Polymer Clay Giraffe

Materials and Tools:

Premo! Sculpey polymer clay:
- two ounce brick of cadmium yellow #5572
- two ounce brick of raw sienna #5392
two black seed beads
straight pin
parchment paper or index card
paintbrush
baking dish or cookie sheet
round toothpick
oven thermometer
paring knife

Steps:

1. For the body, roll a one-inch ball of cadmium yellow clay into a cone. Press bottom against a flat surface and press a pin halfway into the top of the body.

2. For brown patches, roll 1/8-inch balls of raw sienna clay and flatten, pressing them randomly all over the giraffe's body.

3. Roll two 5/8-inch balls of cadmium yellow clay into tapered logs. Slightly flatten the narrower end of each log into a leg shape and randomly place brown patches all over each leg. Use the end of a paintbrush to make three impressions on the end of each leg then press a leg onto each side of the body.

4. Roll two 9/16-inch balls of cadmium yellow clay into tapered logs. Slightly flatten the narrower end of each log into arm shapes. Randomly place brown patches all over each arm and press one into each side of the body.

5. For the head, roll a 13/16-inch ball of cadmium yellow clay into a 1-1/8-inch long log and shape into a head. Press two black seed beads into the head for eyes, and use a toothpick to make two squint lines by each eye.

6. Roll two 1/4-inch balls of cadmium yellow clay into teardrop-shaped ears. Flatten slightly and press onto the head. Roll two 7/32-inch balls of raw sienna into teardrop-shaped antlers. Use the end of a paintbrush to make two holes in the top of the head between the ears and press an antler into each hole.

7. Use the end of a paintbrush to make two nostrils in the end of the head. For the mouth, use a knife to cut a smile into the head about 1/4-inch deep.

8. Randomly place brown patches all over the head and press the head onto the body.

9. Bake in a preheated 265-degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and remove the figure when cool.