Original-looking Easter bunnies

It's easy to make father, mother and baby bunnies with air-drying, clay-like modelling clay. Each bunny has a big polystyrene egg hidden inside its body to keep it nicely in shape.

Instructions:

1 Roll out one block of FIMOair basic to an approx. 0.5 cm thick sheet using the acrylic roller. Wrap the sheet around the egg and press together at the top and bottom. Add more pieces of clay to any bare areas until the egg is completely covered. The individual pieces of clay  should meet at the join but not overlap.

Next, smooth over all the joins using your finger and a little water until the seams are no longer visible.

2 For the feet and tail respectively, roll small portions of FIMOair basic to a ball and then form to an oval shape. Stand the covered polystyrene egg up, push the feet and tail underneath, press the egg down onto them and smooth over the joins with your finger. Push a whole (large bunny) or half a wooden skewer into the cut-out FIMOair basic ear from the bottom end. Stick the ‚ear skewer' into the body. Smooth over the joins with your finger.

3 We now recommend your stand your bunny on a flat plate to allow you to turn the bunny back and forth as required as if it were on a turntable. With moist fingers, ‚stroke' all over the bunny in circular motions to make the surface nice and smooth. Use a sharp-pointed modelling stick to make indents for the horizontal waist band, the contours for the inside of the ears and trouser stripes. For a polka-dot pattern, use the small glass to make circular indents; for a heart design, use the shaped cutter.

Unfinished items and left-over bits of material can be stored in a sealed plastic bag or airtight
container, e.g. a plastic box or jar.

4 Allow the bunnies to dry thoroughly at room temperature. Should any cracks appear, fill them with fresh modelling clay, even out and allow to dry again. Then smooth over with a sanding sponge. Paint as required. Once the paint has dried, draw on the face using the Lumocolor permanent duo marker. Varnish to finish off and then stick on a flower or decorate with a bow.

Tip:
Alternatively, you can make bunnies out of FIMOair light. The long-eared cuties are then so lightweight they can be used to make a mobile and hung up in the window.

Photo and text: © creativetoday / C. Rueckel, Staedtler GmbH