Polymer Clay Cupcake Box

Even though you bake it like you would a real cupcake, you probably shouldn't try to eat it but this little treat. This cupcake box is an adorable way to store a few small treasures. I got the idea to make a container shaped like a cupcake when I saw a larger scale one at a paint your own pottery place and I knew I had to make my own version. The cupcake box I show you how to make here is small but if you have more clay you can follow the same steps but with a full-size cupcake liner and a larger dome support to get a more traditional size cupcake. 

The "ingredients":
-silicone cupcake liner (mine was mini size)
-glob of clay for cupcake base (I chose bright green)
-glob of clay for cupcake top/frosting (I chose light pink)
-mini globs of clay in various colors for sprinkles and a cherry
-mold/support for cupcake frosting (a tablespoon measuring spoon fit perfect over the silicone liner) that is oven safe up to curing temp.
-a bowl of water
-toothpicks
-a knife or scissors
-any other favorite clay working tools

Work the designated glob of clay for the cupcake base until it is nice and soft. Smoosh that clay into the cupcake liner, making sure to really work it into the sides so that it will pick up the ridges pattern. Make sure that the walls are thick enough to have a little strength but not too thick since this is the space where you will be storing your treasures when finishesd.

Cut off any excess clay with the knife so that the top is smooth and beautiful. Pop that baby in the oven and cure according to the clay manufacturer's specifications. 

After giving the base awhile to chill down, pop it out of the silicone liner and you should have a great looking base for your box.

If your base looks a little raggedy like mine did, you can use your knife to clean up the edges a bit. 

Now grab the glob of clay you want to use as the frosting and smash it out into a flat piece big enough to fit over the top of the cupcake base. It doesn't matter if the side you see is ugly (like in my picture) because the other side is smooth and that's all we care about. 

Put the measuring spoon on top of the cupcake base then gently peel the smashed glob of frosting clay off of your work surface and drape it (pretty, smooth side up) over the measuring spoon. The weight of the clay should help shape it over the spoon and give it that poofy frosting look.

Tuck the edges of the frosting under so that they form a bit of a seal with the liner. Don't tuck too tightly though because you want the frosting to overhang the liner and have a somewhat fluid look. 

Roll out a small ball of red clay, this is going to be the cherry on top and can also act as a handle. You can score one side of the cherry if you like to make it look more realistic. 

Plop that cherry on top and slightly smoosh it down so that it will stay on and be more cherry-shaped.

Poke a hole in the top with a toothpick and insert a thinly rolled piece of clay to act as the stem. I used green for the stem but I think black or red would have looked better. 

Break off a bunch of itty bitty pieces of clay from your designated sprinkle colors. Roll them between your fingers a little and tada! you got yourself some delicious looking sprinkles.

Now would be a good time to use that little bowl of water to wet your finger and smooth out any fingerprints you have on the cupcake frosting or cherry. I neglected to do so and have to suffer with fingerprints on mine which isn't a huge deal to me but smoothing would result in a much more polished end product. 

Add the sprinkles to the cupcake, pressing firm enough to make sure they'll stay on, yet gentle enough not to smash them. 

Put the decorated frosting in the oven and bake according the clay manufacturer's specifications. 

After letting cool, remove the frosting from the measuring spoon or other support.

Congratulations! You now have your very own and very sweet cupcake trinket box! Fill with small treasures and admire your work.