Supplies:

• 2 oz’s of either Gold, Silver or Copper Fimo Soft
• 4oz bottle of Fimo Liquid Heat Set Polymer
• 4 colour photocopies of your family’s photos (ensure toner is topped up)
• drinking straw
• pasta roller (for use only with Fimo) or a wine bottle (to flatten clay)
• baby powder
• plastic placemat
• 20-gauge wire to co-ordinate with Fimo Soft colour
• thick paper
• X-acto knife
• round pencil
• wire cutters
• scissors

Construction

Always start with clean hands and a protected clean work surface. A pasta roller works well for this project and ensures that all surfaces are the same depth all the way through, but the same thing can be achieved by using a rolling pin (Fimo use only) or a wine bottle.

1. Condition your choice of metallic Fimo Soft by kneading it in your hands for a few minutes until it is soft enough to roll out.
   
2. Feed the clay through your pasta roller at the thickest setting. (or roll out to a thickness of about 2.5 mm.) It is easiest to roll out one package of clay at a time.
   
3. Choose the frame design of your choice, trace it onto a piece of thick paper and cut it out.
   
4. Place the flattened Fimo onto a work surface that has had a fine dusting of baby powder. (The powder works as a release agent and makes it easier to re position the clay after the design has been transferred onto it.)
   
5. Place the frame template onto the flattened clay and cut around the template. Don’t forget to cut the frame window out too.
   
6. Remove access clay and dust off any baby powder before re-flattening.
   
7. Place the photocopy of the photo you have chosen onto your baking surface good side up, and place the unbaked Fimo frame on top of it. The photo should be centered and lined up the way you want the finished piece to appear, and the frame should be as square as possible.
   
8. Flood the area inside the frame with Liquid Polymer completely coating the photocopy. The liquid polymer should not be any deeper than the frame.
   
9. Use a drinking straw to make the small holes on the edge of the piece that you will use later to connect the pieces.
   
10. Repeat three more times with different images. You will have four sides in all.
    
11. Using the bottom template cut out the bottom of the piece using the same process as for the frame.
    
12. Make four balls of Fimo the size of small marbles and push onto the bottom piece to act as legs. Don’t forget to cut the connecting holes on the bottom piece using the drinking straw.
    
13. Bake all pieces in accordance with manufacturer’s directions.
    
14. While the piece is still warm, carefully remove the paper photocopy from the back of each piece.
    
15. Allow all pieces to cool to room temperature.
    
16. Make about three-dozen jump rings by coiling the 20-gauge wire around a pencil. When you have enough loops cut through each with the wire cutters to create little rings.
    
17. Use the rings to attach all of the pieces together starting with the sides and then connecting them to the bottom. Your votive holder is now ready to receive its candle.

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This free project, 'Family Photo Candle Votives', was designed by Kellie Mowat from MacPherson Arts & Crafts. In September, this project was "Sue Wardens" feature of the month!