Polymer Clay Pumpkin Magnets

These Polymer Clay Pumpkin Magnets from Becky Meverden are a great way to get in the mood for Halloween. They make festive accents for your refrigerator or other metal surfaces. The purple polka dots add a pop of color to these sweet pumpkins. Best of all, unlike some other Halloween crafts, they're not even a tiny bit creepy. Your little goblins can help you put together these polymer clay crafts. You can turn these precious pumpkins into jewelry charms as well.
 

Materials:

• Polymer clay - For pumpkin: orange, brown, white, black, Polka dots: magenta or purple
• Toothpick
• 1/2" round magnet
• 3/4" round Kemper cutter, optional
• E6000 adhesive

Instructions:

1. Flatten a 1" orange ball into a 1 5/8" circle. Use your fingers to flatten the ball, but keep the center thicker than the edges.
    
2. Use a toothpick to indent lines on the pumpkin.
    
3. For the stem, roll a 5/16" brown ball into a 1/4" long tapered log. Use a toothpick to indent lines on the stem. Press the stem onto the back of the pumpkin.
    
4. For the eyes, flatten 2 3/16" white balls into teardrops. Press onto pumpkin. For the pupils, flatten 2 3/32" black balls and press them onto the eyes. Use a toothpick to make two squint lines by each eye.
    
5. For the eyebrows, roll two 1/8" orange balls into 1/4" long tapered logs. Press above each eye.
    
6. For the nose, roll a 1/4" orange ball into an oval and press onto the pumpkin.
    
7. For the mouth, press the lower half of a round cutter into the pumpkin. You can also use the lid of a tub margarine container. Cut a 1" x 2" strip and use your fingers to curve one end of the clay. Press into the pumpkin. Use a toothpick to place a hole on both sides of the mouth.
    
8. For the polka dots, roll 1/8" magenta (or whatever color you choose) balls. Press randomly all over pumpkin.
    
9. Bake pumpkin in a preheated 365 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let cool.
    
10. Glue magnet to the back of the pumpkin.