Jojo The Polymer Clay Panda Charm

Deborah Liu | Mommy School

Pandas are popular at our house. When the kids were young, I created characters for each of them, and for my son, it was Jojo the Panda after Jonathan. So I made this homage to Jojo. Pandas are particularly fun to make since they are counter shaded.

Cut the clay into blocks so that it is easy to work with.

Massage the clay until it is softened and easy to work with.

Body:

Shape the head as a sphere and the body as an elongated oval.
Ensure that they are proportional in size.

Tail, Ears, and Eyes:

Shape two small spheres for ears and a slightly larger one for a tail.
Make a flattened oval for the eyes. Press on either side of the face. Add a small dot of clay on the nose.

Arms, and Legs:

Make two elongated ovals and shape arms and flatten. Use the eyepin to put three claws on the end of the hand.
Make two elongated ovals and shape into feet. Push the end of the foot up at a 90 degree angle and press down on the paper. Mark three claws on the top of the foot.

Putting it together:

Place the head on the body and press down firmly to adhere.
Sit the body and press down so that it sits on its own.
Press the arms and legs on either side of the body. Make sure the legs sit firmly.
Press an eye pin through the top straight down. It will help the head adhere to the body.
Add two small dots of white clay onto the eyes and then add a small black dot on top. Press down.
Add a small heart on the center of his hands.

Finishing:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes. You can check for doneness by pressing your nail into the bottom after it cools a bit. If it makes a dent, it is not quite ready. Place in the oven for 3 more minutes. Pull it out and cool completely.