DIY Polymer Clay Cupcake

Materials:

• Two colors of polymer clay (I use silver for the cupcake liner and pink for the cupcake frosting)
• A small piece of red clay (for the cherry)
• A small oven to bake the polymer clay
• A tool that helps smooth things
• A tool that can make straight lines
• A flat surface 
• A headpin 
• A light that can get very hot
• Pliers

First, you will need to find a flat surface to work on.  Next, I put my polymer clay under a light that gets very hot, so it can soften up the clay.  Be careful, though, because it can actually start to 'bake' the cupcake if the clay is left underneath the light for too long!  After you have softened the clay, you will need to condition it so it will be soft enough to work with.  To do this, you will need to roll the clay with your hands to turn it into a snake shape.  Next, twist the clay so that it looks like a candy-cane, and then fold that in half and twist that up.  After it has been twisted up, roll it into a ball and start that process over again, until you feel like the clay is very easy to work with and doesn't break when you twist it.

Next, roll the color you are using for the cupcake liner into a ball.  Very lightly, press it onto the flat surface until the bottom of the clay has a flat surface.  That will be the top of the cupcake liner, where you will eventually place the cupcake frosting.  While the clay is still on the flat surface, make a plateau shape.  That means that the cupcake liner should cave in at the middle, but have a flat bottom to sit on.  Make sure the cupcake liner isn't a square shape, though, or it won't look realistic.

Next, let's move on to the actual frosting.  Now, you don't want the cupcake to be too dome-y or too rounded.  You want it to look natural, so try and make something in between.  Shape the frosting like a dome, but then smooth it out a bit with your fingers.  Then, when you like the shape that you have, peel it off the surface with your fingers, so that way the frosting has uneven sides, and it looks natural. When you like the shape of your liner and frosting, place the frosting on top of the liner.  Don't blend in the liner and frosting, or you won't get the line that divides the two.  Pinch the top of the liner and the bottom of the frosting together so they still show the division line, but still blend well.

Now for the cherry.  Shape the small red ball and make sure it has no creases in it.  Then, place it on the cupcake.  You can either place it on the side (what I do), or you can place it on top.  Keep in mind, though, that when you put the headpin through the cupcake that the headpin will go through the cherry if you place it on top.

When you are satisfied with your cupcake and cherry, you can now make the creases in the liner.  Get your tool that can make straight lines, and slowly add the lines to the cupcake liner.  This really helps things look realistic.  Go around the whole cupcake and fix the mistakes if you made any.

Next, you will need to add the headpin.  Stick the part that doesn't have the head in the bottom of the cupcake.  Slowly twist the pin until you feel it coming out of the top.  Push the whole thing through until the head is flush with the bottom of the cupcake.  Leave the headpin in while you bake your cupcake.  You'll want to bake the cupcake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  Let the cupcake cool down before taking it out.

Lastly, you need to twist the headpin to make a circle so you can then add a chain.  With pliers, grip the headpin about 1/8th inch above the cupcake and with your fingers, twist the wire around the pliers.  Then, switch the position of the pliers so you can twist the wire around the pliers again, until the wire is flush with the top of the cupcake.  Now add a chain and you have just made a Polymer Clay Cupcake!

Stay creative <3


xo,
Daphne