How to Make Polymer Clay Fruit

Polymer clay comes in a variety of colors that can be mixed.

Make polymer clay fruit for a new craft project or to improve your sculpting skills. One type of fruit you can create with polymer clay is a peach. Polymer clay is a vinyl, clay-like material that does not harden when exposed to the air. Craft a peach that appears perfectly ripe by giving it streaks of red. After you finish, harden it by baking it in a conventional oven at 275 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Yellow polymer clay
• Needle tool or knife
• Red pastel
• Fine paintbrush
• Brown polymer clay
• Green polymer clay

Instructions

Peach

1. Roll yellow polymer clay into a ball approximately 1-inch wide to craft the peach. Press a needle tool or the tip of a knife to poke a small indentation into the ball. Continue the indentation down the side of the ball to the bottom.

2. Form a small point at the bottom of the ball with your fingers. Let the polymer clay rest if it starts to become too sticky. When it is sticky, it means it is too warm to work with.

3. 

   Use a real peach as a reference.

   Squeeze the indentation you formed so it closes slightly. This gives your peach a realistic "cleavage" look. Crush some red chalk. Dip your fine paintbrush into the chalk and brush on red chalk around the peach. Leave the top and side area yellow for realism. Be sure the red look soft and blended in.

4. Roll a thin coil with brown polymer clay to form the stem. Break off a tiny piece and press it into the peach using the needle tool or the tip of the knife.

5. Form a teardrop leaf shape with the green polymer clay. Craft a leaf slightly larger than the stem. Press it flat with your fingers. Press it onto the center of the peach with the needle tool or the tip of your knife.

Tips & Warnings

• Form several peaches to place in a doll house fruit bowl. Use the razor blade to crush the red chalk. Work on a smooth tile and bake the polymer clay on the tile as well.

References

• Custom Dolls, Houses & Miniatures; Learn To Sculpt Miniature Peaches in 1:12 Scale with IGMA Fellow; Betsy Niederer
• The Art of Megan: Polymer Clay Citrus Cane Tutorial

Resources

• "The Incredible Clay Book"; Sherri Haab et al, 1994