shape to form a teardrop shape; this is a petal of the clay sunflower.

Use a clay cutter or indent tool to mark an indentation on the clay petal.

Carefully press and join the round edge of petal slightly to give the petal a 3d look. Similarly, craft the rest of the clay petals.

Place the clay center on a flat surface and then join the pressed side of a petal on the brown disk by firmly pressing it against the disk. Join another petal on the opposite side of the first one.

Join 2 more petals between the first 2, on both sides of them. The first layer of the clay sunflower should have 6 petals.

Take out an even amount of slightly less amount of yellow clay to make another batch of 6 petals.

This time, join the petals of the 2^nd layer between any 2 petals of the first layer.

Join all 6 clay petals of the 2^nd layer. Prepare another brown disk pattern.

Join the brown disk shape in the centre of the clay petal layers.

Take out an amount of green clay to make the leaf. Form a ball shape with the green clay.

Flatten the green ball shape into a disk shape.

Form a teardrop shape with the green clay disk by pinching a side.

Use the clay cutting tool to make indentations on the clay leaf to imitate the veins.

Use the clay cutting tool to make scalloped border on the clay leaf.

Join the clay leaf with the clay sunflower by placing it under the flower. You can add another leaf if you like.

We love making these clay sunflowers. Set aside to dry and they will last all year!