8 Animal Crossing Character Faces From Polymer Clay

Recently I found several mini polymer clay tart bases I had made several years ago. With the barrage of Animal Crossing I have been getting from my friends and the Monterey Bay Aquarium live streams (...ok, while I don't have New Horizons, I've been playing Animal Crossing Wild World and am still looking for the elusive coelacanth after 15 years), I had the idea to turn the little tart bases into character cafe-styled Animal Crossing themed dessert charms.

This is a beginner-friendly tutorial for creating a few of my favorite Animal Crossing characters out of polymer clay. Although I am making them for mini clay tarts, these can easily be glued onto jewelry findings to turn into earrings, pins, or charms!

Supplies

You will need:

- Polymer clay in assorted colors

- Chalk Pastels (dark brown, pink, and grey). You can also use other powdered pigments or colored eyeshadow.

- A needle tool for texture and blending. I use a thick embroidery needle.

- A craft (Xacto) knife

- A nail dotting tool (the rounded end of a bobby pin or needle head can also work)

- Oven

- Liquid clay or Bake-and-Bond (optional)

Step 1: Pascal - Head

My favorite animal is the California sea otter, so Pascal is easily my favorite character!

The colors you will need are:

• Orange
• White
• Yellow
• Black

The brown in the picture was intended for his nose, but was replaced with black.

1. Create a rectangular-oval shape out of the orange clay.
2. Use the yellow clay to make a rounded triangle. Roll out another yellow piece and cut out a heart shape for his cheeks.
3. Place the heart shape over the triangle shape.
4. Place the yellow piece in place. I carved out a bit of the orange clay so they would fit better together.

Step 2: Pascal - Ears

I used the dotting tool to add voids for his eyes so it would be easier to see how everything will fit together.

For his ears:

1. Roll out a small log of clay and flatten it. Make sure the ends are rounded.
2. Use the dotting tool to draw out the inner part of the ear.
3. Roll out a bit of yellow clay and fit it to the hole made in step 2. Flatten, and cut this in half to create two ears. Attach them to his head. A bit of liquid clay will help hold them in place (this is also where having the eyes drawn out is helpful for ear placement).

Step 3: Pascal - Hat

1. To create his knit hat, roll out a half-circle shape from the white clay. Cut off the top of the orange clay so it would be easier to fit together with the half-circle.
2. Use the needle tool to create the "ribbing" lines of his hat.
3. Roll out a thin snake of white clay and place it between the seam to create the hat brim.

Step 4: Pascal - Final Touches

1. (optional) Add a bit of liquid clay in the places around his eyebrows, nose, and whiskers.
2. Roll out thin snakes of black clay and place two thinner pieces above his eyes for eyebrows. Roll out 3-4 shorter, thicker pieces and place them in the center of the upside-down heart shape (of his cheeks).
3. Roll two small balls of black clay for eyes and one larger for a nose. Place these pieces in place and set aside for baking.

Step 5: Blathers - Head

Since most of my recent Animal Crossing content is coming from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I'm really enjoying learning about Blather's back story from Wild World. Apparently he dropped out of his Ph.D. program in a big city to become the museum curator of a small town, and gets embarrassed while buying bows for his sister, Celeste!

Colors you will need:

• dark grey-ish brown (base)
• light caramel
• dusty pink
• yellow
• beige
• black
• green (optional)

1. Create a flattened oval shape from the base brown color. Use the beige to create a smaller, flatter piece and place on top.
2. Cut out a triangle from the base brown color and place at the top of his head.

Step 6: Blathers - Head Feathers

1. Roll out a sheet of the base color and cut out two thin rectangles. Place these on his head to create the two brow feathers.
2. Blend these into the bottom piece with the needle tool.

Step 7: Blathers - Eyes

1. Use a larger dotting tool and create two voids for his eyes. Fill these with balls of white clay and flatten them in place.
2. Place two smaller balls of black clay to create his pupils.

Step 8: Blathers - Beak

1. Create a pyramid shape for his beak and put in place. It should be slightly wider in one dimension.
2. Use your knife to create a cut for the top and bottom halves of his beak, and use your needle tool to create his nostrils.
3. Roll out tiny balls of the light caramel clay and place them in a row along his head feathers (in the photo I marked out where these would go with the needle tool). Alternatively, you can paint these after baking.

Step 9: Blathers - Finishing Touches

1. Roll out two balls of the pink clay and flatten.
2. Place the two pink disks to create blushing cheeks.
3. (optional) Use a bit of green clay to create a tiny bow tie. Make two small triangles with a circle for the knot. (There will be a bit of a better view of this under Celeste, where the bow I make is bigger). Set aside for baking.

Step 10: Celeste - Head

With Blathers, I must make Celeste! She has only a few minor differences from Blathers.

Colors:

• Red (red)
• White
• Yellow
• Light pink
• Black

1. Like with Blathers, roll out and flatten an oval of clay from the base color (red) and create a smaller, flatter oval from the lighter face color (white).
2. Place the white oval over the red oval. Roll out a sheet of red and cut a triangle for her forehead.

Step 11: Celeste - Face Details

1. Blend the triangle to her head. Roll out two small 'carrots' from red and lightly flatten them to create her head feathers.
2. Place her head feathers in place. Create a yellow pyramid for her beak and add this to her face. Use the dotting tool to mark out where her eyes will go.
3. Roll out two balls from the black clay for her eyes and add them in place. Use your craft knife to add a line to form her top and bottom beak, and the dotting tool to add her nostrils.
4. Roll out two small, elongated ovals from the light pink for blush and add them to her cheeks.
5. Like Blathers, Celeste has little dots along with her head feathers. Roll out tiny balls of white clay and add them in place, or paint them on after baking.

Step 12: Celeste - Bow-nus (optional Bow)

Celeste's signature oversized bow can be placed behind her head. Since the back of her head won't be visible, I made her bow separately for her tart.

1. Mix a bit of the dusty pink clay with the light pink clay from Blathers's and Celeste's blush. Create two triangles and join the center points together.
2. Roll out a thin snake to cover the seam between the two triangles.
3. Add two small bits of clay below for the ends of the ribbon.

Set both Celeste and her bow aside for baking.

Step 13: Tom Nook - Head

How many bells do you (still) owe him?

Colors:

• Brown (base)
• Dark Brown
• Dark Blue
• White
• Dusty Pink (I used the same colors as Blather's cheeks)
• Black

You will also need a bit of dark brown chalk pastel.

1. Create a tiny cone and place around where his snout will be (I rolled out balls for his ears to judge placement). Blend this to his face so there is no visible seam.
2. Like with previous characters, take the clay reserved for his ears and roll it out to a rounded snake. Use the dotting tool to create a divet to mark placement for the inside color, and fill this in with the dusty pink clay.
3. Attach his ears with a bit of liquid clay. Roll out the darker brown clay and flatten to create his mask markings.

Step 14: Tom Nook - Eyes

1. Use the dotting tool to mark out his eye placement.
2. Add two balls of white clay for his eyes. Roll smaller balls of dark blue clay for his irises.
3. Add the dark blue clay over the white. Roll out an oval of black clay and add to the tip of his snout for his nose.

Step 15: Tom Nook - Eyelids and Shading

1. Roll out a tiny ball of the base color and flatten. They should be the same size as his eyes. Cut this disk in half.
2. Add these over the top of his eyes to create his eyelids. Secure them with a bit of liquid clay.
3. Use a bit of dark brown chalk pastel to shade the top of his ears and the tip of his nose. Set him aside for baking.

Step 16: Bones - Head

Bones was one of my first villagers and 12-year-old me was devastated when I missed playing one day and he moved away. I think it maybe has to do something with him looking a bit like Wishbone...

Colors:

• White
• Brown
• Black

You will also need the pink and grey chalk pastels.

1. Form a pear shape from the white clay for his head. Roll out two small carrots and slightly flatten for his ears. Do not attach them yet because they will be shaded.
2. Roll out a thin snake of clay and use the needle tool to shape into a round w shape for his mouth. You can use a thin coat of liquid clay as glue to help ensure this stays in place. Mold a tiny triangle for his nose.
3. Before adding his nose, dust the area around his snout with a bit of pink pastel.
4. Add his nose.

Step 17: Bones - Markings

1. Roll out an oval of brown clay to create Bone's spot. Place this over one eye.
2. Shade the bottom tips of his ears with the grey chalk pastel. Use a dotting tool to mark out where his eyes will be.

Step 18: Bones - Eyes

1. Roll out two balls of white clay for his eyes and put them in place.
2. Add two smaller balls of black clay to create his pupils. Set aside for baking.

Tip: If you add too much pigment, you can use a bit of rubbing alcohol or acetone on a cotton swab to gently clean up mistakes. I had added a bit of the grey pastel to his non-spotted eye to make his eye stand out more, then cleaned around so the color difference is more subtle.

Step 19: Stitches - Head

Another beloved lazy villager!

Colors:

• Orange (base)
• Purple
• White
• Green
• Blue
• Red-orange
• Lime green
• Black

1. Use the orange base color and roll out a slightly tear-drop head shape. Create a small flat oval from the white clay for his muzzle.
2. Roll out a sheet of purple clay and cut out a triangle. Place this in the center of his head with the point going around where his nose will go.
3. Add the white disk over the purple.

Step 20: Stitches - Ears

1. Roll out a ball of blue and a ball of green clay. Add a divet with a doting tool to add the inner color. Match the lime green clay with the blue ear and the red-orange clay with the green ear.
2. Cut off one side of the ears so they fit better against the head.
3. Attach the ears, gluing them with a bit of liquid clay.

Step 21: Stitches - Face Details

1. Roll out thin snakes of black clay. Create two X's and put them in place for his eyes. You can brush a thin layer of liquid clay to act as glue to help keep them in place.
2. Roll out a thinner snake of clay and form them into a rounded w shape for his mouth.
3. Roll a small oval of black clay and add to the top center of the w for his nose. Set aside for baking.

Step 22: Aurora - Head

I recently got Aurora in my village and love her little penguin waddle! She is the simplest of the characters in this Instructable and can be used as a non-fan art penguin tutorial.

Colors:

• White
• Black
• Yellow

1. Roll out an oval of white for the base of her head.
2. Roll a sheet of black clay.

Step 23: Aurora - Face Details

1. Cut out her markings from the black clay and place this over the top of her head. Tuck in the edges around the sides of the clay with your needle tool and craft knife.
2. Form a pyramid with the yellow clay and place this in the center of her face for her beak.
3. Use the craft knife to form her top and lower beak. Use a dotting tool and create voids for her eyes. Roll out slightly oval balls of clay and place for her eyes. Set aside for baking.

Step 24: Kiki - Head

Kiki is another of my favorite current villagers. As cute as she looks here, I think she looks much more adorable in-game.

Colors:

• Black (base)
• Dusty pink
• Yellow
• Darker black (optional)

Tip: I used a cheaper clay for her base, which turned out to be a slightly lighter shade compared to the Premo clay I used for her nose. This is optional, but I find that this provides a bit more contrast.

1. Roll out an oval for her head. This should be a bit smaller than the other characters if you are making them to scale with each other.
2. Cut out two triangles for her ears.
3. Use a needle tool to add the divet and fill wth the dusty pink clay.
4. Cut off the base of the ears at a slight angle so that they fit better to her head, and glue them on with a bit of liquid clay.

Step 25: Kiki - Eyes and Nose

1. Use a larger dotting tool to mark out a place for her eyes.
2. Roll out two balls of yellow clay and fill in her eyes. Flatten them lightly in place.
3. Roll out two small balls of black clay for her pupils and place them over the yellow clay. Roll out a small oval of black clay for her nose and attach it with a bit of liquid clay. Set aside for baking.

Step 26: Baking!

Bake according to your clay packaging directions. Typically it tends to be around 275°F or 130°C, but be sure to read the directions on your clay specifically. Sometimes I use a clay that bakes at 120°-130°C, slightly lower than the regular temperature.

hint: Be careful to bake your clay thoroughly. Under-baking causes crumbly clay! Also watch your oven and beware of burning!

What are your favorite Animal Crossing characters? Do you have any requests for characters for a potential part 2?