Porcupine Pencil Holder

This little guy will happily hold your office supplies and look awesome doing it : )

Materials
Chopsticks (30)
Wood Glue
All purpose glue
Walnut wood stain
Brush to apply stain
Sandpaper
3 inches small gauge wire

Sculpey Clay
Color: White - Just under a half of the 1.75 pound package
Color: Chocolate - 3 ounces
Color: Hazelnut - 1 ounce
Color: Black - .25 ounce

Tools
Oven
Parchment paper
Cookie Sheet
Rolling pin (a wooden dowel works)
Saw
Wire cutter

Cut chopsticks in half, sand as needed, and apply dark brown stain according to manufacturer's directions.

Body

• Use the white clay to make the body and head shapes
• Roll out dark brown clay into about 1/4" sheets large enough to cover body and head
• Cover whole top of body with sheet of clay (cover head piece now as well)
• Smooth top
• Roll out 1/4" sheet of light brown clay - just needs to be large enough to cover 'belly'
• Cover bottom and blend dark and light brown along edges
• Ensure white clay is no longer visible

Feet

• Roll out 4 balls, about 1/2" in diameter
• Press down on each to flatten them slightly

Making the Head

• Start with head piece (now covered in dark brown clay)
• Take a .25 ounce of light brown clay, divide into three and roll out into flat circles
• Set 2 of the circles on what will be the face - they should be overlapping about 1/4" inch
• Wrap third circle around nose
• Smooth out all three circles
• Cut wire into 1/2" pieces (6)
• Using the black clay, roll out two 1/8" balls and one 1/2" oval
• Use a chopstick to make indentions where the eyes should go (I know this picture looks crazy violent)
• Place eye in each indention
• Place nose at end of snout
• Insert whiskers - 3 to a side
• Use a chopstick to make 1/2" hole in the back of the head (then remove chopstick)

One more step before baking.  You just need to make the holes for the quills.

• Push chopsticks into back about 1/2" deep - Leaving about 1/4" between each hole Note: Try to keep depth as consistent as possible
• Make a 1/2" hole in the front of the piece (this will meet up with the hole made in the head piece)

Heat oven to 275^oF

Bake clay 15 minutes for each 1/4" thickness.  Remove pieces as they reach their baking time.

• Feet - 30 minutes
• Head - 2 1/2 hours
• Body - 3 hours

A book and cup of coffee may be additional materials needed for this step...

In the home stretch...just a little assembly...

• Put a dab of glue on each foot and set body on top
• Cut a 1" long piece off a chopstick
• Apply glue to each end of the chopstick, insert one end in the back of the head and attach to body
• A couple drops of wood glue to each hole along the back should be enough to secure the quills
• Allow to dry overnight

Now place on your desk as a reminder that there are far more fun and important things to do than work in an office!