Miniature hotdog meal tutorial using polymer clay

Create a classic all-American hotdog meal using a variety of polymer clay, fabric paints, paper and wood in just 12 easy steps! This bright and beautiful quick make project was lovingly created by Lynn Allingham.

Independence Day: How to make your miniature hotdog meal!

You will need

• Polymer clay: white, yellow, caramel brown, orange and red
• Soft pastels: beige, rusty orange, brown, white, black and green
• Tulip slick dimensional fabric paints: red, yellow and white
• Clear gloss liquid
• Kraft card (brown card)
• Newspaper
• 1 x wooden board - roughly 50mm x 40mm
• 3mm double-sided tape
• Glue

• Craft knife
• Bare craft blade
• Pokey tool
• Toothbrush (old or new)
• Small soft paintbrush
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler

Lynn's top tip!

"To add a pop of colour to your hotdog scene why not get some bright gingham material and make two simple napkins? Cut two squares from the fabric, then fold diagonally off-centre and fix in place with a small piece of double-sided tape. This simple addition to a scene can really make the whole thing come alive."

Download the template here!

Method

1 Use the template provided to cut a hotdog tray net from brown Kraft card. Use a craft knife and ruler to score the fold lines. Assemble the tray using double-sided tape.

2 Cut a 35x35mm rectangle from a piece of newspaper. Scrunch the paper rectangle to look slightly tatty and then attach diagonally into the hotdog tray using a small piece of double-sided tape.

3 Use white polymer clay mixed with a little yellow to create cream. Roll one piece of clay flat; to roughly 1-2mm in thickness, this will later be used to cut fries. Take a second piece of clay and shape into a hotdog roll measuring 25x10mm.

4 Use a bare craft blade to cut a slit lengthways into the hotdog bun; be careful not to cut all the way through. Use the bare craft blade again to cut the flat clay into thin fries in a variety of lengths. Make roughly 25 fries in total.

5 Apply texture to the inner edges of the cut bun by scratching the clay in a delicate crosshatch motion with a pokey tool. Use a toothbrush to apply texture to all the fries. Use soft pastel in beige, rusty orange and brown and apply colour to the hotdog bun and fries. Use a small soft paintbrush to build the colour from light to dark.

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6 Take polymer clay in caramel brown and mix with a little orange to create rusty red. Roll the clay into a sausage shape, 30mm in length by 4mm in width. Take soft pastel in black and use the side of a pokey tool to apply small char-grill lines to the sausage, as pictured.

7 Place the sausage into the hotdog bun, and then assemble the hotdog and fries into the lined tray, as pictured. Set to one side.

8 Working with some of the cream clay made previously, roll into seven long stems, 20-25mm in length. Use a toothbrush to apply texture to each stem, do not worry if the clay flattens slightly at this stage.

9 Take the stems made previously and gently curve into small loops to create onion rings. Use a pokey tool to blend the join in the clay and to also apply added texture to each onion ring.

10 Use soft pastel in rusty orange and brown to apply colour to each onion ring. Use a small soft paintbrush to build the colour from light to dark. Assemble the onion rings, as desired onto a wooden board. Take all pieces, as positioned in the tray and on the wood and bake at a low temperature for 20 minutes.

11 Cut another piece of newspaper into a 30mm x 30mm rectangle. Scrunch the paper rectangle, fold diagonally in half and glue onto the wooden board. Glue the onion rings into position on the newspaper, as pictured. Take dimensional fabric paint in red and yellow and gently create zig-zag ketchup and mustard lines down the length of the hotdog.

12 Apply a little clear gloss liquid to the onion rings and inner edges of the hotdog bun. Create a dollop of sour cream on the wooden board using white dimensional fabric paint. Create a light dusting of black and white pastel over the hotdog to resemble black pepper and crispy onions. Lightly dust the white sour cream with green pastel to resemble chives. Leave all to completely dry.

Lynn: "It may seem strange to use fabric paints in miniature making, but through experience, I have found them to work extremely well with polymer clay, especially when creating miniature food scenes."

Looking for to create more food miniature food? Why not try this miniature bagel tutorial.