This clay penguin is snow cute! With just a few simple steps, you can sculpt your own little friend using polymer clay in classic black, white, and orange. Whether you’re making a winter diorama, a holiday ornament, or just looking for a cozy afternoon craft, this chilly companion is sure to warm your heart.
It’s a great introduction to working with polymer clay and a fun way to practice basic sculpting techniques. Kids and adults alike will enjoy shaping and personalizing their penguins — and the best part? No two ever turn out exactly the same, making each one totally unique and full of personality.
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How to Make a Clay Penguin
Materials:
- Polymer clay (black, white, orange)
Equipment:
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Prepare the head and body
- Begin by wearing nitrile gloves and working on a clean surface, like a baking sheet, silicone mat, or acrylic sheet. Grab 1/3 of a package of white polymer clay and break it into 2 pieces, with one section slightly larger than the other.
- Condition the clay, squishing and kneading it with your hands until it’s nice and malleable. Roll the clay into 2 balls.
Step 3: Make the feet and beak
- Condition a ball of orange clay and break off a tiny bit.
- Roll the orange clay into a ball and then shape it into a rounded triangle for the beak.
- Roll 2 more orange balls and shape them into ovals for the feet. Flatten them on an acrylic sheet (or silicone mat) and use a silicone brush to make indents for the toes.Use a knife or hard spatula to lift them up without misshaping them.
Step 4: Create the mask, wings, and tail
- Condition a ball of black clay. Break off part of it and use a clay roller to roll it out very thin. It should be stretchy and malleable.
- Create the black facial mask for the penguin with this clay. Begin by using a round clay cutter to cut 2 circles next to each other near the bottom edge of the clay. Repeat at the edge of the clay, so that when you remove the circles there are 2 empty arches in the clay. Finally, cut the bottom triangle off. This will be the center black band that goes down to the penguin’s beak.
- Lift the black clay and place it on the small white ball. Allow the part you cut to touch the white clay first so that it preserves the shape.
- Smooth it down carefully around the penguin’s head, cutting off the excess at the bottom.Use a silicone brush to smooth out the clay where needed. The black clay should cover around the whole head and meet in a band under the “chin”.
- Roll another piece of black clay very thin. Then wrap it around the sides of the larger white ball so that only the white stomach is showing.Again, smooth out the clay carefully, cut off any excess, and use the silicone brush to blend or refine any areas that need it.
- Break off another piece of black clay and use your fingers to form it into a rounded rectangle shape with one side thinner than the other.Make the wider end a bit flatter than the other side. This will be the tail.
- Roll 2 balls of black clay, a little bit smaller than the one for the tail. Flatten them out and form them into a similar shape to the tail, creating the wings. If the clay gets stuck to your working surface, use a clay knife to carefully slide them off.
- Use a clay knife to break off two very tiny bits of clay for the eyes. Roll them with your fingertip and then use a clay tool to lift them carefully.
Step 5: Assemble the pieces
- Begin by pressing the head onto the penguin’s body. You’ll want to connect them firmly enough that the clay will stick together, but not so much that you misshape the pieces. Then line up the feet and press the body down onto them so they stick out the front.
- Pick up the penguin and use a clay knife (or toothpick) to smooth the feet into the body at the back.
- Attach the beak to the front center of the face, just at the edge of the black mask.
- Connect the wings to each side of the penguin with the flatter part at the top and so they’re sticking out at the bottom.Use a wide silicone brush to smooth the wing into the body.
- Attach the tail to the back in the same way.
- Use a clay knife or other tool to lift and press the eyes into place. Press them flat with your fingertip.Important: Make sure your finger is clean and doesn’t have black clay residue when you do this, or you’ll discolour the white clay.
Step 6: Bake the clay
- Place the penguin on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake according to package directions.Our clay recommends 275F for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness.
- Your clay penguin is complete!
- Now have fun making a whole colony of cute clay penguins!
Helpful Tips:
- Wear nitrile gloves: Keep your penguin looking polished by wearing nitrile gloves and/or smoothing the clay with a silicone brush before baking. This helps keep the surface smooth and free of fingerprints.
- Clean your clay tools regularly: White clay picks up colour easily, so wipe your tools and fingers often, especially after handling black clay!
Can I use air dry clay for this cute clay penguin?
Yes, you can make clay penguins from air dry clay! It’s a great alternative to polymer clay, especially if you don’t have access to an oven.
However, air dry clay takes longer to dry (usually 24 to 72 hours), and isn’t as durable as baked polymer clay. To help prevent cracking, make sure to knead the clay well before shaping it.
If you only have white air dry clay you can paint your penguin figurine with acrylic paint after it dries.
Can I make this cute clay penguin into an ornament?
Absolutely! Before baking your clay penguin, insert a small eye pin into the top of the penguin’s head. After baking and cooling, you can add string or ribbon to hang your cute penguin ornament wherever you’d like!
How do I keep small pieces from falling off my penguin clay sculpture?
Make sure the penguin clay pieces are pressed together firmly before baking. You can score the clay underneath the feet before adding them to help them stay together, and blending them in at the back also helps.
Or you can also use a small amount of liquid polymer clay as glue to help bond delicate pieces — it’s especially helpful for tiny details like the eyes or beak.
Whether you’re crafting one adorable bird or a whole colony, this clay penguin is a delightfully chill project. With just a few pieces of polymer clay and some simple shaping techniques, you’ll have an adorable friend ready to waddle into your heart in no time at all!
Here’s even more clay craft ideas:
Now available
Low-Mess Crafts for Kids Book
72 cute and fun crafts that kids and parents alike can enjoy. All with as little mess as possible!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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