Start by working with a large piece of clay. Break off a piece and form it into an oval shape, about 1-1/2 inches tall and 1-1/4 inches wide.Flatten the bottom, so that the bear will sit flat on the table. Dip your fingers in water to smooth the sides of the clay.
Form a 1 inch ball for the bear's head. Again, use your fingers and water to smooth out the clay.
Cut off about 1/3 of a toothpick to make a piece about 3/4 inch long.
Stick the toothpick third in the top center of the bear's body, pointy end down.
Attach the bear's head by pushing it, centered, onto the toothpick.
Step 3: Make and attach the bear's facial features
Start with a small ball of clay to create the bear's muzzle. Form it into a flat oval shape, about 3/4 inch wide and 5/8 inch tall.
Use water to attach the bear's muzzle to the bottom center of the bear's head.
Create 2 tiny balls, about 3/16 inch in size, for the bear's eyes and attach them above the bear's muzzle.
Form a small triangle, 1/4 inch in size, for the bear's nose and attach it, point up, to the top center of the bear's muzzle.
Make and attach the bear's ears. To do this, form a small ball and flatten it. You should have a circle that's just over 1 inch in size.Use a toothpick to cut the circle in half, creating two ears. Push the ears in on the sides, creating a curved bottom for the ears to attach to the head.Then use water to attach the ears to the top of the bear's head. Smooth down the edges of the ears with a toothpick to help them stick.
Use a toothpick to add stitch marks to the middle of the bear's face, from its muzzle to the top of its head.
Carve a smile into the bear's muzzle, below the nose, connected with a vertical line coming down from the nose.
Step 4: Make and attach the bear's arms and legs
Roll out a log of clay about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 3 inches long.
Break the log into two pieces for the bear's legs. Flatten and smooth down the end of each half so that the part connected under the bear is flat.
Use water to attach the flat part of the bear's leg to the bottom of its body. Make sure to point the leg so it's facing towards the outside.
Attach the second leg in the same way, again pointing outward. Then use your finger and a bit of water to smooth out and flatten the bottom of the bear.
Make arms the same way as the legs, this time starting with with a log that's just over 1/4 inch thick and about 4 inches long.Attach the flat parts of the arms at the back of the bear, up near where the head is attached. Use a toothpick or your fingers and water to make the arm connection seamless.
Use a toothpick to carve more stitching marks down the front middle of the bear's body.
Allow the clay teddy bear to dry for 48 hours.
Step 5: Paint the clay bear
Paint the bear's muzzle light brown using acrylic paint.
Use black paint to cover the bear's eyes and nose.
Paint the rest of the clay bear a medium brown colour. Allow 1 hour to dry.
Add a second coat of paint, if needed, and allow to dry.Your clay bear is complete!