Mmmm... Pizza.
In honor of National Pepperoni Pizza Day (US) celebrated on September 20th, I made eight polymer clay pepperoni pizza slices.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Making the "Dough"
I used Original Sculpey polymer clay to make my slices of pepperoni pizza. I rolled a chunk of clay into a ball and flattened it with my palm.
I then used my fingers to shape a lumpy outer wall that served as the crust. Once I was satisfied with the overall shape of the pizza, I cut it into eight individual slices. This gave me plenty of pieces to later turn into pendants, keychains, or whatever else I wanted to make.
I used a toothbrush to add stippled texture. I also used a pointed sculpting tool to add varying depths of holes on the sides of each slice.
I normally paint baked clay, but this time I decided to color the pre-baked clay with chalk pastels. I used a blade to shave the pastel to make fine powder.
The powder was easier to brush onto the clay than brushing the pastel stick directly. I was able to control how much powder I lifted and brushed onto the clay.
If I wanted a darker or different color, I added more over an already brushed area or mixed two pastel colors together. Some of the coloring rubbed onto my fingers before and after baking the clay.
Adding Sauce, Cheese, and Pepperoni
I shaved red chalk pastel into translucent liquid clay. I used liquid clay because its consistency imitated pizza sauce well. I used my metal sculpting tool to add the liquid clay to the pizza slices.
After I finished adding the red liquid clay, I shaved light yellow chalk pastel into translucent liquid clay. I drizzled the liquid clay over the pizza slices to imitate melted cheese. I will explain my thoughts as to why this cheesy attempt did not work out later.
I started to shave red chalk pastel into clay to make pepperoni, but I decided it would be easier to brush the pastel color after I made the pepperoni shapes. I rolled many tiny clay pieces into balls and flattened them with my finger to make small thin disks of clay.
I brushed shaved red pastel onto the pepperoni. I then used a toothbrush to add stippled texture. I added whole and cut disks of pepperoni to the slices.
I cut some of the disks in half to imitate pepperoni slices that would have been cut into when a baked pizza is sliced before delivery.
I added a screw eye pin to the crust of each pizza slice. I loaded the pizza slices onto a tile (my preference) and baked it in an oven.
My Cheesy Mistakes
While mixing the cheese for the pizza slices, I did not shave a lot of yellow pastel into the liquid clay to create an off-white color. I forgot that the liquid clay was translucent and would not maintain its color after baking.
After the first bake, the off-white look of the liquid clay disappeared. I touched up the pizza slices by trimming off some cheesy spills and brushing more shaved pastels to bare parts of the crust. The pastel color rubbed off onto my fingers as I handled the pizza slices.
I thought I could use a different liquid clay (bake and bond) for my second attempt at mixing cheese. I shaved a little bit of yellow pastel into the liquid and added it to the pizza slices.
I loaded the pizza slices onto a tile (my preference) and baked it in an oven for a second time.
Unfortunately, I again forgot that this other liquid clay was mostly transparent in color after baking. Had I recalled that liquid clay would not maintain its white coloration, I would have shaved a lot of white pastel into it.
Since I did not want to bake the pizza slices a third time, I used 3D fabric paint for my third and last attempt at mixing cheese.
Finishing the Pizza
I mixed white and yellow 3D fabric paints to make an off-white colored cheese. I used my metal sculpting tool to add the cheese to the pizza slices.
I left the slices alone to dry for about an hour. I used a heat gun to heat set the fabric paint. This took longer to set the fabric paint compared to an iron, but I was not willing to try ironing the slices.
The screw eye pins did not move, but I added a dab of super glue to ensure they did not loosen over time.
I protected the slices and sealed the pastel colors with matte Mod Podge. I did not want a shiny finish for these slices. I left the pieces to dry for several hours before handling.
My Thoughts
While I could have made edible pepperoni pizza to honor National Pepperoni Pizza Day, I enjoyed making this polymer clay version of this popular food. At least I am able to use these inedible slices for necklaces, keychains, and other decorative items that will not rot with time.
Overall, I loved how the polymer clay pepperoni pizza slices turned out! I did not expect my first attempt at clay pizza to look good. A toothbrush and chalk pastels played major roles in creating a somewhat realistic looking pizza.
I believe I messed up my first two attempts at making cheese by not adding white chalk pastel to liquid clay. I forgot liquid clay loses its coloration after baking, so the pizza slices looked like it did not consist of any cheesy goodness.
Fortunately, 3D fabric paint came to the rescue! I heat set the fabric paint with a heat gun and followed it with a coat of matte Mod Podge to seal the pastel colors. now I wonder if I could have popped it into the oven for a while. I may have to experiment with this idea another time.
What's Next?
After I eat a slice of pizza with pepperoni as one of the toppings, I will continue celebrating this day with some pizza-themed art. It would not hurt to improve my pizza art skills.
Comment below to share your favorite pizza toppings.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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