Problem-Solving – Repairing Resin Figurines with Bread Dough

On By TimelessladyIn Problem-Solving

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I love Willow Tree Figurines . I have quite a few and display them on a living room shelf.

Willow Tree is a line of figurine sculptures created by artist “Susan Lordi in January 200. The Willow Tree line specializes in rustic faceless people and angels intended to represent feelings or life events. The figurines are made from hand-painted resin which is cast from Lordi’s hand-carved wooden sculptures.” ~ Wikipedia

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Because of their delicate nature, Willow Tree Figurines will lose a hand if dropped or knocked down. Because of my nature, I lay the loose hand aside, promising myself to glue it back on soon, and often lose the hand. I could buy craft store clay and fashion a hand, but why spend money when I have what I need at home.

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Aleene’s Glue and Bread Dough Technique is the perfect medium to sculpt and repair my broken Willow Tree figurines. This technique will also work on other resin pieces. Aleene’s directions recommend using white bread for the bread dough clay. For this project I used honey wheat bread since the Willow Tree is created from molds of hand-sculpted wood and is very textured in appearance.

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Break off the crusts from two pieces of bread.  Tear the bread into pieces and place in a zip top sandwich bag. Next add two tablespoons of Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue and mush all this up.

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At some point you will have to take the dough out of the bag and fnish kneading it. I recommend you take off rings at this point. Knead the dough until it is smooth and has pulled all bread dough residue from your hands. This is how I know it is ready to use.

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Sculpt/Form the dough into the shape you need. I glued it to the Willow Tree figurines at this point with an additional drop of glue.

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I also created an easy rose out of the bread dough. Add a few drops of acrylic paint to a small piece of dough and mash it in until the color is uniform.

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Form small pea shaped balls.

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Flatten the first pea, twirl into a cone shape.

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Continue flattening pea shapes, add these in layers until you form the rose. I usually clip off the bottom with scissors to help the finished rose lie flat.

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Let the repaired resin dry 24 – 48 hours. Paint with acrylic paints. Remember, you might not be able to find an exact color of fleshtone, add white or black to darken or lighten. Also, acrylic paint will be a shade or two darker when dry. I didn’t need to glaze in any way as the paint matched the matte appearance of the figurines.

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Here’s a great video on how to create roses out of bread dough.

26 thoughts on “Problem-Solving – Repairing Resin Figurines with Bread Dough”

  2. Mary Bigger

    Thank you! This will get my angel-in-the-drawer back out and in the light of day. She lost a foot and I never could get angel, foot and good intentions all in one place. Wish me luck.

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  3. You speak of repairing these items with bread dough…
    I must confess, that I have no experience with anything even remotely similar to this.
    My Q is, can this bread dough be used to make other things? or is there another medium that is easier to work with & more durable at the hands of a wee one?

    The birthday of a wee one in the family is coming soon, & I wanted to give her a “Special Gift”…preferably one that I made from scratch…I’m just not sure as to how to go about it, but with all the GOD given talents you possess, I thought for sure you could give me some ideas, or at least point me in the right direction. ; )

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    1. Hi James, I don’t know if the bread dough would be durable enough. It will hold up to just sit and look pretty, but I don’t think it would be strong enough to stand up to handling. Sculpey clay and Fimo hold up, but I find them very hard to work with…there is a clay called paper clay that I used to make magnets with my grandsons. We fashioned the clay into dolphins and cute little piggie faces. They are still holding up many years later. The clay is very light. It might be something to try in the place of the bread dough.

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      1. Thank you so much!! because her mom is “on the fence” about GOD & how wonderful it is to follow Jesus, I was thinking of something like a cross necklace, or maybe some veggie toys for her to play with & possibly learn about Jesus & Heaven that way….

        You have given me a direction in which to get started(You’re very good at doing that, Thank you) so I will get started ASAP.
        Thank you for your help, & GOD Bless you my friend. 8 0 )

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  4. Pingback: Quick Tip – Mossy Pots and Collections Spotlighted | MINDING MY P'S WITH Q

        1. No…I have my grumpy, grouchy, angry and bad moments too…but I love God and know he is forgiving…I think that is what brings peace. I’d never have peace on my own merit. Just like everyone, there are things in my past that will always make me sad about my behavior, but again…I look to God and have the promise of forgiveness and salvation. You know Susie, someday we will know each other in heaven. Won’t that be a grand day! 🙂

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  6. Sonia

    Hi, could you tell me if the willow tree ornaments can change colour over the years. I ask this as I have a collection ranging from 15 years to now & I have noticed that some of their faces look different.
    Thanks

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  7. Judi Tapp

    I have actual holes in a couple of my wise men who met their doom by a too-full stocking and pieces were shards. Will this technique works on that, too?
    I used to watch Eileen on her craft show all the time, have her Big Book of Crafts😉

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    1. Timelesslady

      I would give it a try. The first thing I would do would be to check out the texture of the resin. I used a coarse bread because the Willow Tree figurines I was repairing have the look of wood. If it is resin smoother in appearance I would use a fine white bread. Good luck and please let me know how it goes.

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  8. Gretchen Haupricht

    Can the bread dough technique be used to fill in gaps left after gluing an appendage back on? I have a broken Willow piece, and it looks like I’ll be able to glue the pieces back together, but it looks like there will be some small gaps.

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    1. Hi Dave, I would use something that was a quick grab glue. Maybe a small dot of something like Goop. If you don’t have that, and have other glues on hand, drop a bit on a surface, wait for it to begin to dry a bit, and then use it when it begins to feel tacky.

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Thanks so much for your comments. They fill my life with sunshine.