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How to Make a Humerus Bone Out of Clay

More than 200 bones make up the human skeleton. Some of these bones are only fractions of an inch long while others are many times that size. The bones of the upper and lower limbs are some of the largest bones in the body. The bone of the upper arm is the humerus, and it runs from the shoulder joint to the elbow joint, where it articulates with the two bones of the lower arm. You can create a model of the humerus by applying clay over an aluminum-foil armature.

Things You'll Need

Clay
Rolling pin
Aluminum foil

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the approximate distance from your shoulder to your elbow if you want to make a life-size humerus. You can also make a smaller than life-size model.
- 2
  Knead clay to soften it.
- 3
  Form the clay into the shape of a ball by rolling it between your palms. Doing this will make it easier to roll out the clay uniformly.
- 4
  Place the clay on a flat, clean surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the clay into a sheet with a thickness of 1/4 inch.
- 5
  Take some aluminum foil and form it into a rod that is as long as you want the bone to be. Roll the aluminum foil tightly to a thickness of about 3/8 to 1/2 inch.
- 6
  Wrap the clay sheet around the aluminum foil, forming a cylindrical shape. You will probably find it easier to cut the sheet into smaller sections and wrap them sequentially around the foil. Smooth the clay so that all of the clay pieces are joined seamlessly and the surface is even.
- 7
  
  The proximal end of the humerus has a rounded shape.
  
  Form a piece of clay into a ball and push it onto one end of the clay rod and smooth over the seam line. Shape the clay so that it forms a rounded cap over that end that points slightly to the side instead of up. This is the proximal end of the humerus, or the end closest to the shoulder.
- 8
  
  The distal end of the humerus is more triangular in shape.
  
  Apply another piece of clay to the other end of the clay rod and smooth the seam lines. Form it so that is has the shape of a rounded triangle base. This is the distal, or elbow, end of the humerus.

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