With the Festive Season around the corner, family fun is almost here. Pratley has the perfect product to get the entire family involved with making Festive Season decorations. Kraftex FrogzEggz® is a biodegradable, hand-mouldable plastic that is perfect for making everything from baubles to assorted ornaments.
The name ‘FrogzEggz®’ is derived from the granular and opaque plastic material that, after being heated in hot water, clumps together to form a transparent, pliable mass that resembles frogs’ eggs. It can then be shaped into a range of objects. The water is heated to above 60°C to make the plastic material malleable. It is ready for shaping or moulding in about a minute, as indicated by FrogzEggz® changing from opaque to transparent.
When removing FrogzEggz® from the hot water, it is advisable to use a steel spoon or similar instrument. Although still warm, its properties make it easy and comfortable to handle. After moulding the required shape, it is then simply placed directly in cold water for it to set and harden quickly. Powder pigments can even be added to FrogzEggz® to achieve different colours.
In addition, one can also use Pratley Glow-Powder, a new glow-in-the-dark pigment, for added variety and creativity. Powder-form pigments are simply sprinkled and mixed into FrogzEggz® while it’s still pliable until a uniform colour consistency is achieved. It can also be painted with acrylic or oil-based paints if desired.
An added advantage of FrogzEggz® is that it can be reused multiple times by re-submerging your design in hot water until it softens, allowing it to be remoulded. Separate components or elements can be stuck together by heating the surfaces and fusing them, or by using Pratley Powda Bond or Pratley Superglue adhesive.
Below is a handy step-by-step guide to making a figurine like Santa or Rudolph:
What you need
- A jar of Kraftex FrogzEggz® (200 g)
- Skewer/spoon
- Acrylic paint
Optional
- Pratley Superglue Gel®
- Craft wire
Step 1: Head
Heat the FrogzEggz® in hot water and roll a marble-sized ball. If you want to make a nose or snout, hand-mould the ball into a teardrop shape.
Take two small pieces of FrogzEggz®, roll these into small orbs for eyes, and place them flush onto the head so that they can stick. Alternatively, let the eyes harden separately, and thereafter stick them on using Pratley Superglue Gel®. Adhere the eyes to the head only once they have cooled down completely, so they retain their shape while being pressed down.
Step 2: Body
Take a ball of FrogzEggz® that’s about the same size as the head and form it into a cylinder or pyramid shape. Be sure to press the shape gently on a flat surface to check that your figurine can stand.
Ensure the head can rest on the middle of the cylinder and won’t topple forward once cooled. Once you are happy with the shape, and the head can rest firmly on the body, fuse or bond the head and body together.
Create limbs proportional to the body. Attach the limbs by making small worm-like forms and fuse or bond them to the body. Use a skewer or spoon to press the pieces together in small areas if need be.
Step 3: Detail
Adding little details to your figurines can elevate your Festive Season figurines. To reinforce the structure, it is highly recommended to use thin wire to keep the shape and symmetry. Bear in mind that much detail can be added using acrylic paint, including Santa’s beard and Rudolf’s nose.
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