MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Supplies: • Roofing galvanized tin • Tin snips or old heavy duty scissors • A drill • Marker • Tape measure • Apoxie Sculpt ( grey) • Disposable gloves • Silicone pad - Aves makes a great one • Silver leaf • Baby wipes • Small piece of 18 gauge silver toned wire • Rhinestone brooches with pins snipped off, cabochons, Swarovski flat backs, and anything bridal like a touch of blue. • Wire cutters, X-ACTO knife, old paint brush, packing tape Skill level: Advanced Time: Two hours plus curing time

Measure your head not straight across like you would wear a baseball but at an angle or the crown of your head.

Draw the shape on a piece of paper that you want your crown to be. Keep it simple for your first try. Cut out your paper crown and try it on by just taping it together or holding it on your head. ADD an inch to each end so you have room for overlap.

Make sure it is not too small!

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Use the paper pattern and trace it on to the tin with a marker. Using old scissors or tin snips, cut the shape making sure to remove any sharp edges or burrs which do happen. To hold the metal closed, I create almost a staple using 18 gauge wire. If you only have thinner wire do this step twice to double the strength.

Create two matching holes on each end of the crown. Trim off any edges that could scratch. Double check that this crown will now fit.

I used a small drill bit but almost any size hole will work.

Draw the holes in the places you will drill making them as evenly spaced as possible.

Flatten out any burrs on the drilled holes with pliers so they don’t scratch you while you work.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Using a small piece of wire, create a “staple” to hold the back of the crown together. Create ‘knots” on the outside of the crown by just twisting the wire.

Trim so it isn’t long.

Make sure the wire is snug and flat on the inside of the crown.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

I use this packing tape for many projects in my studio. By adding a small piece to cover the knots and making sure the metal is smooth and flat on the back will insure your crown is perfect.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Getting ready for the Apoxie Sculpt:

Gather all of the supplies protecting your area, work in a well ventilated area and wear gloves. These scoops from Aves Studios are perfect. I used about 2 scoops of each for this crown.

Make sure you wipe them clean with baby wipes after you are finished using them.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Mix the equal parts A and B Apoxie Sculpt making sure that you blend it well - no streaks or lines. You can mix up a batch about the size of a golf . If you need more, just make more.

It’s easiest to blend by rubbing it together with your hands into snakes, folding it back into itself and snaking it over and over until it is blended.

IT MUST BE WELL BLENDED TO WORK!

Coil the clay into a fat snake and place it on the crown. Flatten it as you go, section by section so it is even and covers the front of the crown.

As you get a section filled in, rock it and smush it flat using the silicon pad and your hand. This is smooth it out and make it approximately the same thickness all over the crown.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Smooth all of the clay until it is even. Now you are ready to start adding the decorations.

You can’t stop at this point as once the Apoxie Sculpt is cured you can’t add anything to it so from this point forward enjoy the creative making.

You can remove your gloves now as the chemicals in the Apoxie Sculpt are all mixed together. But you will wash your hands afterwards and make sure everything is cleaned at the end.

Make sure that you push your cabochons and decorations into the clay so it will be hold them firm.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

This is the crown before the silver leaf.

Pearls photograph best for as sparkle is hard to capture. A good mix of pearls and sparkle all of the way around will make sure it is pretty and balanced at all angles.

You don’t want the Apoxie Sculpt too thick as it will be heavy. Just add enough to hold the bling to the crown.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Clean off any clay on the back side of the crown with an X- ACTO knife or other blade.

Wipe the back of the crown to clean it off with baby wipes. Really make sure at this point it really clean. Once the Apoxie Sculpt is cured it will be really hard to remove.

Don’t wipe the clay or else it will lose some of its adhesive qualities by adding an invisible layer of water.

Make sure everything is as tidy as possible.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Start putting silver leaf on the crown. Pull or cut half sheets of the leaf and work it into the clay with your fingers. The Apoxie Scuplt will be sticky and the leaf will adhere easily. Add silver to all of the clay. Patch in more leaf where needed.

You will see cracks in the leaf so you see tiny areas of the clay. The less you push on the silver leaf, the less cracks will form. Go slowly. You can use a brush to push the leaf into small areas.

Once done, use baby wipes to gently clean the silver off the decorations. Don’t be too aggressive.

If you see a few areas that need luster you can add silver or pearl macro powders which the Apoxie Sculpt easily takes.

The final clean of any silver flakes will happen once the clay is totally cured.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Your head really is more of an oval not a circle. Use something to help the crown stay in an oval shape while it dries. The tubs of Apoxie Sculpt is perfect.

Let the crown rest for 24 hours.

Using an old paint brush, wipe off any silver crumbs.

Make sure that you clean your silicon pad and any stray bits off with baby wipes or washing it with a little soap and water.

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com MAKING A CROWN WITH APOXIE SCULPT

The finished crown is now ready for you wear and enjoy!

I would add a layer of UC resin to the silver parts and let it cure in the sun or use clear finger nail polish to add a layer of protection for longevity especially around the areas that would get worn, just to keep it perfect.

Gay Isber

Gay Isber Bridal Crown Apoxie Sculpt gayisber.com