Modelling Clay Pigs

These cute little piggies can be used as ornaments, given as gifts or sold at school fetes. They are extremely easy to make and sooooo adorable. Modelling clay can be purchased at most craft stores. It does not have to be oven-bake, it just makes it quicker. If giving as gifts or selling, you can print out miniature adoption papers to go with them. Have fun and be creative!

What you will need:
• Oven-bake modelling clay (I used ‘Sculpey’)
• Toothpick
• Oven
• Baking tray
• Baking paper
• Computer and printer/pen and paper (optional)

Preheat oven according to directions on clay packaging (usually around 130 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit)). Soften clay by kneeding in your hands. This makes it easier to work with.

To form the bodies of the pigs roll a small amount of clay into a ball for each one. You don't have to do single colours and can make them any size you wish.

Roll four small balls of clay for each pig. These will be the feet. Push them onto the bodies and squish each body against the tabletop to make them stick.

Roll a ball half the size of one of the feet for a tail. Push onto the back and squish slightly. Roll another ball of the same size, flatten and squish onto the front of each pig for the snout. Poke two holes in each snout with the toothpick.

Roll two small thick snake shapes for the ears of the pigs. Flatten slightly and then squish two onto the top of each head.

Poke two holes above the snout for eyes and scratch in a small mouth below. You can add other clay details, such as a top hat or a bowtie, or scratch in some eyelashes.

Spread some baking paper on the tray and arrange the pigs on it. Bake in the preheated oven for 15min per 6mm of thickness (about 30min for my pigs), or according to packaging. Remove tray from oven and let cool before touching as the pigs can still be soft at this stage. The pig's colours may have changed slightly during the baking.

To make your pigs adoption papers type them up in a word processor and print or write them out with pen and paper. Details you might want to include are:
Name:
Date of birth:
Description:
Accessories:
Job/Hobbies:
Age:
Trotter print:
You might also want to draw a small circle on the paper where the pig can stand.

You're done!
Thanks for reading. I hope you have fun making your little piggies.