I don't know about you, but I put a lot of time and thought into holiday gifts. It's part of the reason I start my shopping in late September/early October.
I'm especially picky when it comes to what to get the kiddos in my life. While I'm sure they'd all be just fine if I got them video games and gift cards like everyone else, I like to do something a little special when I can.
One of my dear friends has a daughter who is like a walking ball of happiness. This kid seriously brings cheer everywhere she goes, even now as a too-cool-for-school teenager. When I got to her on my Christmas list, I knew I wanted to go above and beyond.
The girl loves her Funko Pops. I was looking through some possible contenders, and there were so many. I wasn't familiar enough with what she had and what she was missing and didn't feel like harassing my friend with a thousand questions.
I was just about to give up when I saw the blank Funko Pops and got a brilliant idea. With a lot of research and the right materials, I was able to make her a custom Funko Pop that looked just like her, decked out in her Gryffindor best.
The holiday season is kind of tough when you're the one coordinating all gifting efforts. It's easy to give in to easy ideas, because some years, it feels like you're buying for everyone you've ever met. Although I spend a lot of the holiday season grumpy, there are some people I actually enjoy buying for.
Honestly? Most of those people are kids. I love keeping up with what the little ones (and not so little ones) in my life are interested in from year to year. My friend's daughter is one of those people.
It's easy to say you know a nice kid, but it isn't easy to say you know a kid who has been joyful through all stages of their life. Trust me when I say this girl is all of that and more.
One year, she became obsessed with Harry Potter. I was looking for gifts and thought to get her some Hogwarts-related Funko Pops. The only problem? There are so many pops, and it's hard to know what to get. I was struggling with that when I found the blank Funko Pops and got the idea to customize.
I'll be honest — I pulled the trigger on buying it before I knew entirely what I was getting myself into. I absolutely LOVE a project, especially during a stressful time of year when I have a million other less-entertaining things I should be taking care of. So I bought that Pop thinking, worst case, I could design something really cool on it with some paint markers.
I got to work on figuring out what else I'd need while I waited for the Pop to arrive. That entailed a lot of YouTube. Thankfully, I found the Team Super Awesome Art channel, which gave some seriously in-depth tutorials that saved my life through the process. Here's what I picked up for my own creation:
- 30-piece Pottery Tools Clay Sculpting Tool Set
- Sculpey Super Sculpturing Compound (1 lb. box, Beige)
- Rust-Oleum Spray Paint, 12-Ounce, Flat Light Gray Auto Primer
- DecoArt DS21-9, Americana DuraClear Varnishes, 8-Ounce, DuraClear Satin
Varnish (2 Pack)
Once the Funko Pop arrived, I was excited to get started. I decided I would make the Pop look like my friend's daughter at her Harry Potter-themed birthday party. She was rocking a robe, an adorable Gryffindor tie, and a wand.
While the accessories didn't seem too hard, I knew the hair would be a challenge. This child has a serious mane of long, gorgeous hair, and I wanted to do her tresses justice. Thankfully, Team Super Awesome Art had a video on how to do hair specifically.
Armed with all my knowledge (and YouTube videos on standby just in case), I started at it. I used the clay to sculpt hair, the robe, glasses, the tie, and a tiny wand. Then I went in with the pottery tools to add some finer details.
Despite it being the middle of the holiday season, this was oddly relaxing. Sometimes you forget how fun it is to just hang out and play with clay.
Those details were a serious challenge. Once I'd finished everything I wanted to add to it, I had the nerve-wracking experience of baking it. I was so afraid that if the Pop fell over in the oven, pieces would break off and the whole thing would be ruined.
When I got it out of the oven, I did find that some of the thinner pieces of clay did break off. With a tiny bit of sanding and a touch of hot glue, I was able to make it work.
Once it was all in one piece, the next big hurdle was decorating it just right. Before I could get to painting, I needed to prime the Pop. Since I was using acrylic paints, I knew the vinyl needed to be prepped or the paint wouldn't stick. When I sprayed it all down, it looked like a very gray but still cute little figure.
I found that popping the head off was the easiest way to get my decorating done, but I had to be careful with that long hair. I also had to tape off sections using painter's tape as I went from one color to the other to keep it looking right. It was a lot of detail and a lot of time, but once I finished the head, I was on a total creative high.
I needed that to get me through to the end! Painting the clothes was much easier than the face and those details, but I was still nervous that the finished product wouldn't look quite right. Even once all of that was done, I had to literally seal the deal.
I was thrilled when I was done, but I was so nervous to get it to the recipient in one piece. The payoff of her opening her gift and finding a Pop that looked just like her was truly priceless. I can't wait to do another one soon.
