Millefiori, the art of a `thousand flowers`

Millefiori, the art of a ‘thousand flowers‘
Millefiori, an age-old mosaic technique which still thrills us today, dates back to the antiquity and was rediscovered by Venetians in the 15th century for the art of glass making. The qualities and wide range of colours
offered by FIMO make it easy to create these enchanting flower patterns.
Flowers and leaves play the leading role in these beautiful creations. Unique patterns can be made with FIMO
modelling clay and used on objects made out of glass, wood and metal as well as on other surfaces. Although
the creation of the pattern canes themselves does require both time and effort, once theyíre done, objects can
be decorated slice by slice in no time at all. How you arrange the pattern depends of course on the shape of the
object to be decorated. On a picture frame, pattern pieces can be placed in a row along the sides to create an
attractive edging; on small vases and pretty necklaces, they look most effective on their own.
Get inspired and immerse yourself in the world of the FIMO millefiori technique. The many variations that can be
created is simply fascinating ñ from large flowers and stars to miniature versions of the same motifs.
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You will need the following STAEDTLER products:
• one block each of FIMO classic in the colours leaf
green (8000-57), white (8000-0), turquoise (8000-32)
and golden yellow (8000-15)
These colours are already included in the STAEDTLER FIMO ‚millefiori‘ Workshop Box along with lots of ideas and detailed instructions
• a pasta machine enables you to make uniformly even
sheets of FIMO
• other useful utensils available from STAEDTLER include the bead roller for the creation of same-sized
beads, the acrylic roller, FIMO blades and modelling
tools
FIMO gloss varnish can be used to add an attractive
sheen to the surface of finished objects
• we recommend the use of a transparent sleeve as a
work surface
Step 1
The grooves on the back of the blocks enable an exact
portioning. Using the acrylic roller or pasta machine,
roll out an approx. 3 mm thick sheet out of three
portions of green FIMO.
Mix half a strip of turquoise with three strips of
yellow. Knead them together until an apple-green
colour is created and then shape into a thick slab.
Step 2
Divide the slab into 4 pieces and place a thin layer of
the dark colour between each one. Then join them
together again and form into an oval shape.
Step 3
Cut the oval down the middle and press along the
outside edges to make the dark green lines slope. Place
both halves next to each other, making sure the ëveinsí
of the leaf are sloping in the same direction and add
another layer of the dark colour between the two pieces.
This creates the leaf pattern.
Join the two halves together again by pressing carefully
around the edge. Apply slightly more pressure towards
the tip to create a leaf shape.
Step 4
Another strip of the dark green colour is then wrapped
around the outside.
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Step 5
Form the leaf into a tip using your fingers and
continue shaping until the pattern is uniform.
Step 6
Here, you can see a smaller version which is created by
a continued pressing and shaping of the pattern cane.
When the cane is made thinner, the pattern looks
distorted at the ends.
The correct pattern can be seen when the ends are cut
off.
Step 7
The grooves on the back of the blocks enable an exact
portioning.
Using the acrylic roller or pasta machine, roll out an
approx. 3 mm thick sheet out of two portions of
yellow FIMO.
Shape three strips of white into a thick roll and do the
same with three strips of turquoise too.
Tip: Always begin with the lightest, most sensitive
colour.
Step 8
Press the rolls to make them a little flatter and use
the blade to cut them into quarters.
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Step 9
Wrap strips from the sheets of yellow FIMO around
the four blue pieces and arrange them in a row.
Place three of the white pieces in the spaces in
between.
Cut the remaining quarter of white FIMO in half and
use the two halves to finish off the ends.
Carefully press around the edge to join the pattern
together.
Apply more pressure at the bottom in the middle in
order to create a flower shape.
Step 10
Continue to press and shape the pattern until a
triangular shape with three equally sized sides is
created.
Step 11
You can see here how a small triangle is made out of
the large triangle.
The long cane is now cut into six pieces of equal
length. These are then put together to create a flower
pattern.
Step 12
Roll the honeycomb-shaped cane in the palms of your
hands until it is round.
Here you can see the pattern in a smaller version too
ñ this is created by a continued rolling of the cane.
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Step 13
In order to be able to arrange the pattern correctly, it
is important that all slices are equally thick.
The FIMO cutting blade serves as an ideal tool here.
Step 14
Arrange the different FIMO patterns on the glass
frame as required and then press on firmly.
Step 15
In order to ensure that the surface is even, the pattern
can be smoothed over again using the acrylic roller.
The finished objects are hardened in the oven for
around 30 minutes at 110 °C.
Once cool, a thin coat of FIMO gloss varnish can be
added.
We hope you have fun making, trying out and
creating new ideas.
more creative tips at www.staedtler.com