Tiny Fairy Garden Gnome

Recently I have been fascinated with making miniature dioramas. One of my favorite decorations to use are garden gnomes. Today I will be showing you how you can sculpt your own gnomes out of clay.

Multiple colors of polymer clay

Cutting blade/tool

Corn Starch

Needle tool

Sculpting tools

Oven

Aluminum Foil

Aluminum pan

Optional:

Polyester Stuffing

For this gnome I selected 4 different colors of clay. I sliced off each color and conditioned them by rolling it between the palms of my hands. If you have any clay that is tough or crumbly, you can use a little bit of clay softener to help.

The gnome's outfit will be brown, roll the clay into an oval shape. You can use corn starch when sculpting clay to help reduce finger prints and to keep the clay for being too sticky.

Cut a third of the oval off to create the hat. Pinch the top of the circle to create a triangular shape. Pinch the rim of the hat to create wrinkles and bends.

To add sleeves to the shirt use a blade out a space for them. I used the turquoise color to add a little pop into the outfit. Make sure to blend these pieces together using the stylus tools or even your fingers.

To create the beard I used white clay. Cut a jelly bean shape and small cylinder. Place the jelly bean piece on top of the shirt and then place the small cylinder in the center above it. These will be used to create the beard and mustache.

For the nose sculpt a tear drop shaped cylinder and two small balls for the cheeks. I used a light peach color and blended the nose and cheeks.

To attach the gnome's hat I scraped the two connecting surfaces, to create a better surface adhesion. After blending the hat to the head, you can add detail to the beard. Using a thin tool, I created hairlines into the beard and added texture.

After revising the hat and reviewing the beard, I added texture to the hat to create a look of fabric. I used the texture of one of my tools as a roller and placed it randomly throughout.

To baked your gnome you will need to follow the instructions on the clay package. I used SCULPEY III

Bake at 275 °F (130 °C) for 15 minutes per 1/4 in (6 mm) thickness.

To keep the clay from burning I add polyester filling to my aluminum tray, this allows the clay to bake while still being supported. Use aluminum foil to cover the tray so the heat remains even throughout.

Wait for the gnomes to cool and then you are ready to go! Create different variations and variety's of these little guys and you can have a whole army of mini gnomes. They make for great decorations for miniature indoor gardens or just decoration by themselves.