Tutorial: Make a Clip-On Unicorn Horn

For this tutorial, you use two strands of clay and twist them around each other to create the horn effect. This method creates unicorn horns that have a somewhat more cartoonish look, which will work well for a lot of anime horns or shows like My Little Pony. You can actually use as many different colors as you want for this style of horn. You can twist them all together or braid them to get your desired effect.

Supplies you will need:

• Polymer clay in your desired color(s)
• Polymer clay varnish
• Optional: a hair clip or headpiece
• Optional: spirit gum

1. Create two cones of clay (or more if you want three colors). You can make each of the cones a separate color like I did, or you can use the same color for a monochrome horn. You can also make the cones different widths if you want to as long as they are the same length.
2. Twist the two cones around each other. Wrap the two strands of clay around each other all the way to the tip of the horn. (or you can braid three or more cones of clay)
3. Roll the horn. Gently roll the horn against the table to combine the colors a little and create ridges. The more you roll it, the flatter the ridges will become.
4. Attach the horn to a head piece or press the base against your forehead. For this horn, I attached it to a metal hair clip that I could clip onto the edge of my wig. I molded the horn around the clip and baked it attached. (see more information is the following section)
5. Bake the clay. Check the instructions for the brand of clay you are using. For Sculpey, bake your horns for 15 minutes for every ¼ thick they are at 275ºF (135ºC)
6. Apply varnish to the clay. Once the clay cools, finish the horn with a layer or two of varnish.

How to attach the horn to your head

You can get as creative as you want when deciding how to attach the unicorn horn to your forehead. However, it’s best to choose your method before you create your horn and bake your clay. This way you can mold the base of your horn so that it will fit exactly onto your headpiece (or directly onto your forehead)

Generally what you will do is cut the base of the horn at an angle. Then press that against your forehead or mold it around your head piece. If the head piece you’re using is metal, you can bake your horn directly onto it.

Using a hair clip

It is much easier to plan on attaching your unicorn horn with some type of hair clip or headdress than to try adhering it directly to your skin. You can either bake the clay horn directly onto the headpiece that you’re using, or you can glue it on after the clay has cooled. If you bake the clay directly onto your clip or headpiece, you can cover the edges of the headpiece and make it a little more invisible.

If you want to bake the corn directly onto your headpiece, the piece it’s being connected to must be metal. If you try to bake it onto something plastic, it will probably start to melt during the baking process.

I decided to use these hair clips that I found with a little base on one end. I could slide these under the edge of my wig on my forehead so you can hardly see the clip at all. But it probably wouldn’t work as well if you intend to use your real hair.

Some other ideas for creating a base or headpiece for your unicorn horn:

• Poke a hole toward the base of the horn (before baking), and then thread some clear string or elastic through the hole to hold it on your forehead.
• Glue the horn to a headband that you wear toward the front of your head.
• Use a decorative piece of forehead jewelry or forehead tiara to use as a base (something like this)