A simple design to sit on my gaming desk.
To me, the Freezer Bunny is synonymous to The Sims 4, a life simulation game I enjoy playing sometimes. I made a simple polymer clay version with a grassy base to set on my gaming desk.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
What is the Freezer Bunny?
The Freezer Bunny is a recognizable iconic figure in The Sims gaming franchise. It first appeared in The Sims 2 and continued appearing in The Sims 3, The Sims 4, and other Sims titles as an Easter egg.
Finding all the Freezer Bunnies in-game is like finding Waldo in the children's puzzle book series "Where's Waldo?" or "Where's Wally?" as he is known in Europe. Simmers, a name often given to The Sims franchise game players, enjoy spotting the Freezer Bunny throughout the game.
The Freezer Bunny does not do anything special, but may spotted in random places throughout the games including refrigerators, toy boxes, paintings, arcade machines, snow globes, etc.
Making the Polymer Clay Figure
The polymer clay Freezer Bunny I made recently is not perfect, but I am proud of what I created. It is the largest figure I have made, over an inch taller than the Polymer Clay 'Artsy Snowman' I made last December.
I first sketched and cutout an outline of the Freezer Bunny to use as a template. I ran four large balls of polymer clay through a clay pasta machine to make flat sheets.
Looking back, I believe it would have been easier to adhere the sheets together with clay adhesive to make a thick block to cut with my paper template one time. This did not cross my mind and I cutout four separate polymer clay Freezer Bunny outlines before adhering them all together using clay adhesive. Oh well. So, I gave myself some extra steps. It is a lesson learned for next time.
I smoothed the polymer clay piece the best I could with my fingers and various tools. I especially focused on smoothing the uneven seams along the edges where I layered the four sheets of polymer clay.
I used a spoon-like tool to carve out parts of the ears. I then used a ball tool to make impressions for eyes, a nose, and a tail in the body.
After baking the piece, I sanded the rough edges with 120 grit sandpaper. I honestly do not know if this was the correct grit to use, but it worked well enough for me. It was useful for creating a curved edge on the front of the Freezer Bunny.
I used clay adhesive to add eyes, nose, and a mouth to the front. I baked the piece again, sanded the new additions, and then used clay adhesive to add the tail to the back. I baked it one last time.
The body curled slightly during the multiple baking processes. It did not remain flat as I hoped. I have read online that placing a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper, foil, or cardboard would have minimized curling while baking. I will have to remember this tip for next time.
I primed the Freezer Bunny and an oval wood plaque with gesso. I wanted to make sure the paints I used would stick to the piece well.
I regret using a mix of acrylic and tempera paints. Tempera paint is thin and semi-opaque. I had to apply many coats of paint for a full color coverage. It took longer than necessary. I should have stuck with acrylic paints instead.
I also painted the wood base a dark green color to match the moss mat sheet I planned to adhere to it later. When the paint dried, I added the self-adhesive moss mat to the wood base and cut off the excess with a box cutter. The box cutter was sharper than my craft knives which is why I chose to use that tool.
I hammered four nails through the bottom of the wood base to hold the Freezer Bunny upright by the feet. My Dad suggested this, and it worked well.
I covered the nails with excess moss. I used hot glue to adhere small pieces that fell off the moss mat sheet.
My Thoughts
The final piece has its flaws. There are still rough areas. The paint job is not the best I have ever done. The body is curved and not straight or flat as I wanted. The brush strokes are visible on the front and back.
However, the polymer clay Freezer Bunny is something I enjoyed creating. I am happy with how my first attempt at this turned out!
I will proudly display it on my gaming desk so it could stare at me as I play video games. One day I will attempt to recreate this by applying the lessons learned from this and future polymer clay projects.
What's Next?
I made a polymer clay travel paint palette that I will share with you soon. Check back next week to see how I made it and if it survived!
Comment below to share your experience and tips for making a polymer clay figure.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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