Let's make . . . VAMPIRE FANGS!
One of the most common questions I get asked is how to make reborn vampire teeth or fangs. Since I am a very slow at typing, I thought it would be both faster and easier to put all the info in one tidy place. So here it is: my reborn vampire fang tutorial! Once you get the hang of making vampire fangs, I think you'll find it quick & easy - and may even be tempted to vamp out all your babies! Until then, don't forget to have fun!
Here is what you will need:
Translucent Sculpey polymer clay
White Sculpey polymer clay
Gel super glue - you can use any super glue, but you might regret it . . . (and doesn't that sound ominous?)
Tooth picks
Gloss or satin varnish and brush
An oven & oven thermometer
Helpful but not essential:
Exacto knife with a new blade and/or
Mini file
Let's begin, shall we?
Translucent Sculpey polymer clay
White Sculpey polymer clay
Gel super glue - you can use any super glue, but you might regret it . . . (and doesn't that sound ominous?)
Tooth picks
Gloss or satin varnish and brush
An oven & oven thermometer
Helpful but not essential:
Exacto knife with a new blade and/or
Mini file
Let's begin, shall we?
Cut a 1/4 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch slice from a block of translucent Sculpey. This measurement does not have to be perfect, just keep it in that range.
Cut a 1/16 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch slice from a block of white Sculpey. Now cut that slice in half and put aside the rest for another day.
Blend the translucent Sculpey & white Sculpey together completely.
Cut a 1/16 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch slice from a block of white Sculpey. Now cut that slice in half and put aside the rest for another day.
Blend the translucent Sculpey & white Sculpey together completely.
For closed-mouthed babies:
From your blended Sculpey, pinch off a piece slightly larger than the tooth size you want and roll that into a tiny ball. Place this ball where you think you want the tooth to be, pinching it into a triangular shape. Repeat.
Now that you have these fang things in place, I'm sure they look very silly. Time to shape!
Using a toothpick or bamboo skewer, remove a layer of Sculpey from the face of the fang, pulling the toothpick from the tip of the fang toward the top lip as if you are making a cross-section of the tooth. Discard excess.
From your blended Sculpey, pinch off a piece slightly larger than the tooth size you want and roll that into a tiny ball. Place this ball where you think you want the tooth to be, pinching it into a triangular shape. Repeat.
Now that you have these fang things in place, I'm sure they look very silly. Time to shape!
Using a toothpick or bamboo skewer, remove a layer of Sculpey from the face of the fang, pulling the toothpick from the tip of the fang toward the top lip as if you are making a cross-section of the tooth. Discard excess.
Now trim both sides of the fang with the same toothpick by pressing down firmly into the clay toward the lip. I like to do this in multiple steps, working slowly and carefully, taking off a bit here and a bit there until I'm happy with the basic size and shape of the fang.
At this point, use your toothpick to manipulate the remaining clay into a shape that you find pleasing (I personally prefer a smaller fang with a bit of a curve, but you may like a more triangular shape, and that's OK).
At this point, use your toothpick to manipulate the remaining clay into a shape that you find pleasing (I personally prefer a smaller fang with a bit of a curve, but you may like a more triangular shape, and that's OK).
Time to bake!
If you have already rooted your little creep's hair, wet it down and pop a hat on his or her head to maintain & protect all that long, hard, tedious work. If you've got a baldy on your hands, have at it, no holds barred!
Preheat your oven to 265 degrees f. Place the head in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the head and cool slightly.
Now at this point, you may be patting yourself on the back for a job well done and glorying in how much you rock. WRONG! You do totally rock, but you're not quite done yet.
Crank your oven temp up to 275 degrees f. Carefully remove your little fangs with a toothpick or skewer and put them in an oven-safe vessel. Really, do be careful or the little suckers might go flying and you'll be heading back up to step 1 - because if there is one thing that is guaranteed in this process, it is this: if you drop a fang anywhere, it might as well have been into a black hole, and you will never, ever find it again.
Now that I've got that off my chest, the oven is probably ready! Bake your little fangs again for 10 minutes and cool completely.
Please note: Fangs that are only baked on the vinyl have a distressing tendency to crumble and fall off at a later date. It is an unfortunate fact that the temperature and time required to cure polymer clay is not compatible with vinyl, nor will your polymer cure in the normal amount of time under these conditions. The first bake forms a bit of a crust so that you don't lose your fang shape, but it's the second bake that actually cures the clay.
If you have already rooted your little creep's hair, wet it down and pop a hat on his or her head to maintain & protect all that long, hard, tedious work. If you've got a baldy on your hands, have at it, no holds barred!
Preheat your oven to 265 degrees f. Place the head in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the head and cool slightly.
Now at this point, you may be patting yourself on the back for a job well done and glorying in how much you rock. WRONG! You do totally rock, but you're not quite done yet.
Crank your oven temp up to 275 degrees f. Carefully remove your little fangs with a toothpick or skewer and put them in an oven-safe vessel. Really, do be careful or the little suckers might go flying and you'll be heading back up to step 1 - because if there is one thing that is guaranteed in this process, it is this: if you drop a fang anywhere, it might as well have been into a black hole, and you will never, ever find it again.
Now that I've got that off my chest, the oven is probably ready! Bake your little fangs again for 10 minutes and cool completely.
Please note: Fangs that are only baked on the vinyl have a distressing tendency to crumble and fall off at a later date. It is an unfortunate fact that the temperature and time required to cure polymer clay is not compatible with vinyl, nor will your polymer cure in the normal amount of time under these conditions. The first bake forms a bit of a crust so that you don't lose your fang shape, but it's the second bake that actually cures the clay.
You're in the home stretch!
Once your fangs have cooled, you are ready to attach them with gel super glue (hopefully you have already cleaned any Sculpey crust off the lips in preparation - if not, do that now). Dip the tip of a toothpick in the glue and use the tiniest drop in the spot where you would like the fang to be located. I find it easiest to place the fang where I want it, slide it slightly to the side with the clean end of the toothpick, place my drop of glue, then slide the fang back in place (again with the clean end of the toothpick). Press firmly for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other fang.
Please note: if you use too much glue it will spill out from beneath the fang. If this happens to you, restrain yourself! Do not under any circumstances panic and try to wipe it off! You will be very sad. Instead, quickly pick off as much as you can with a toothpick - being careful not to smear - then let the glue dry completely and pick off the remainder with a pointed skewer (this only works with gel super glue; with regular super glue, let dry completely before attempting to remove the overflow. You may need to touch up the lips afterward - See? Super ominous!) If at all possible, don't use too much glue - it's much easier and you won't feel like crying.
Also note, if your little fang has become a bit distorted in the baking process - as does occasionally happen - you can carefully reshape it by shaving the offending area with a sharp Exacto knife. I do not recommend this unless you have a steady hand, but if you do, it can be quite effective. Do not attempt this until your glue has fully dried and cured (see above re: losing fangs). If you are scared to try this, a mini file will work - though it takes longer, is less accurate and may scuff the surrounding paint if care is not taken.
Once your super glue has dried, coat the fangs with varnish and let dry completely.
Once your fangs have cooled, you are ready to attach them with gel super glue (hopefully you have already cleaned any Sculpey crust off the lips in preparation - if not, do that now). Dip the tip of a toothpick in the glue and use the tiniest drop in the spot where you would like the fang to be located. I find it easiest to place the fang where I want it, slide it slightly to the side with the clean end of the toothpick, place my drop of glue, then slide the fang back in place (again with the clean end of the toothpick). Press firmly for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other fang.
Please note: if you use too much glue it will spill out from beneath the fang. If this happens to you, restrain yourself! Do not under any circumstances panic and try to wipe it off! You will be very sad. Instead, quickly pick off as much as you can with a toothpick - being careful not to smear - then let the glue dry completely and pick off the remainder with a pointed skewer (this only works with gel super glue; with regular super glue, let dry completely before attempting to remove the overflow. You may need to touch up the lips afterward - See? Super ominous!) If at all possible, don't use too much glue - it's much easier and you won't feel like crying.
Also note, if your little fang has become a bit distorted in the baking process - as does occasionally happen - you can carefully reshape it by shaving the offending area with a sharp Exacto knife. I do not recommend this unless you have a steady hand, but if you do, it can be quite effective. Do not attempt this until your glue has fully dried and cured (see above re: losing fangs). If you are scared to try this, a mini file will work - though it takes longer, is less accurate and may scuff the surrounding paint if care is not taken.
Once your super glue has dried, coat the fangs with varnish and let dry completely.
Voila! Vampire fangs! Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. Stay tuned for my next installment . . . vampire fangs for open-mouthed babies!
This reborn vampire fang tutorial (and all its contents - including text and photographs) is the intellectual property of Emily Cooke of The Deadly Nightshade Nursery. Please do not copy, sell or distribute this tutorial without my express written permission.