This instructable will teach you how to sculpt your very own D20 holder in the shape of a dragon! You can proudly display your D20 to your tabletop rpg companions. And this cute but fierce dragon will guard your die from anyone more evil aligned. . .

Supplies

Various colors of polymer clay
D20
X-Acto Knife
Paperclip
Oven
Your hands!

Step 1: Sculpting the Body

First, we will work on the body of your dragon. You can choose any color of clay you'd like for your dragon. Break off some clay and work it with your hands to soften it up. You'll want to make a ball about 1-1.5 inches in diameter. Then roll that ball into a snake shape just like you did in elementary school. One end is going to taper into the tail and the other will taper just slightly for the neck.

You'll then do the same thing with a different color of clay, but also roll it flat. (I just used a sharpie as a small rolling pin). This is going to be your dragon's underbelly. Once rolled flat, the clay might have uneven edges so you can use an X-Acto knife to cut it into a smoother shape and have it come to a point for the tail. Lay it over your dragon body and smooth the edges with your finger so it blends into the body. Then use the side of a paperclip to create ridges all the way down the underbelly. (You may have noticed I like to use regular household items instead of buying fancy tools :P )

Finally, bend your dragon's body so that the tail will curl around your D20 and turn the neck end of the body upwards.

Step 2: Adding Limbs

First, you'll need four balls the same color as your dragon's body. Two of them slightly larger than the other two. The larger ones are for his hind legs - we'll start with those. Pinch the ball in the middle and roll it between your fingers leaving both ends bulbous. Bend the clay into a zigzag as shown in the picture. Flatten one of the ends to form his haunch and use the paperclip to press toes into the other end for his paw. Attach the leg to the body and repeat for the other leg.

Now for the front legs! Pinch the ball on one end and roll between your fingers leaving one end bulbous. Use the paperclip to press toes into the bulbous end. Bend the other end 90 degrees to give him a shoulder and elbow. Attach the front leg to the body so his paw is on the ground in front of him. Repeat for his other front leg.

Step 3: Adding Scales and Wings

Now it's time to add some details to your dragon to really make it come to life. First, we'll add scales to his whole body starting at his tail and working up his body. The curved part of the paperclip makes the perfect tool for imprinting scales into the clay. Be sure to stagger the scales so they look more natural and don't forget to do it to the legs!

A dragon isn't a dragon unless he has wings. I made my wings the same color as his underbelly. First, make two balls of clay of the same size. Then, form the ball into a triangle and push two of the corners up so you can pinch the middle section to form another point. Shape the wing into a nice bat wing shape and flatten it so it will lay nicely on his back. Repeat for his other wing. Then roll out thin little strips of clay the color of his body to add to the wings as shown in the last picture.

Step 4: Sculpting the Head

We are down to the last bit of sculpting! First, make a ball of clay about .5 inch in diameter. (You can adjust as needed to fit your dragon's body). Then shape the ball into a dragon's snout. You will also want to carve out a pit on the bottom of the head so it can fit down on the neck. This will help make your dragon look more natural as well as secure the head on better.

You can use the paperclip to push the clay in where you want to put the eyes. If you push in and upwards, it will create a little top eyelid/brow. Next you'll want to add all the details to the head including scales, ears, horns, nostrils, and eyes. (I used the tip of a pencil to carefully place the parts of my eye since my fingers felt clumsy).

Step 5: Bake and Done!

We are just about ready to finish this bad boy up. Before baking, you'll want to look over your piece and make sure it looks how you want it and fix anything you might have squished or moved. It's also a good idea to test the fit of your D20. Once everything looks good to go, place your dragon on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let your clay piece continue to bake for 5 minutes or so while also coming down in temperature gradually. (Your brand of clay should have baking instructions with it that may differ, but this is the method I like to use to be safe).

Once your dragon has cooled down and is safe to touch, you can display him with your D20 safely guarded in his curled tail. I hope you had fun and your dragon came out just how you wanted!