Introduction: Polymer Clay Star Wars Book End

About: I love making things and keeping busy. I prefer making things rather than buying the finished products. People say to me 'you know, would have been cheaper if you just bought it', but they don't understand t…

It started with an instructable for creating polymer clay bears to decorate jars of honey (Polymer Clay Bear Honey Jar Holder Gifts), and then expanded to even more gifts - Christmas Ornaments and a bookend.  The bookend was created for a unique white elephant gift.

Materials

Fimo Polymer Clay - I used white, tan/brown, green,  black and various other colors. From Joanne's (on sale for $1 each)

clay machine (or rolling pin) - From Joanne's (on sale for $9)

Clay tools - I mostly use the one with the tapered ends and the needle point tools. From Hobby Lobby.

Ball tools - large ones bought from Michaels. Smaller ones are dotting tools used for nails and bought from amazon.

Varthane Polyurethane High Gloss - From Amazon

Bookend - I wanted to make the book ends from pieces of wood but didn't have any on hand.  I took the book end from my shelf of books.

Step 1: Chewbacca

Follow Step 1: Basic Bear Instructions to create the basic bear except don't create the feet.

Mouth and Teeth:

Taking a tapered tool, create a deep indentation for the mouth.

Roll 2 very small pieces of transulcent clay and add ot the top and bottom of the mouth for the teeth.

Roll 4 very small balls and pinch to a point. Add it to the ends of the strips of the white clay to create the sharp teeth.

Body Hair:

Roll long sausage pieces of clay in 3 different shades - dark brown, brown, tan.

Using the Chewbacca picture as a reference, add the rolled pieces of hair on the face and body. Use different colors to create shading of the fur around the face and body.

Use a ball tool to blend the pieces, and create lines and texture on the hair.

Belt:

Cut a long thin strip of flat black clay. Cut small retangular pieces of white clay and add it to the belt. Use the picture as reference.

Take the long strip of black clay and wrap it around the waist and over the left shoulder.

Step 2: Princess Leia

Follow Step 1: Basic Bear Instructions to create the basic bear except don't create the feet.

Hair:

Run a piece of black clay through the clay machine on the thin setting. 

Cut a small circle and cut it in half.  Place it on either side of the head to create a middle hairline.

Roll long sausage pieces of black clay and add it sideways from the middle of the head (so that the hairline is split in the middle) on top of the half circles.   Refer to the Princess Leia picture as reference.

Coil a long piece of black clay into a bun and add to either side of the head.

Dress:

Run a piece of white clay through a clay machine on a thin setting.

Cut a rectangular piece and wrap it around the entire body. Blend the seams with your thumbs.  Roll a large ball tool around the bottom to flair out the bottom of the dress.

Cut a small rectangular piece to cover the arms and blend the seams.

Step 3: Yoda

Follow Step 1: Basic Bear Instructions to create the basic bear except use green clay, don't create the ears yet, and don't create the feet.

Ears:

Roll a small cylinder (taped one end) using the green clay to create the ear. Take the tapered tool and press it lengthwise into the ear and roll it slightly to make the ear opening. Add it to the head.

Clothes:

Cut a small rectangular piece of brown clay and put in the front of the body for the shirt.

Cut a larger piece of tan colored clay and wrap it around the body with the ends in the font for the robe opening.

Tuck the front of the tan retangular piece around the arms to create a sleeve (refer to picture)

Flair out the front of the robes using fingers and tapered end tool.

Hair:

Roll small pieces of translucent clay and add it to the back of the head to create wispy strands of hair.

Step 4: Finish the Bookend

Cut a piece of flat green clay in the shape of the bottom of the bookend (refer to the picture).

Place the cut base and put it on a ceramic tile or pan.

Take small pieces of yellow clay and roll into a ball.  Create a hole in the ball using a tapered clay tool and roll it slightly to create the flowers.  Add the flowers to the base.

Place the 3 Star Wars figures on the green base and bake.  Refer to Step 1: Basic Bear Instructions for additional information on baking and glazing.

After baking, add glue to the bottom of the clay base and glue to the bookend.

Glaze the clay pieces.

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