Beach Teddy Bears

Teddy Bear Craft

For a cute remembrance of your summer fun, try sculpting these polymer clay beach bears. They're so easy, even kids can do them — all you do is roll balls and logs. Adapt these instructions to make bears that resemble your family and its activities. Display them with your collection, and when people ask who the artist is, you'll be proud to say "Me!"
INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the bikini bear: Roll a 1-1/8" ball of sahara clay into a 1" pear shape. Cut off about ¼" of the wide end with a knife. Roll a 7/8" ball of Indian red clay and flatten it slightly until it matches the size of the cut end of the bear's body. Press onto the cut end of the bear and reshape into a pear shape with the large end down. This is the bear's bikini bottoms.

For the legs: Roll two 7/8" balls of Sahara clay into tapered logs 2" long. Press the tapered end of each leg to the opposite sides of the lower body in a sitting position. Press your thumb into the end of each leg to flatten the foot, creating a slight indentation.

For the tail: Roll a 5/16" ball of Sahara clay into a teardrop. Press to the center bottom back of the body. Indent a belly button with the toothpick into the front center of the body, above the bikini bottom.

For the bikini top: Roll a 5/16" ball of red clay into a log 2" long. Taper both ends so the log is thicker in the middle. Flatten with the roller to about 1/16" thick. Trim the bottom edge with a knife. Wrap around the upper portion of the body, with the thicker center in the front. Use the knife to trim the back where the ends meet. Roll a red ball of clay into a 2" long snake, cut in half, and set aside.

 2. To make the arms: Roll two ¾" balls of Sahara clay into tapered logs 1-½" long. Press the tapered ends to opposite sides of the body near the top. Place one of the red strips over each shoulder, meeting the front and back of the bikini top. Trim as needed.

 3. TO make the head: Roll a 7/8" ball of Sahara clay into a pear shape and press the wide end firmly on top of the body.

For the ears: Roll two 3/8" balls of Sahara clay into logs 5/8" long. Fold each log in half. Press the ears onto each side of the head with the folded end up.

For the muzzle: Shape a 5/16" ball of Sahara clay into a slight triangle. Flatten slightly with your fingers and press it onto the center lower portion of the face.

For the face: Roll a 1/8" ball of black clay and press it to the center top of the muzzle for the nose. With a toothpick, press a black seed bead into the clay on each side of the nose. Using a cotton swab, blush the cheeks with powdered blush or chalk.

 4. To make the bows: Shape four 3/16" balls of red clay into triangles. Roll two 1/8" balls of red clay and set aside. Place the points of two triangles together in the center front of bikini top. Indent each one with a toothpick. Place one of the red balls in the center for the knot. Repeat to form a bow for the head.

 5. To make the sandals: Roll two ½" balls of white clay and flatten with your fingers to match the shape of the foot; set aside. Roll a 7/16" ball of white into a 2-½" long snake. Cut in half. Wrap one strip across the top of each foot, extending onto the bottom of the foot. Press one of the flattened white pieces to the bottom of each foot. With a knife, score diagonal lines across each sandal bottom.

For the flowers: Roll ten 1/8" balls of yellow clay into teardrops. Flatten them slightly with your fingers. Place five of them, points together, on your work surface. Roll two 1/8" balls of white clay and press one into the center of the flower. Repeat for second flower. Carefully press each flower on the top center of a sandal strap.

6. To make the beach ball: Roll a 3/16" ball of tropical green clay and a 3/16" ball of brilliant blue clay. Cut each ball into fourths, like a pie. Place four of the pieces back together, alternating blue and green. Re-roll into a ball shape to smooth the seams. Roll a 1/16" ball of white clay and place in the center top of the ball. Indent the center with the toothpick. Press the ball firmly to the front side of the bear against the leg and arm.

7. Finishing: Dip the end of a toothpick into white acrylic paint and add tiny dots to the top and bottom of the bikini.

Carefully set the bear on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 265 degrees for 40 minutes. Allow the bear to cool in the oven before removing.

8. To make the inner tube: Roll a 1-1/8" ball of black clay into a log 4" long. Join ends to make a circle and blend the seam with your fingers. Flatten a 5/16" ball of Indian red clay and cut into a square approximately ¼" by ¼". Press this onto the front of the inner tube and use a knife to make stitch marks on each side of the patch.

 9. To make the inner tube bear: Roll a 1-1/8" ball of tan clay into a pear shape. Roll two 7/8" balls of tan clay into logs 2" long, tapering one end. With the wide end of the body at bottom, press tapered ends of legs to opposite sides of the lower body in a sitting position. Place the bear into the center of the inner tube, draping legs to the front.

For the arms: Roll two ¾" balls of tan clay into logs 1-½" long, tapering one end of each. Press the tapered ends to opposite sides of the body near the top. Place the arms over the sides of the inner tube.

For the head and face: Follow Bikini Bear step 3, using tan clay.

 10. To make the fins: Roll two 3/16" balls of black clay into 1-¼" teardrops. Flatten with your fingers. Cut a W shape into the wide end of each with a knife. Smooth the edges with your fingers. Roll a 5/16" ball of black clay into a 2" long log. Cut in half. Press the bear's foot onto each fin. Press one of the black strips over the top of each foot, meeting the back edges of the fin.
 

11. To make the inner tube stem: Roll a 3/16" ball of black clay and press, flattening, onto the inner tube near the bear's arm. Roll a 5/32" ball of black clay into a ¼" log, tapering one end. Press the tapered end into the black ball on the inner tube.
 

 12. Bake as directed in step 7.
 

 13. To make the surfboard bear: Roll two 7/8" balls of tan clay into 1-½" long logs, tapering one end of each. Stand legs up on your work surface with wide ends at the bottom. Roll two 3/4" balls of brilliant blue clay into 3/4" long logs, tapering one end. Insert the handle of a paintbrush into the wide end of each blue log. Roll the log back and forth between your thumb and index finger to hollow out. Insert a leg into each blue tube. Stand the legs up together side by side.

For the body: Roll a 1-1/8" ball of tan clay into a 1" pear shape. Follow Bikini Bear step 1 to add the bottoms of the trunk, using blue clay. Press the body firmly onto the legs, making sure the bear stands straight.

For the arms: Follow Bikini Bear step 2 using tan clay. For the head and face: Follow Bikini Bear step 3 using tan clay.

14. To make the sandals: Follow Bikini Bear step 5. Do not add flowers or score lines on the bottoms of the sandals.
  

 15. To make the surfboard: Roll a 3/8" ball of blue clay into a 3-½" snake. Shape a 1" ball of white clay into a teardrop. Flatten with the roller to about 1/8" thick. With a knife, trim the bottom straight across. Cut into a surfboard shape about 2-¾" long and tapered at the top. Smooth the edges with your fingers. Lay the blue snake down the center of the surfboard, zigzagging a little. Roll gently with your roller to flatten. Trim ends as needed.

Roll a 7/16" ball of white clay and flatten with the roller to 1/8" thick. With the knife, cut a triangle about ½" by ½". Press the triangle to the bottom center back of the surfboard. Press the surfboard firmly to the back half of the bear.

16. Bake as directed in step 7.
MATERIALS For each bear:

    * Black seed beads, two
    * Polymer clay template (optional)

For Bikini Bear:

    * Polymer day: Sahara, Indian red, white, brilliant blue, tropical green, yellow
    * Acrylic paint: white

For Inner Tube Bear:

• Polymer clay: tan, black, Indian red
For Surfboard Bear:

• Polymer clay: tan, brilliant blue, white, black

Miscellaneous items: Craft knife, round toothpicks, ruler, paintbrush, powdered blush or chalk, cotton swabs, brayer or rolling pin, baking sheet lined with parchment paper, oven, work surface (glass, ceramic tile, or waxed paper), scissors, masking tape.