3-in-1 pine tree in polymer clay

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Today’s tutorial is a festive one, and it is the last blog post of 2018. I’m also providing a few options so you can use this tutorial for projects for any time of year!

This is a 3-in-1 tutorial. We’ll start with the base project, and then I’ll show you a couple of ways you can add to it to turn it into a festive Christmas tree or a wintery, snow-covered tree. The supplies are few, and these work up very quickly!

Supplies:

• Green polymer clay
• A flat clay remover (you can find these in craft stores or online)

 

For a snow-covered pine tree:

• The above supplies
• White 3D paint OR TLS (translucent liquid sculpey) and white clay

If you use the latter method, you’ll also want some kind of tool to help you mush up the clay into the TLS to create a paste.

 

 

For a Christmas tree:

• The supplies from the basic pine tree
• Colors of clay you’d like to use for decorations (ornaments, stars, garlands, etc.)
• Exacto knife

 

The clay remover is a pretty standard sculpting tool (although you’ll probably see it more widely used in ceramic sculpting), but if you don’t have one or can’t find one, you could also use a very sturdy wire bent so that there is a “V” at the end. You’ll want to leave extra wire so you can hold on to it, and if it’s something you think you’ll reuse, you may want to add a clay handle to it so it’ll  be easier and more comfortable to hang on to.

 

Feel free to make your tree taller/skinnier/shorter/wider to suit your tastes, but I kept this pretty simple to give it more of a 2D cutesy texture. This is by no means meant to be a realistic looking tree.

Basic pine tree

Step 1: make a cone

The basic tree shape here is a cone. To do this, take your green polymer clay, roll it into a ball, and then roll it against your work surface, tapering one side so that it comes to a round point.

Step 2: add your first row of texture

To hint at the pine tree branches, we’re going to add some texture to the cone. If you’re working with a softer clay, you may want to stick your cones in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes just so you don’t squish the shape for this step.

This technique is very similar to my scale texture tutorial where we’ll be using the tool for it’s impression shape.

Holding your tree at the base (I like to hold it at an angle, but do whatever ends up being the most comfortable), hold your tool at an angle so that the “V’ is pointing straight toward the bottom.

Push the tool into the clay, gently rocking it side to side so it creates a “V” in your clay. This should also be done at an angle so you’re not pushing in more parts of the tool than we need.

I like to start at the bottom and work toward the top of the tree because it’s easier (within reason), to make a row of branches longer or shorter to make everything fit toward the top, but when you start from the top, you don’t really have a way to gauge how tall your rows need to be so that your branch tip fits nicely on the bottom row.

Step 3: continue the rows of texture

Like the scale texture, we’re going to stagger the rows so a point meets up where two branches come together in the previous row.

Repeat step 3 until your cone is covered with these branches.

And there you have your basic pine tree! If this is what you want, you are ready to bake! If you want to make it a snowy or Christmas tree, continue on in this post!

Snow-covered pine tree

Step 1: create your pine tree

Follow the above steps so you have a basic pine tree. If you are using fabric paint, you will need to bake your tree first and let it cool completely. This is what I’m using for my tree! As an alternative, you could also use some TLS and white clay to mix up a thick paste that you can spread onto your unbaked pine tree and then proceed to baking.

Step 2: cover it with snow

I chose to just do the tops of the trees for my tree, but you can add as much or as little as you like! I apply the fabric paint directly from the bottle, making a splotchy shape at the top of the tree. This is a good way to hide the top of your tree as well if your branches didn’t match up as well as you would have liked (guilty 😀 ).

Let the paint dry completely before handling. I usually let mine sit overnight for safe measure.

Christmas tree

Step 1: Create your pine tree

Follow the first set of instructions to create a basic pine tree. You will not need to bake it before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2: decorate your pine tree

Now it’s time to add the Christmas decorations! You can add whatever you’d like. I made a little gold star for the top of my tree, as well as some basic round ornaments and a string of lights.

To make a string of lights

Roll out a very thin snake of black clay. This will be the basic strand. Wrap it around your tree, securing it at the top and bottom of the tree.

Then, in colors of your choosing, roll out teeny tiny teardrop shapes of clay. Attach these to your black snake of clay to create the lights. These can be in one color, or many!

To make a star

Take a semi flattened ball of clay in the color of your choice. Pinch the clay in 5 places of equal distance around the ball. These are the starts of the star points. Keep defining these points until you’re happy with them.

You may want to take the round handle of a tool to indent the spaces between points if they’re too small for your fingers. Add this to the top of your tree.

To make ornaments

For the easiest of the decor, make some round ornaments in varying sizes for your tree. You can definitely do other kinds of shapes, but I decided to keep mine simple.

Just have fun! The possibilities are only limited by how small you can work!

Here are the different styles of trees side-by-side. Which one is your favorite?

Also, as we’re heading toward the end of the year, I’m starting to plan next year’s blog posts. What are some things you’d like me to cover?