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Magic Mandala – windmill

Magic Mandala – windmill
60 min Easy

Creative relaxation!
Colouring in mandalas is relaxing, meditative and creative – and now it’s decorative as well. It’s fun to do and lets you unleash your creativity. Get your colours ready and off you go! But what do you do with a mandala once it’s finished? Mandalas are the ideal design to transfer onto FIMO, conjuring up pretty and decorative items. Whether it’s as a windmill, a coaster, a bottle stopper or a magnet, you will find a whole host of uses for your designs.

Step-by-step tutorial

You can create your very own mandala design using the Mandala Creator. Find detailed instructions on how to get started, and lots of examples, at https://www.staedtler.com/en/mandala-creator/
Save your finished mandala, download it and print it out. You can use any type of printer. The best paper to use for colouring is smooth, heavy-duty paper, e.g. 100g/m².

Download drawing template

Colour in your Mandala Creator design with coloured pencils in your choice of colours. You can choose colours from right across the spectrum or select only warm or cool tones, depending on preference and what you’re going to do with your design.
Alternating light and dark colours will create a lovely contrasting effect.
Whatever you decide, make sure you go around the edges of the light areas of the template with a dark colour.

Once you have coloured in the design, scan it in and reduce to your desired size.
Windmill example: Template is 9 x 9 cm. Design is reduced to 63 % (see example on page 6).
Using the appropriate programme (e.g. Word, Illustrator or PowerPoint), position the design on a piece of A4 paper, repeating it across the paper. Print out the template you have created using a laser printer (ideally on 80g/m² paper).

Caution: This technique will not work with inkjet printers.

To make the windmill, roll out a 1/2 block of FIMO soft white and a 1/2 block of FIMO in a colour to match your mandala (in this example raspberry) into a 1.5 mm sheet using the clay machine on setting 2 or with the acrylic roller.
Lay one sheet on top of the other and roll them out together this time, using the clay machine on setting two. This will join the two sheets together.

Tip:
Clean clay machine rollers thoroughly with kitchen paper or a damp baby wipe before using with another colour.

Then lay a sheet of tracing paper or baking paper on top and carefully roll the white side smooth with the acrylic roller, so that no grooves or dents are visible on the surface.

Cut out the template you have reduced in size and lay it printed side down on the white FIMO sheet.
Smooth over it with your finger, making sure that the paper adheres to the FIMO and there are no ripples or air pockets.

After about 15 minutes, remove the paper carefully. The design will have been transferred to the FIMO.

Cut out the square template, place on the FIMO sheet and cut around the shape. Cut half way along the lines running towards the centre (do not cut all the way to the centre). Then use a thin bead piercing needle to prick 4 holes at the edge and one in the middle.

Fold the four corners into the middle and spear them with the bead piercing needle. Then create two small beads from FIMO and prick a hole in the middle of each one. Harden the windmill and the beads in the oven for 30 minutes at 110° C / 230° F. After they have cooled, varnish the surfaces with the mandala pattern to intensify the colours.

Create a hole at one end of the straw. Thread a bead, the windmill, another bead and the straw onto the eye pin. Bend the pin over at the back using the cylindrical rod. FINISHED!

Material overview

What you need

ProductArticle no.Quantity
FIMO® 8703 Gloss varnish - Blistercard containing 1 bottle of water-based gloss varnish, 10 ml and brush in cap 8703 01 BK 1
FIMO® 8700 05 Acrylic roller - Blistercard containing an Acrylic roller 8700 05 1
FIMO® 8700 04 Blades - Blistercard with mixed blade set, 3 pieces (1 rigid, 1 flexible and 1 serrated blade), 2 rubber grips 8700 04 1
FIMO® 8700 22 Oven thermometer - Blistercard containing 1 Oven thermometer 8700 22 1

Additionally required:

Smooth work surface (glass or ceramic), scissors, paper, baking paper, paper drinking straw, eye pin with a flattened end, cylindrical rod
Technology: Computer, scanner, laser printer (or get the copies made in a copy shop)

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