DIY Fox Figurine

This month, I'm working on making better use of my craft supplies.  Too often, I buy a spool of ribbon or a bunch of beads, and I only end up using a little bit of it.  Then, the rest sits around forever.  Anyone else have this bad habit?  So, I've decided to start using up some of these old supplies!  It's great for two reasons: 1) I spend less money on making new crafts, and 2) I have to be more creative!

Today, I'll take you step by step through making a fox figurine out of leftover Sculpey from when I made these bird ornaments.  And although the post is a long one, making this fox is much easier than you think!  I promise :)

You will need:

• Sculpey clas
• Paint

For those of you who haven't used Sculpey before, it's a clay that "stays soft" until you bake it.  However, soft doesn't necessarily translate to pliable... you have to massage the clay for a bit before you can really start to mold it.  So, once you've got the clay softened, you'll need a medium ball, about two and a half inches in diameter.

Divide the ball in two- one third and two thirds of the original.  Take the smaller ball and mold it into the body of the fox.  It will be bigger at the bottom and taper off at the top.  It kind of looks like a duck's head turned beak side up :)  Press the body against your work surface to flatten it so it sits securely.

Next, take your bigger ball and pinch off about an inch diameter ball of clay.  Roll this into a long, slim worm.  This will be the fox's feet!

Pinch off two feet that are about the length of your fox's bottom.  Place them on either side of the fox base.

Then, pinch off two more pieces to be the fox's front legs, making a little curve at the bottom like a gold club.  Attach these to the front of the fox's body, at the chest.

Take the remaining piece of the worm and divide it in two equal pieces, rolling them into a spiral.  These are its haunches.  Place on either side of the body.

Then, smooth out each of these elements with your fingers.  It's okay if it isn't perfect- it looks rustic and pretty with a few dents and divets!

Now we make the head!  Again, you'll make a small ball from the remaining clay, slightly larger than an inch in diameter.

Pinch one spot to make the nose, then pinch the sides of the head to make points, those characteristic fox tufts.  I think the head looks a little like Yoda at this point...

From the leftover clay, pinch off two thumb-print sized pieces and roll them into balls.  Make them into (American!) footballs, and flatten them slightly.  Place these at the back of the head for ears and blend them into the head with your fingers.

Place the head on top of the body and blend the seam with your fingers.  If the body is too tall (mine was!), just pinch a little bit off the top.  You can also make little "bandaids" of the clay to help disguise the seam between the head and the body.

Finally (you're almost done!), take the remaining clay and roll it into a cylinder.  Roll one end to a point (the end of the fox tail) and the other end to a gradual taper.

Place the tail around the base of the fox body, wrapping it close to the haunches and feet.  Then, blend the tail into the tush of your fox.

Make any adjustments you want to at this point, and preheat your oven to 275.  On a baking sheet, bake your fox for 15 minutes for every 1/4 inch of thickness.  I baked mine for about 40 minutes.  Let it cool completely and then paint.  I used some gold paint leftover from my Christmas ornaments.

And you're done!  It's a lot of steps, I know, but hopefully I've made this a little more do-able for you!  I've got my little guy sitting on the shelf.  Not sure if he'll stay there or find a new home, but I think he's pretty cute :)