How to Make a Luau-Themed Wedding Cake Topper

Materials and Tools:

polymer clay
pasta maker
wax paper
wire
aluminum foil
petal dust
Sobo glue
gold paint
pre-painted and drilled base
oven

Steps:

1. Knead the clay and roll it through pasta maker several times. Note: Rolling clay between wax paper or plastic sheets keeps the clay clean.

2. Form the legs, feet and arms around wire. The wire runs through the legs, torsos and heads into the pre-drilled holes in the working base.

3. To make the torsos, roll pear shapes to attach the legs to, or make aluminum-foil cores and cover them with pre-rolled sheets of clay. Attach the legs to the torsos.

4. Roll a ball of clay for each head. Create faces using a chisel, your fingers or clay tools. Paint the cheeks with petal dust.

5. Bake on an insulated sheet pan or ceramic tile covered with foil in a 265-degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow to dry.

6. Paint the heads with Sobo glue. Roll clay for the hair, cut it with a circle cutter and add texture with tools. Place it on the heads.

7. To make the grass skirt, paint the contact spots with glue and press out the "grass" with a clay gun.

8. Using a leaf-cutter tool, form flowers and leaves for a flower lei for the bride and a leaf lei for the groom. Glue on.

9. To make the dog, create a pear-shaped torso, cut in a thigh and create four paws and a smaller pear shape for the head. Make a pink tongue, ears and a flower collar and glue on. Add a tag painted gold if desired.

10. Bake again at 265 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.