Mixed Media Strawberry Ornament

My funny strawberry has a face made of clay that must be hardened in the oven before gluing to the masked newsprint shapes.

       The Victorian's loved to sculpt faces on fruits and other inanimate objects. You may have seen something like this idea when viewing blown glass ornaments of fruits and candles? I love the humor of this sweet nostalgic idea. Here you can try sculpting your own versions similar to mine shown above and described below.

Supply List:

The first coat of paint is green because it is the compliment
to red on the color wheel. The stems will remain green and
so will the petals.

• newsprint
• masking tape
• paper mache pulp
• acrylic paints: green, yellow, red, white and black
• glitter in green and red
• acrylic sealer
• wire for hook
• cotton balls
• face mold
• wood glue
• Sculpey clay 
• paint brush

  Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Wad newsprint into a strawberry shape and then wrap it with masking tape.
2. Push a bit of Sculpey clay into a small, face mold. Many hobby stores sell these near the oven dry clays, paper clays, craft molds etc... Remove the clay impression and bake it on a glass dish in the oven for ten minutes according to the package instructions. 
3. After the clay face has cooled. Glue it onto the waded strawberry shape. To make sure it dries properly wait for the mask and glue to harden onto the newsprint form overnight.
4. Tape down a long wire hook just above the face mold where ever you wish the strawberry stem to be located.
5. Prepare the paper mache pulp. Read instructions on the package carefully. Smooth the mixed pulp over the remaining surface of the strawberry. Be sure to cover the connection between the taped wire stem and the top of the strawberry head generously with the pulp. Let the paper pulp dry in a warm part of your home or in the sunshine outside.
6. Use a bit of unrolled cotton ball and white glue to shape the stem and tiny petals around the base of the stem. Let this cotton stem harden before painting the strawberry heads.
7. Now cover the strawberries with a fast drying acrylic green paint. Because the first coat is green, which is the compliment of red on the color wheel, the strawberries will appear more dimensional after painting.
8. Now use a small paint brush to dab around the stem and petals where you want the red, fruit flesh to begin.
9. Add a bit of white to the red and layer another coat of red wash onto the berry, covering the clay parts entirely as well.
10. Apply some green and red glitter.
11. Don't forget to paint the black seeds on your strawberry head before using an acrylic sealer to finish off the ornament.

Here are my strawberries prior to painting. The stems and petals are made of molded cotton batting, while the flesh of the strawberries is made of paper pulp and Sculpey clay.

More strawberries for the Christmas tree:

• Dressing Up Millinery Fruits for The Christmas Tree
• A walnut strawberry from www.arteducationdaily.blogspot.com
• Find Victorian fruit die cuts to print and integrate into fruity scrap ornaments