This easy project makes a miniature stone floor using paperclay and a Houseworks plastic flagstone tile sheet. Learn how to use Creative Paperclay in your dollhouse miniature projects and keep your plastic tile sheets as molds for reusing!
I love the Houseworks plastic flooring sheets for their designs but I don’t love the plastic part. Even with paint, they still look too new and “fake” to me. The simple solution: use them as molds for paperclay floors. The bonus is that you can use them over and over again!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 1 hour (not including drying time for paperclay)
Here’s How:
1. Place wax paper on your table and place the two basswood sticks far enough apart to fit the size of the floor you need. Make sure that your clay roller or rolling pin is long enough to rest on both sticks – this is what determines the thickness of the clay when you roll it out.
2. Take a hunk of the paperclay and place in between the two basswood sticks and slowly roll the paperclay out until the clay is the same depth as the basswood (3/32″) and is filling up the space needed for your floor. If you are using a wooden rolling pin, cover it in plastic wrap so it will not stick to the clay.
3. Once the clay is rolled out, take the Houseworks Plastic Flagstone Tile Sheet and gently press it into the top of the paperclay. (You can remove the strips of basswood on either side of the clay.) You CANNOT press paperclay into the plastic sheet, it will not come out of the mold in one piece.
4. When the sheet is pressed in over the entire clay surface, start at one corner and gently peel back the plastic sheet from the clay. You will see the pattern imprinted onto the clay.
5. If you need to trim your floor to size, use an x-acto knife or a plastic clay knife. If using the x-acto, be careful not to cut through the wax paper and damage the table surface underneath.
6. Using the stiff wire brush, beat texture into the clay. Do as little or as much as you prefer. If you do too much, you can always ball up the clay and start over again.
7. If you are putting the clay on top of a floor (inside a room or greenhouse), put tacky glue on the floor and then very carefully apply the clay to the floor.
8. Let clay dry overnight. You can lay down a piece of saran wrap and then put heavy books on top of the clay to keep it from warping. If cracks develop in the floor you can add more fresh clay and let that dry.
9. Once the clay is dry, you can paint it with acrylic paints. Paint the grout color first, then with a pad of soft fabric or a sponge, dry brush the tops of the stones to create the stone colors. Use several different shades to achieve the look you want.
10. After the paint has dried, seal the clay with a spray or liquid varnish. Use either matte or semi-gloss depending on your preference.
Your floor is finished!
Tips:
1. While the paperclay is wet, you can always ball it up and start over if you make a mistake.
2. You can dry the paperclay in your oven if you need it to dry faster. It has more of a tendency to warp and crack though.
3. Use green foam to create moss in the cracks.
4. You can use other types of plastic sheets for molds – just make sure the plastic is flexible enough to peel away from the paperclay so it will not stick.
5. You have to roll out the paperclay and press the plastic into it. You can’t press the paperclay into the mold and get it back out again.
What You Need:
Tacky Glue
Creative Paperclay
Houseworks Sheet of Flagstone Tile Flooring
2 Strips of Basswood 3/32” x ¼” x 24”
Wax paper
Acrylic floor
Wood or tile base if making a stand-alone floor
stiff wire brush
plastic clay roller or wood rolling pin or plastic pipe
Kim's Miniature Scene 