After seeing something on Pinterest the other day that I loved, I thought I would try making a Fimo fireworks display. I’ve needed to have a go with the new Stardust Fimo Effect Clay for a while and I’ve never played very much with Translucent Fimo Clay either. Since I’m still hoarding jars in an effort to create the biggest ever pile of glass that turns into craft projects, I thought a candle holder couldn’t go far wrong 😉

(I’m going to have to do better photos tonight, it was SO vibrant).

First of all, using a family sizes pasta sauce jar, I rolled up two bars of Stardust clay and stretched it until it was a big rectangle. Then I used a polymer clay blade to make it straight edged so it would look neat and applied it to the jar.

Wash your hands thoroughly (although Stardust leaves behind less colour than black or blue) and use some light coloured waste clay to roll around your fingers and remove traces of clay).

I had one of each colour of the translucent clay and rolled out small flat pieces of each. Next I cut out a star, flexed star and flower in several different colours using Fimo Shape Cutters and some small stars in various colours. Finally I rolled tiny sausages and made myself a pile of tiny balls of clay in lots of colours.

The tricky bit is cutting matching shapes in the Fimo applied to the jar; press the cutters in firmly and wiggle them a little, then peel back the clay shapes. Use a tool to prize them out if needed.

Finally pop the translucent pieces into the holes and use a fine ended tool to make holes in and around them. Decorate those with the little ball, pressing them all firmly into place. With the bigger shapes, it is helpful to push the Stardust clay gently around them to make it all hold together with no gaps.

My jar just has a tealight in it. I think dropping a slightly taller potted white candle inside might defuse the light better and give a richer glow. It looks lovely though.

A quick note about stardust clay; it starts as an odd greenish colour and only goes black when baked. It is filled with mica bits so glitters but these bits can (apparently) be made to look different if you manipulate the clay so they end up all lying in one direction. However, it doesn’t have much to say for itself until you add varnish, at which point it develops a real beauty.