How to Make a Primitive Rabbit Head With Clay

Roll clay in your hands to soften it before shaping your figure.

Forming small clay figurines is a useful skill for creating home decor, gifts, craft supplies and even school projects. Determining how you should turn a shapeless lump of clay into a recognizable image, like a rabbit, is challenging at first. The trick is to break the image down into simple parts that you assemble to create the final figurine. Primitive figures require less detail and precise shaping than true-to-life sculptures. As a result, composing a primitive rabbit’s head entails a few pieces of clay in basic shapes.

Things You'll Need

• 1 ounce block polymer clay
• Narrow, rounded clay tool
• Pointed clay tool or toothpick

Instructions

1. Pull a 1/2-ounce portion of clay off a 1-ounce block of polymer clay. Sandwich the clay between your palms. Roll the clay to warm and soften it.

2. Form the clay with your fingers into a tapered shape that resembles a strawberry. Make one end of the shape broad, about 1-inch wide. The shaped clay should be about 1 1/2-inches long. This is the rabbit head.

3. Pinch two blueberry-sized pieces of clay off the block. Roll each piece in your palms to soften and warm it.

4. Flatten one ball with your fingertips. Make a flat, long shape that resembles a corncob. Make the shape about 1-inch long. Repeat the process with the other blueberry-sized piece of clay. These are the ears.

5. Hold one ear in your non dominant hand. Place the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand on opposite sides at one end of the ear. Fold the sides together to make a short, 1/4-inch-long crease at one end of the ear. Repeat the process with the other ear.

6. Set the head on your work surface with the narrow end pointing toward you. Press the pinched end of one ear onto the wide end of the head. Position the ear off-center. Repeat the process with the other ear. Smooth the base of the ears into the head gently with your finger or a narrow, rounded clay tool.

7. Pinch two peppercorn-sized pieces of clay off the block. Roll them in your palms separately to make two tiny balls. These are the eyes.

8. Press the balls onto the top side of the head about 1/4-inch away from the base of the ears.

9. Draw a rounded triangle on the narrow end of the head with a pointed clay tool or a toothpick to create a nose. Draw shallow, parallel lines radiating out of each side of the nose to indicate whiskers.

10. Follow the clay manufacturer’s guidelines to bake or dry the clay.