These faux-porcelain bird-branch napkin rings, place cards, and pins make a perfect handmade gift.
Tools and Materials
Small branch or twig
Small artificial flower
Small artificial birds
Sturdy scissors or pruners
Paintbrush
White acrylic paint
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
All-purpose sewing thread
Resin and white resin pigment
Gloves (optional)
Epoxy
Napkin rings, place card holders, or pin backs
Faux-Porcelain Bird-Branch How-To
1. Snip a piece of branch that is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. Clip buds and any excess foliage or stems from the artificial flower.
2. Paint branch and artificial flowers white.
3. With a hot-glue gun, glue the artificial flower and artificial bird onto the small branch.
4. Tie thread around the back of the flower or branch.
5. Mix resin (hardener and epoxy) and add the white pigment according to package instructions.
6. Dip the bird branch into the mixed resin (you can wear gloves for this step if you feel you need them).
7. Hang the bird branch by the white thread from a sturdy rod or branch to dry. Allow to dry, undisturbed, for about 12 hours.
8. The completed bird branch can be attached to napkin rings, place-card holders, or pins with hot glue or epoxy. Tip: For an extra-festive napkin ring, attach a ribbon with hot glue.
Resources
The resin used in this craft is Easy Cast Clear Casting Epoxy with Castin' Craft color pigment in white, and can be purchased at eti-usa.com. Branches can be found outside. Birds and fake flowers can be purchased at crafts stores. Martha used birds from B & J Florist Supply, 103 West 28th Street, New York, New York, 10001, 212-564-6086.
Faux-Porcelain Bird Branch
These faux-porcelain bird-branch napkin rings, place cards, and pins make a perfect handmade gift.
The Martha Stewart Show, April 2008
I think this is very neat, and just so pretty, Just think of all the direffent things you could make.
Littlelindy
These would make very pretty Christmas tree ornements... I will definently try!!!
I made roses from egg cartons and dipped panted and used for beautiful shabby chic Wind chimes. Very Pretty!
Hey girlgatsby, I found all of the resin and white resin pigment including many other colors opaque and translucent at Hobby Lobby. They had the mixing containers and all products were by Castin' Craft. Michaels had the resin mixture but I could only find the translucent pigments. Hope this helps.
I can't seem to buy anything from that site, it just refers me to other stores, what a shame.
My Mom saw this episode and recommended I look it up and I'm so glad! I can really use this idea for jewellery making and painting the natural pieces white to add to the porcelain look is genius!
Ha! Nevermind, I skipped over the resources at the end of this article. Thanks Martha!
Where can I find resin and white resin pigment? I tried my craft stores and art supplies stores, online, even Martha.com's shop. But no luck. I really want to try this project, but a little difficult when I have only half the supplies!
A picture would be very helpful--this segment was preempted by a presidential news conference in our area and it was precisely the segment I wanted to see! Picture? Heck, a video would be better--particularly useful when working with unusual products, such as the resin listed in this craft. Thanks
dharmagal - where are the popup ads? I'm not getting any on this site - and I always get a ton of netflix popups on other sites. ??
It would still be nice to have pictures up, regardless of if you watch the show. Imaginations can be wrong, and minds can misread things. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words (and even if you see the show, after a while, you'll forget what the finished product looked like.)
Pictures for the crafts, please!
The moderator is going to delete this comment- But these pop-up ads for Swiffer are driving me to the wall. Enough already. Two weeks of this. I have emailed and completed the on-line survey with my comments.
Here's a picture of a great big white branch with butterflies on it - a Babushka Baum, or Butterfly Tree (babushka is Russian for three things : grandmother, scarf, and butterfly!) You put a Babushka Baum up at midnight New Year's Eve, and leave it up for seven days - to celebrate Charme de Neige (Snowspell) - the new winter holiday that's pro-polar bear, anti-global warming, and centers on Sonya Chloe, a female Santa Claus (Snegoruchka, or Mother Frost in Russian). www.sonyachloe.info
IF you watch the show you would see how remarkably easy this project is. Should be able to do it without a picture. Use your imagination. Thank you for the great ideas I get from you Martha.
I agree, could you add a picture?
it certainly would be helpful to see a photo of the project !!??
Why oh why wouldn't that be put up for us?