How to Make Dollhouse Accessories Out of Polymer Clay

Doll house accessories can be expensive to buy. Using polymer clay to make them is a great way to save money, have fun and create a lucrative hobby. Polymer clay comes in dozens of colors that can be mixed, blended and painted. It's flexible and easy to mold, doesn't dry out, and stays pliable until it's baked in a standard home oven at low temperature. You don't need special tools. You can use anything from plastic knives to dental tools.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Polymer clay in desired colors (e.g., white and pink for cakes; orange for carrots; brown for potatoes)
• Craft knife
• Oven or toaster oven
• Smooth surface (e.g., tile; glass; marble)

Instructions

1. Condition the clay by rolling it in your hands and flattening it. Do this several times until it's warm. You'll need to warm all the clay you're working with. Different brands of clay have different textures and they can be mixed together. Sculpey III is one of the softest and easiest to condition. Fimo is very stiff and it takes a while to warm it.

2. You'll need a smooth surface to work on. The clay can stick to surfaces when you're working with it. Ceramic tiles, glass plates, or marble are good to use. Don't use wood surfaces because clay can discolor wood. It may not be safe for clay to come in contact with food preparation items.

3. There are many different tools you can use. Craft knives and razor blades are used for cutting clay. Dental tools are used for sculpting and details. Needles, toothpicks, wire and ceramic tools are used to make holes, lines and textures. A rolling pin, brayer and pasta machine flatten polymer clay into sheets for accessories. You can also paint your piece with acrylic paint.

4. Polymer clay can be baked in a standard home oven or a toaster oven. The temperature should never exceed 300 degrees Fahrenheit because it can give off dangerous fumes if it burns. Keep the temperature at 250 to 275 Fahrenheit for an hour or less. Place the clay piece on a baking dish so it doesn't stick, or on parchment paper. You can re-fire pieces and continue adding to the original piece.

5. Now that you know the basics of using polymer clay, the accessories that you can make are endless. You can make potatoes by using a 1/15" ball of softened brown clay, roll it into an oblong shape. Add eyes with a toothpick and bake. Make a carrot with a 1/15" of softened orange clay, roll to a point at one end. Use a craft knife to make lines around it and round the top, then bake. To make a cake, use softened white clay, roll it into a 3/4" ball, flatten it to 1/2" thick. Roll a thin log about 4" long from a small amount of pink clay. Fold it in half and twist. Place it around the top and the base of the cake and bake.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep dollhouse accessories proportioned by using a ruler. If you want to check if items are safe to bake into your clay piece, put them in the dish washer first. If they survive they should be fine.
• Don't use utensils for food if you use it for clay. Keep them separated. Don't eat polymer clay or burn it in the oven.

References

• clay minis 101