DIY Miniature Polymer Clay Sheep

DIY Miniature Sheep: full tutorial for these easy to make sheep, made from polymer clay and staples. A beautiful addition to your spring decor.

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• How To Make Miniature Sheep
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It isn't quite feeling like spring outside around here yet, but hopefully in the next little while it will.  In the meantime, I'm starting to add some fun spring touches inside.  Just a few touches of green and fresh plants have already managed to lift my spirits a little.  And the cutest polymer clay sheep project.

These miniature sheep full of sheep charm are the perfect touch for spring.

Inspiration

When I was a teenager someone gave me a very similar set as a gift.  It's quite a charming story really.  I was a part of a small country church.  And in the church was a man who was a mason.  He was thinking about how God is often called the good shepherd, and we're like sheep.  He fashioned some sheep for all the families in the church.  

Because he was a mason and worked with stone all the time, he fashioned them out of some beautiful rocks, with sheep made from putty, and the legs made from construction staples.  It was actually before my time, and I complemented his one day and he insisted I take them as a gift.  I love to bring them out every spring.  Over the years mine's become a little worn, the sheep were a little discoloured, and my set only had two sheep.

I decided as a spring craft to make some new ones -a replacement for mine, and a few for good friends who would appreciate the story with the latest polymer clay sheep model.  Since it's still snowy I used the original stone, and a little new green moss.  When the snow melts all go looking in the woods, and find a few good stones for the ones for my friends.

To make my sheep I used polymer clay, and they're really simple.  I love working making polymer clay projects.  It's inexpensive, and easy to work with and you can make such a variety of crafts with it.  I used white for my sheep, and added paint for the tiny faces.  Black polymer clay would be really cute to make a black sheep  to add to the flock too.  To soften the clay when you first start working with it, so that it's easy to sculpt you may want to make polymer clay slices and then roll them and knead the clay in your hands to make it pliable.

How To Make Miniature Sheep

Materials:

• white polymer clay
• wire
• wire cutters
• black craft paint
• small paint brush

How To:

Sheep

Form the white clay into some little sheepish blobs.  I worried at first that they didn't look very sheep like, but I really loved how they looked in the end when there black faces and legs were added, so don't be too worried.  They should be kind of an oval, with a smaller head.  I formed some looking up and some looking down grazing on grass.

Lambs

And just for fun I thought it would be sweet to add some babies to mine too.  Spring always makes me think of lambs.  The lambs are made the same way, only there's a small size difference.  There's a photo with a ruler for size reference.

Legs

After the sheep bodies are formed out of clay, it's time to add the legs.  I cut small pieces of wire for each leg and pressed them into the soft clay.  Next stand them up and make sure the legs are even enough for the sheep to stand.

Next, it's time to bake the polymer clay so it will be hard.  Follow the manufacturer's directions on the package.  I have to confess that the first two batches I tried I burnt, so for sure keep an eye on them.  They are quite small and can burn quite quickly.

Paint

Once they're baked and cooled, it's time to paint them.  Using a small craft brush, carefully paint the wire legs black, and a small dot for each cute sheep's face.

Create a Scene

Lastly after the paint is dry you're ready to set them up in a sheep ring on the grass up on a hill.  I used a rock with some fine moss glued to it.  You could also make them as a miniature terrarium scene in a glass bottle with moss.

I love how the sheep turned out and the addition of the little lambs.  I set them up on my table to be admired and surrounded them with green plants.  You might want to make sure to keep these out of the reach of children because the sheep are so tiny.   It really does feel like the a little taste of spring.  And if winter refuses to leave, we'll just have to make our own little inside springs like this, won't we.  I also think these sheep are perfect for St. Patrick's Day decor, since Ireland is a land of sheep grazing on rolling green hills.  This is one of my very favorite spring craft projects.

This DIY was such a sweet reminder of an old friend, and I'm looking forward to gifting some of them as a great reminder of the shepherds love for us, just like he did.

With DIY Miniature Sheep, life really is a party!

More Spring Craft Inspiration

You might also like our Faux Concrete Finish Bunnies here.

Also check out How To Make Cement Easter Eggs here.

You might also enjoy our Pussy Willow Wreath here.