Cat Bobblehead

Melissa has been making dolls since she was a child. She particularly loves anything related to Halloween. In this project, she makes a delightful black cat bobblehead doll.

Materials:

wood block
flat wood piece
bamboo skewers
small wood spool
drill
wood glue
bell cup
self-hardening clay
wire
wire cutter
scissors
gesso
paint brushes
acrylic paint in a variety of colors
ribbon
epoxy glue
decoupage glue
fabric glue
pumpkin cupcake decoration
embossed pumpkin paper scrap
black cellophane fringe
ball point pen spring

1. To assemble the base: Drill a hole in the wooden base. Glue the dowel into the hole and set aside to dry (figure A).

2. Sculpt the body using premixed self-hardening clay (figure B). Slide clay pieces over wooden dowel onto base. Wire the arms and blend pieces together. Set aside to dry completely (two or three days).

3. Add two pieces of clay to bell cup to form cat's ears and blend into place (figure C). Set aside to dry half a day.

4. Prime the body, head and base with gesso and set aside to dry.

5. Paint clothing on the body, the face on the head, and the base. Set aside to dry.

6. Attach the head to the body.

7. Cut the dowel to the proper height, slide the spring onto the dowel (figure D), and glue at the neck with epoxy. Glue the top of the spring to the inside of the bell cup using epoxy. Set aside to dry for 24 hours. Optional: Spray with acrylic sealant while drying.

8. To embellish: Glue fringe around base. Glue Dresden paper silhouette on base front, glue object into hand, and add ribbon and buttons as desired.

Website: www.seasonsonstcroix.com