Supplies
Tools
- Cookie cutter (remember that the modeling clay will shrink by about a quarter of its size on drying)
- Rolling pin
- Paintbrush
Materials
- Modeling clay (or fimo or salt dough)
- Paint in ochre or light tan shade
- Cling film
- Pastel in a darker brown shade
- Brooch pin
Directions
Make the base of the gingerbread man
- Color the dough with the ochre paint to the desired shade.
- Roll out the dough thinly - to about 3 mm(0.01 inches).
- Cover with the cling film and smooth out. This will provide a nice rounded edge and remove any marks or fingerprints on the surface.
- Press out the shape firmly, using the cookie cutter.
- If you prefer a sharper edge to the brooch, remove the cling film first before cutting out the shape.
- Smooth the edges with a wet paintbrush.
- Shape the gingerbread man however you wish.
Color the gingerbread man
- Scratch the pastel to free a little powder.
- Using the paintbrush or your finger, add the powder around the edge of the gingerbread man, and gently blend inwards.
Decorate the gingerbread man
- Roll small white tubes of dough by hand.
- Arrange them on the ‘cookie’ to look like piped icing, as shown in the picture.
- Vary the colors and expressions as desired.
Put the gingerbread man brooch together
- Apply a line of glue to the back of the brooch (replace the glue with a drop of liquid polymer clay if your brooch is made from polymer clay).
- Place your brooch pin to suit, and cover with a small rectangle of dough to finish and secure.
Variations
To achieve a 'cracked' effect:
- While the dough is still wet, apply a coat of water-based varnish.
- Allow the varnish to dry.
- Before the dough is set, press lightly on the cookie with your finger, causing the varnish to crack.
- If you prefer, you can tint the varnish with water based paint (acrylic or gouache for example) so that the coating is a different color.
- Or enhance the natural finish of the dough with a patina- simply paint the brooch with diluted acrylic paint and wipe off immediately.
Tips
- If you don’t have a cookie cutter, make a stencil from thick card and cut through dough with a sharp blade.
- To get the effect of candy buttons, roll small balls of dough in sand previously tinted with acrylic paint.