Rainbows for Essential Workers Project
Make polymer clay rainbows to show support for Essential Workers
People all over the world have been posting rainbows on their windows to show community and positivity for Essential Workers during these times of staying at home. Though times are still uncertain, catching sight of a rainbow serves as a reminder that there will be an end to this dark time. Clay Art Center wants to show our support by showing that the clay community, too, can express joy and support for Essential Workers, through the medium we know best: Clay.
Zoey B Scheler, a former Clay Art Center Artist-in-Residence, teaches us in her instructional YouTube video and PDF how to make bright and cheerful polymer clay rainbow pendants that can be hung on the window, the doorway outside, the mailbox, or anywhere you think Essential Workers can see. You can loop these rainbow pendants with string and attach messages to them.
Rainbow pendants by Zoey B Scheler with string attached, 2020
Polymer clay is a great medium for this project because it is kid-friendly, easy to handle, bright and colored without needing to be glazed, and can be baked at home to harden. After being baked, it is mostly water-proof and will not melt in the rain or sun.
Rainbows are great on windows, but even better outside.
If you don’t have polymer clay, you can use air-dry clay. For air-dry clay, you would wait until it is dry, probably in several days, then paint it with acrylic paint, which develops a water-resistant layer after drying. If you plan on hanging the rainbow outside, I would recommend varnishing (using clear Shellac or a clear acrylic glazing spray for example) the final air-dry clay product to make it completely waterproof.
If you’d like more instructions and guidelines, visit our Rainbows for Essential Workers Project page.
Watch the video with Zoey below to get started!
Download the Instructional PDF by Zoey: Rainbow-Pendant-with-Sculpey-Step-by-Step
To participate:
Email photos of your polymer clay rainbows to Jessica at mail@clayartcenter.org
Tag us @Clayartcenter and @Zoeybscheler
Hashtag #ClayArtCenter to get featured on our social media!
You can see more of Zoey’s ceramic works in our online shop here and she is also teaching virtual classes with Clay Art Center.
