Looking for some fun Halloween clay ideas? We’ve got you covered with a super cute polymer clay ghost and polymer clay pumpkin!
Make a spirited addition to your DIY fall decor with these pumpkins and ghosts. These mini polymer clay figures are so easy to make, using our step-by-step tutorials, and they’re a truly adorable way to get into the Halloween spirit! Plus, did we mention that the clay ghosts glow in the dark?! So fun!
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How to Make a Clay Pumpkin and Clay Ghost
Materials:
- Glow in the dark polymer clay
- Polymer clay (black, orange, brown, and green)
Equipment:
- Clay cutting tool (or plastic knife)
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Make a polymer clay ghost
- Break off a small piece of glow in the dark polymer clay (roughly 1/2 inch by 1 inch).You can also use white clay.
- Condition the clay, kneading it and squishing it with your hands until it’s soft and easy to work with.
- Roll the clay into a ball and then form it into an oval shape.
- Use the rounded clay tool to push into one short end of the oval.
- Continue until you’ve hollowed out most of the oval. This will be the bottom of the ghost.
- Press the handle of the rounded tool into the bottom of the ghost, creating ridges.
- Then use your fingers to open up the bottom of the ghost a bit. This will help it stand easily and add to the draped look.
- Stand the ghost on your working surface and make any final adjustments to its shape.The ghosts can flatten out a bit as you work on the bottom, so you can re-shape it to make it taller, wider, etc.
- Condition a very small amount of black clay. Roll it into a small ball and place it on the front of the ghost, where you’d like one of the eyes to sit.
- Press the eye onto the ghost, securing it in place, and then repeat for the second eye.Continue on to step 4 to bake your polymer clay ghost.
Step 3: Make a polymer clay pumpkin
- Condition a small piece of orange clay until it’s soft.
- Use your hands to roll the clay into a ball and then place it on your working surface.
- Push the rounded tool gently into the middle of the ball. This will create an indent in the top center of the pumpkin, as well as flatten out the bottom slightly.
- Gently push the clay cutter/knife against the side of the pumpkin, starting at the top next to the indent.Rotate the knife down, creating a smooth, indented line down the side. Repeat 7 more times, creating 8 sections on the pumpkin.(A dull knife or edge of a gift card may work better here than a sharp blade.)
- Condition a small piece of brown clay and roll it into a thin stem.
- Press the stem into the center indent on the pumpkin.Manipulate the stem a bit as you push it down. Twist it, curve it, or give it bumps and ridges. After all, each pumpkin stem is unique!
- Condition a small piece of green clay and roll it into a long, thin line.
- Use a needle tool (or a toothpick) to press one end of the green clay beside the stem.
- Twist the green tendril, curling it and giving it some shape.
Step 4: Bake the Halloween clay creations
- Set your ghost and/or pumpkin on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake according to package instructions.Our clay recommends 275F for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness.
- Your clay ghost and clay pumpkin are complete!
- Now turn off the lights and watch the adorable ghosties glow!
Helpful Tips:
- Remove small imperfections in your baked pumpkins and ghosts by dipping a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and gently rubbing it across the surface.
- Wear nitrile gloves while working with polymer clay to eliminate the chance of fingerprints on the clay’s surface.
What tools do I need to make these polymer clay Halloween figures?
You can easily buy an inexpensive clay tools set at the craft store or on Amazon. Sometimes there are even a few tools included when you buy packs of polymer clay.
Here are the exact tools you’ll need to make these cute clay Halloween figures:
- Dust-free surface: We used a baking sheet, but you can also use parchment paper or a glass or acrylic sheet.
- Clay cutter: We used a plastic knife that came with our clay, but you can also use a metal clay cutter, a craft knife, or a kitchen knife.
- Rounded tool: This is a fairly unique tool found in sculpting sets. Try looking for something rounded and without seams (this will help avoid unwanted lines and indents in the clay).
- Needle tool: A pointed tool that allows you to connect the stem and tendrils on the pumpkin. You can also use a toothpick.
How can I decorate my clay pumpkin?
You can use glow in the dark clay to add a jack-o-lantern face to your pumpkin, like we did for a couple of ours. Cut triangle eyes and a smiling mouth and press them onto the side before baking.
You can also use black clay to make the face, or draw on it after it’s baked with Sharpie, a paint pen, or acrylic paint.
Plus, you can turn your clay pumpkin into a charm for a necklace, bracelet, or keychain. Simply make a loop of wire and stick it into the top before baking.
How can I decorate my clay ghost?
You can make little rounded arms for your ghost and even have it carry a tiny pumpkin! Or further accessorize your ghost by making a mini witch hat from black or purple polymer clay.
We only added eyes to our ghosts, but you can also make a mouth from black polymer clay. Make a rounded scream face, or craft a friendly ghost with a thin smile. You can also use a soft pastel or blush to give the ghost rosy cheeks.
Much like the pumpkin, you can turn the ghost into a charm or ornament. To do this, add a wire loop into the top before baking.
Plus, you can also make a more draped style of ghost. See our ghost in a jar for instructions on how to form this, and simply scale down the amount of clay to make a mini ghost.
Decorate your home with these Halloween clay ideas, or give a clay ghost or clay pumpkin as a homemade gift. These little knick knacks are so adorable, and you can easily create a whole Halloween scene by adding tiny gravestones or spiders to go with them.
Here’s even more Halloween craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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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