Looking to brighten up your room with some sunflowers that never wilt? This DIY sunflower project using soft air dry clay is perfect for beginners, and you don’t even need any fancy tools.
Before You Start
Materials & Where to Purchase
- Foam clay in various colours. I recommend buying this BOHS foam clay set
- Clay needle tool, or any thin rod (I used the back of a paintbrush)
- Glue
- BBQ skewer for stem
- A vase
Note: above are Amazon affiliate links
Tips for Working with Soft Air-Dry Clay
For tips and tricks on handling foam clay, check out this helpful article.
Additionally, I also sell simple foam clay kits. They come with all the material you need to make a beautiful figurine. I think you'd love it 💕
Color Mixing
For the sunflowers, you need yellow for the petals, brown for the center and dark green for the leaves. You may need to mix some colours to get yourdesired shade.
Here is how to mix some of the colors I used:
Instructions
1. Make the sunflower center
Roll a round disc of brown clay for the center of the sunflower.
Then take a small ball of aluminum foil, crumple it tightly, and gently press it onto the surface of the brown clay to create a textured, bumpy effect that looks like sunflower seeds.
2. Make the petals
Roll small pieces of yellow clay into teardrop shapes.
Flatten them gently and use a clay tool (or the back of a paintbrush) to make a soft dent in the middle of each petal.
3. Assemble the flower
Arrange the petals one by one around the brown center, pressing them at the base to secure.
4. Add green clay at the back (important for structure)
Once the flower is assembled, take some green clay and cover the back of the flower.
This creates a thicker base that will later allow you to insert the BBQ skewer stick securely once the clay is fully dry.
5. Make leaves
Shape small green leaves and set them aside to dry.
6. Let everything dry
Leave your flowers and leaves to air dry for about 2-3 days until hardened.
7. Insert the stem
Once dried, carefully insert a BBQ skewer stick (paint it green if you like) into the green clay base at the back of the flower. Glue the leaves on too.
Use glue if needed to help secure the stick firmly in place.
8. Display and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this tutorial, I encourage you to checkout our foam clay kits that come with everything you need to make a beautiful figurine :)