About the Recipe
Ingredients
4 Different Polymer or Oven Baked clay colors (I use those little Sculpey brand packs)
Little optional clay tools- buy the pack in the aisle next to the clay in Michael's, or use a soon, toothpick, cotton swab, among other household items
Oven... or if using air dry clay, this is not required
Acrylic paint or paint pens. This is to add details at the end, so not necessarily required!
Preparation
Alrighty! Coral Reefs! Some of you might know what a coral reef is, some may have no idea! WELL I’m so excited that I can introduce you to one of the most fascinating underwater ecosystems on our planet! Not only are coral reefs LIVING animals, but coral polyps coming together to make these unique structures are also used as a natural barrier between land and sea to protect land from erosion! Although they make up only 1% of our oceans, they house over 25% of our marine life. BUT much like the book was explaining, coral reefs are at risk of extinction. With rising water temperatures coral bleaching is at an all time high, and corals have a really interesting way of communicating their stress. Some corals under warm waters will produce fluorescent colors- this color is actually produced by the algae who has a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the coral! What is a symbiotic relationship you might ask? WELL it is in simple terms it is the way in which two organisms interact.
There are multiple types of corals! Before we build our clay reef, it’s probably smart to check out the components that make up a reef! You have the hard coral structures made up of Calcium and Limestone and the soft corals made up of what is called sclerites that allow them to sway in the water. The Reef itself is constructed by hard corals, but the soft corals are embedded in between. Fun fact about hard corals, they are grouped in polyps of 6 whereas soft corals stem in groups of 8. What you might find interesting as well- especially if you decide to dive down into the deep- is that the soft corals use toxins as a defense system whereas hard coral defenses are their structures themselves.
While I was doing the Manta Run in Raja Ampat, I was locked-in to the reef wall as the Mantas flew overhead, it was incredible. BUT it was also painful, and I found out why! Where we were situated, there was a very strong current that if you went too far it would pull you down very deep. That was the reason you had to be more than just a professional diver but a solid swimmer to do this plus you were tethered to a buddy. SO, my team got down, we hooked ourselves in, but the current was picking up and we would have to be very careful not to crash into the reef of the wall. On the wall, however, there were Fire ‘stinging hydroid’ Corals unavoidable and all over this wall. I had no idea corals could sting like a jellyfish. Mesmerized by the Mantas, I never noticed the burning sensation until 15 minutes into the dive. It just goes to show, all living things have their defenses.
As we hop into this craft, there are a few different corals you can look up to get inspiration for your forms: Brain corals, Carnation Corals, Shelf Corals, Leather Corals, Cherry Blossom Corals, Bubble Corals, Gorgonian Sea fans, Sea whips, and so many more! Go on google, and get some photos of the corals! I’ll attach some from Koh Tao, but this is YOUR reef, so have fun with it!
Steps:
On a scratch piece of paper sketch out your reef! This step is important because you’re going to want to get an idea of what shapes you’ll be creating!
Once sketched out, pick out your polymer clay colors and ensure they are squished and pliable and ready to rumble! (This might take lots of working with your hands before it’s ready- just make it squishable!)
Time to build your shapes! You have the clay, have your art, now use your tools to break off a few pieces and shape them into coral pieces. You can use toothpicks, scissors, whatever random household supplies you have lying around to create the grooves!
Time to assemble! Now that you have your pieces, we’re going to make a base to attached them all to BEFORE we bake in the oven. Roll out a small 3x4” slab. You don’t want to make it too think or else it won’t bake right. Use a fork or spoon to smush the bottom tips of your corals into the base so that everything is standing. I love to overlap things as overlapping gives depth, but it’s up to you!
Bake your clay in the oven following the directions on the clay packaging- it’ll vary depending on which type of clay you use.
Once baked, let cool then add your details! Grab some paint and add your finishing details!
Voila! Now you have your own coral reef!