Magic Mandala Greenery

Magic Mandala Greenery

The creative way to relax!

Mandala colouring is relaxing, meditative, creative – and now decorative too. Not only is it fun, it stimulates creativity. Ready, steady, pick your favourite colours and get started!

Getting started!

But what can you do with the mandalas when you’ve finished colouring them in? Mandalas make perfect motifs for the FIMO image transfer technique. You can use them to create lovely deco items with. Whether drinks coasters, bottle tops or fridge magnets: the colourful motifs are ideal for all kinds of applications.

Step-by-step tutorial

1. You can use the Mandala Creator to make your own unique mandala motifs. Our homepage explains how to get started with your design and provides lots of examples too:

Create your your unique Mandala here!

If you want to make small objects with a diameter of less than 5 cm, e.g. fridge magnets, we advise you to select no more than 3-4 layers for your motif. For larger objects, you can choose a maximum of 6 layers. When you’ve finished designing your mandalas, you should save and download them and then print them out. The type of printer you use is not relevant here. Slightly heavier, smooth copy paper, e.g. 100g/m2, is particularly suitable for colouring applications.

2. Colour your Mandala Creator motifs in however you like using the coloured pencils. You can choose shades that span the entire colour range or limit your choice to warm or cold tones – all depending on the planned usage and your taste. Alternating between light and dark colours will give you a motif with strong contrasts. You should go over the light contours of the template with a dark coloured pencil.

3. Scan in the motif once you’ve coloured it in and then reduce its size as required.

Example for the coasters: The shaped cutter has a diameter of 9 cm. We therefore recommend you reduce the size of the motif to 8.5 cm.
Example for the magnets: The shaped cutter has a diameter of 3.5 cm. We therefore recommend you reduce the size of the motif to 3.2 cm.

Using a suitable programme (e.g. Word, Illustrator), copy your motifs in the size required as often as you like into an empty A4 document. Print it out onto 80g/m2 copy paper using a laser printer.

NB: Do not use an inkjet printer because inkjet printouts are not suitable for this technique. Cut the motifs out so that they are the same size as the shaped cutter.

4. For one large and three small discs of FIMO, take one block of FIMO soft in white and one block in a colour to match the mandala (we’ve used tropical green here) and roll each one out to a sheet using the clay machine on setting 1.

Tip: Clean the clay machine rollers thoroughly with a piece of kitchen roll or a wet wipe before you change to a different colour.

5. Place one sheet on top of the other and then put a sheet of tracing paper or baking paper on the top. Roll over again with the acrylic roller to ensure that the surface is smooth.

6. For the drinks coaster, you need to cut a disc out of the sheet of FIMO using the large shaped cutter.

7. For the magnets, cut discs with a diameter of 3.5 cm out of the tropical green coloured sheet of FIMO. Then cut a smaller hole for the magnet out of the middle of each of these tropical green discs. Next, place each green disc onto a sheet of white FIMO. Then cut out together using the larger shaped cutter again.

8. Place your cut-out mandala motif in the middle on the white side of the disc of FIMO. Smooth over with your finger to make the paper stick and make sure there are no air bubbles.

9. After approx. 15 minutes, you can carefully peel the paper off. The motif has been transferred onto the FIMO. Repeat the procedure for the other discs. Now harden all of the discs in the oven for 30 minutes at 110°C.

Tip: You should use the laser copies within 2-3 days of printing them out. This will ensure maximum colour intensity when the toner is transferred onto the FIMO.

10. Once cool, smooth over the edges with the sanding sponge.

NB: Do not sand over the top surface.

11. Remove any sanding dust with a cloth and then seal with gloss varnish. This will add vibrancy to the colours and protect your favourite new item from wear.

Material overview

What you need

FIMO soft 8020-0 Oven-bake modelling clay – Single product white
FIMO soft 8020-50 Oven-bake modelling clay – Single product apple green
FIMO 8703 Gloss varnish – Blistercard containing 1 bottle of water-based gloss varnish, 10 ml and brush in cap
Acrylic Roller
FIMO 8700 08 Grind’n polish set – Blistercard Grind´n polish set, 3 different grades of sanding sponges (fine, superfine, microfine)
FIMO 8700 22 Oven thermometer – Blistercard containing 1 Oven thermometer

Additionally required:

Smooth work surface (glass or ceramic), scissors, paper, baking paper, shaped cutters in the diameters 9 cm, 3.5 cm and 1 cm, magnets Ø 1cm.
Technical equipment: Computer, scanner, laser printer (or have copies made in a copy shop)

Want to learn more about Fimo? Try here!!!