Phil the Skating Frog

This happy frog with the orange roller skates is Phil, a character from my iPad interactive picture books, the Phil and Freddy Series. Phil always wears two yellow buttons and as you can see, he’s partial to candy canes. Hang Phil on your Christmas tree, stuff him in a stocking (just be sure to let him out by December 25th) or put Phil anywhere you want a little whimsical touch for the holidays!

Step 1: Materials

·Sculpey III (2 oz.) Oven Bake Clay in the following colors:

Leaf Green (dark green)

Granny Smith (light green)

White

Red

Black

Yellow

Just Orange

·Clay Sculpting Tools – one tool with a curved end, one tool with a sharp point

·Straight cutting blade

·Clean smooth surface for hand rolling clay- I like using a thick sheet of clear acrylic

·1 brass 1-1/4” eye pin – ornament hanger – find in jewelry section of craft store

·Gold metallic ribbon – narrow (32.918 m)

·Studio by Sculpey – Glossy Glaze

·Small paintbrush

·Glass pie plate (only use plate for cooking clay)

·Kitchen oven or craft oven

·Potholder

·Cooling rack

Step 2:

To prepare clay, remove from the package and knead until it's soft and easy to shape.

Step 3:

Phil’s body: Roll a 1¼-inch oval-shaped dark green ball, approximately ¾ inch thick.

Step 4:

Eyes: Roll two ½ inch oval-shaped dark green balls.

Next roll two thin ½ inch oval-shaped white balls and press them onto the dark

green balls to form the whites of the eyes.

Step 5:

Pupils: Roll two small oval-shaped black balls and press them onto the whites of the eyes.

Step 6:

Place the eyes on the body.

Step 7:

Smile: Insert the tool with the curved end into the body to make a crescent-shaped smile and then gently pull down on the tool to open the mouth.

Step 8:

Buttons: Roll two small yellow balls and press onto the body. Using the tool with the sharp point, make four buttonholes on each button.

Step 9:

Legs:Roll out two 2 ¼-inch light green logs (approximately ¼ inch thick.)

Attach legs under frog by pressing them into the body and then bending each leg into a loop.

Step 10:

Candy cane: Roll out a 5 ½-inch red log and then roll out a 5 ½ inch white log

(approximately ¼ inch thick.)

Twist the red and white logs together and then roll the log on smooth

surface to blend the stripes.

Using a straight cutting blade, cut candy cane to 4 ½ inches.

Curve roll on one end to make candy cane shape.

Step 11:

Roller skates: Roll a ½ inch orange oval-shaped ball.

Cut in half lengthwise.

Press skates onto ends of legs.

Wheels: Roll 8 tiny black balls and push two onto each side of both

roller skates.
                            Mark little "x's" for ties on the skates.

Step 12:

Arms:Roll out two 1½-inch light green logs (approximately 3/16 inch thick).

Attach to sides of frog, gently pressing into the body.
                Etch little fingers with a pointed tool.

Step 13:

Push an eye pin between the top of the eyes (if using as an ornament).

Step 14:

Put completed clay piece in a glass pie plate.

 Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour (15 minutes per ¼ inch thickness).

 Set pie plate on a cooling rack until clay is cool to the touch. Gently remove.

Step 15:

For a glossy finish, paint on Studio by Sculpey and let the frog dry.

Step 16:

Cut an 8-inch piece of metallic ribbon, thread through the eye pin, and tie a knot in the two ends to form a loop.

Now Phil the Skating Frog is ready for you to enjoy!