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Whether you're a parent or a tween/teen, this polymer clay kitty cat craft is going to be so fun to make and play with. Use it as a miniature toy, a charm for a bracelet or necklace - even a fun decoration for your favorite plant!
It's a great project for kids of all ages, and it's really easy to do. In this tutorial, we will show you how to make a polymer clay kitty cat. This is a really fun and cute DIY project, and it's perfect for an indoor activity when you're just flat bored.
Easy Polymer Clay Kitty Craft for Kids: A Cute and Easy DIY Project
What is Polymer Clay?
Polymer clay is a type of modeling clay that is made from polymers. It is available in a variety of colors and can be easily molded into different shapes. Polymer clay is oven-bakeable, so once you're done crafting your kitty cat, you can bake it to set the clay.
Why Use Polymer Clay?
Polymer clay is a great material to use for crafting because it's so easy to work with. It's also really versatile - you can use it to make all sorts of different things, like jewelry, toys, and decorations. And once you're done crafting, you can bake the clay to set it in place so it won't need to sit around for a week while it dries.
Do You Need Special Tools to Work with Polymer Clay?
No, you don't need any special tools to work with polymer clay. All you really need is a crafting surface and something to shape the clay with, like a rolling pin or your hands. You can also use polymer clay tools to create different textures and designs on your kitty cat. But if you don't have any of those things, don't worry - you can still make a cute kitty cat with just your hands and a little bit of polymer clay.
What Supplies Do You Need to Make this Easy Polymer Clay Kitty Craft?
- Light Grey Glitter Polymer Clay
- White Polymer Clay
- Black Polymer Clay
- Dark Grey Polymer Clay (can mix a little of the grey and a little black, if needed)
- Pink Polymer Clay
- White Acrylic Paint
- Black Acrylic Paint
- Rubbing Alcohol
What Tools Do You Need to Make This Easy Polymer Clay Kitten Craft?
- Chopstick or ⅛-inch Dowel
- Oven
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
- Toothpick
- Paintbrush
How Do You Make this Easy Polymer Clay Kitty Craft?
- Preheat your oven to the temperature noted on your clay packaging. For my clay the baking temperature is 230-degrees F.
- To make the body of the kitty, break off a small portion (about 1 inch square) of the light grey glitter clay.
- Roll this light grey glitter clay into a nice, neat ball that is very smooth, then roll and shape the top (your choice of which end is the top) into a bit of a wide-domed cone. This should be as rounded and smooth as you can get it.
- Mash the other end of the light grey glitter clay into a flat bottom.
- Make the stripes by pinching off one very small piece of the dark grey clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide) then rolling it into a very very small snake. Cut or pinch off nine ¼-1/2 inch long lengths and affix 3 to the top of the head and 3 on either side of the body.
- Make the tail by pinching off one small piece of the light grey glitter clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide) then rolling it into a thin snake that is about 1 inch long. Taper the snake on one end to a point and flatten the other end. With the remaining stripe (dark grey) snake piece, cut or pinch off a length that is equally as long as the light grey snake. Wrap this dark grey snake around the light grey snake to create a stripe or multiple stripes. I went with a long stripe on top. But you could do a spiral or a series of stripes. Affix the flat end of the tail to the back bottom of the body piece of clay. To help the edge of the tail to affix to the body, you can use a paintbrush to work the edge of the tail into the body. Wrap the tail around the body and give it a little curl, as desired.
- Make the ears by pinching off two very small pieces of the light grey glitter clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide each). Flatten and shape each of these into small triangles and affix them to either side of the top of the body piece of clay. To help the edges affix, you can use a paintbrush to work the edge of the ears into the body.
- Make the muzzle by pinching off a piece of white clay (about ⅛-inch square) and shaping it into a wide, flat heart shape. Turn the heart upside down (with the pointy bit to the sky) and press it to the front of the body piece, about ⅓ of the way down from the top of the head.
- Make the nose by pinching off a piece of pink clay (about 1/16-inch square) and flattening it, rounding the edges, to make a flat circle. Press this onto the front of the kitty, at the top of the muzzle.
- Add eye sockets by pressing the end of a chopstick twice into the space between the nose and ear, leaving a shallow crater where the eyes will go.
- Add the eyes by pinching off the tiniest piece of black clay (about 1/16-inch square) and rolling it into a tight, neat ball. Repeat to make two balls, then press them into the craters you made in the last step.
- Clean your fingerprints and tiny imperfections from your kitten by gently brushing the clay with a paintbrush dampened in rubbing alcohol. This does not have to be super wet with the alcohol, just a little goes a long way. Take care to brush the white parts first, followed by the darker colors so that no black clay smears on your white clay.
- Bake the clay cat per the instructions on your clay packaging. Allow to cool completely before handling.
- Using the end of a toothpick, place the smallest dot of white paint on the black part of the eyes.
- With the clean end of the toothpick, place the smallest dots of black paint on the muzzle for faux whiskers.
- Allow the paint to dry then enjoy!
Isn't this just the funnest little craft?! If you wanted to turn it into a charm, you'll just add an eye hook and chain. I personally just love having the figure on my desk.
If you loved this as much as I do, be sure to pin it to your favorite craft board on pinterest so you can find it again fast when you're ready.
More Fun Kids Crafts You'll Love
- Easy Kid-Made Crystals
- Edible Finger Paint for Kids
- Adorable Unicorn Planter
- Simple Unicorn Bookmark
Yield: 1 Polymer Clay Kitty
Polymer Clay Kitty
Super cute and surprisingly fast to make, this adorable polymer clay kitty is a fun craft in itself, but it makes a great gift, toy or charm for a necklace.
Active Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
DifficultyEasy
Estimated Cost$10
Materials
- Light Grey Glitter Polymer Clay
- White Polymer Clay
- Black Polymer Clay
- Dark Grey Polymer Clay (can mix a little of the grey and a little black, if needed)
- Pink Polymer Clay
- White Acrylic Paint
- Black Acrylic Paint
- Rubbing Alcohol
Tools
- Chopstick or ⅛-inch Dowel
- Oven
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
- Toothpick
- Paintbrush
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the temperature noted on your clay packaging. For my clay the baking temperature is 230-degrees F.
- To make the body of the kitty, break off a small portion (about 1 inch square) of the light grey glitter clay.
- Roll this light grey glitter clay into a nice, neat ball that is very smooth, then roll and shape the top (your choice of which end is the top) into a bit of a wide-domed cone. This should be as rounded and smooth as you can get it.
- Mash the other end of the light grey glitter clay into a flat bottom.
- Make the stripes by pinching off one very small piece of the dark grey clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide) then rolling it into a very very small snake. Cut or pinch off nine ¼-1/2 inch long lengths and affix 3 to the top of the head and 3 on either side of the body.
- Make the tail by pinching off one small piece of the light grey glitter clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide) then rolling it into a thin snake that is about 1 inch long. Taper the snake on one end to a point and flatten the other end. With the remaining stripe (dark grey) snake piece, cut or pinch off a length that is equally as long as the light grey snake. Wrap this dark grey snake around the light grey snake to create a stripe or multiple stripes. I went with a long stripe on top. But you could do a spiral or a series of stripes. Affix the flat end of the tail to the back bottom of the body piece of clay. To help the edge of the tail to affix to the body, you can use a paintbrush to work the edge of the tail into the body. Wrap the tail around the body and give it a little curl, as desired.
- Make the ears by pinching off two very small pieces of the light grey glitter clay (about ¼-inch long by ⅛-inch wide each). Flatten and shape each of these into small triangles and affix them to either side of the top of the body piece of clay. To help the edges affix, you can use a paintbrush to work the edge of the ears into the body.
- Make the muzzle by pinching off a piece of white clay (about ⅛-inch square) and shaping it into a wide, flat heart shape. Turn the heart upside down (with the pointy bit to the sky) and press it to the front of the body piece, about ⅓ of the way down from the top of the head.
- Make the nose by pinching off a piece of pink clay (about 1/16-inch square) and flattening it, rounding the edges, to make a flat circle. Press this onto the front of the kitty, at the top of the muzzle.
- Add eye sockets by pressing the end of a chopstick twice into the space between the nose and ear, leaving a shallow crater where the eyes will go.
- Add the eyes by pinching off the tiniest piece of black clay (about 1/16-inch square) and rolling it into a tight, neat ball. Repeat to make two balls, then press them into the craters you made in the last step.
- Clean your fingerprints and tiny imperfections from your kitten by gently brushing the clay with a paintbrush dampened in rubbing alcohol. This does not have to be super wet with the alcohol, just a little goes a long way. Take care to brush the white parts first, followed by the darker colors so that no black clay smears on your white clay.
- Bake the clay cat per the instructions on your clay packaging. Allow to cool completely before handling.
- Using the end of a toothpick, place the smallest dot of white paint on the black part of the eyes.
- With the clean end of the toothpick, place the smallest dots of black paint on the muzzle for faux whiskers.
- Allow the paint to dry then enjoy!
