Tea Time Craft For Halloween- Witch Ladies and Girls Figurines

Social media is an amazing thing. You can learn so much from so many and find inspiration on line with the click of your finger, a little like Witch Craft actually...
Today I wanted to share with you some of these addictive little charity shop rescues that have been occupying my hands and delighting creative side. I follow a lady who goes by Jcath1 on Instagram, her photos are wonderful and she like me is not only a tea enthusiast but a witches tea enthusiast. She posted her photo of her handmade tea witch in August and I commented on how much I loved it and where she found it, I was thrilled when she said she made her own and that they are easy to make, she kindly told me how she made hers and I am sharing now how I make mine, each of us has a different method but we are both thrilled with our results.

After some easy trial and error I can make my little lovelies in minutes, the drying time takes longer but the results are instantaneous and contagious. I bet you can not make just one!

Here is what you need to make your own Upcycled Tea Time Witch Ladies
-a small ceramic statue of a lady or a girl, with or with out a hat on. I got mine at our local charity shops and paid between 50 cents and $3.00 for each of mine do not find the most expensive ones for a make over, just some that look like they need a second chance!
-Black Chalkboard Paint (I got mine at the dollar store)
-Crayola Air Dry Modeling Clay (You can use Polymer Clay as well if you like)
-Paint Brushes
-News Paper/or foil to cover your work space
-Optional tools for clay ( I used scissors on one hat to make it even)

Step 1- Take a look at your figure, does she have a hat you can build onto or does she need an entire hat?  If she has a hat like the one in this photo, work some clay between your fingers and simply build her a hat. As I built my hat up I twisted the clay to thin it out and create a textured hat.

This is what mine looked like when I finished shaping her hat.

This lovely lady did not have a hat so I built her one out of clay and using my fingers shaped the hat so that she could easily see, I love how this one turned out flaws and all!

Step 2- You are supposed to let them dry for a few days. I am admittedly however, the most impatient crafter on the planet and if I can not have it done in an hour well I lose interest so I will leave it up to you. If you are careful you can make this work too! Open your chalk paint and grab your paint brushes as it is time to start painting the ladies! I start with painting all the delicate areas first around the collars, hands and hair, now I don't have the worlds most steady hand so I make mistakes but it is all okay! Once you have outlined your figure fill in the dress using long and as steady as you can strokes.

Once you are done with the dress area, if you are very very brave you can start on the hat, I do the top first and then work my way down but it is up to you. You should let your clay dry for a few days other wise like me you will have touch up work later. The wonderful thing about chalk board paint is that it covers everything really evenly and well.

Step 3- Let them dry for real this time, and start shopping for more, then repeat! Shown above is my day two find of a tiny little lady whom I made over rather nicely I think!

But you do not have to stick to all black, you can just add a hat or you can do other colors.

As I make these little figures I have found they take on a character of their own, reminding me of friends so I kept this one yellow as it reminds me of my friend Sheryl from Booth Talks Books, Yellow is her favorite color. 

Here is "Sheryl" next to "Karen K"...I am actively looking for other figures to make over into my friends. The little girl one I did I call "Jilly" as she looks just like my friends daughter whom always happily attends my  annual witches tea!

If you are wondering what I do with them when they are done, well I use them in my pictures, admire them on my shelf and maybe just maybe I will make some as gifts.
I hope you have been inspired by and try your own hand at making these fun little witches.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a tea time craft today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com