How to create a miniature wheelbarrow

As part of our 'miniature garden' series, Candy Chappill shares how to make this delightful wheelbarrow for your garden scene in eight simple steps.

Miniature wheelbarrow tutorial

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You will need

Art Clay Copper Clay
Roller
Spacers –1mm
Tissue blade
Spacers 1.5mm
Sewing needle
Sanding pad & file
Swivel pin vice
Drill bit 3.5mm
Firing method
Brass brush
Green polymer clay
Spacers 2mm
Scalpel
Superglue
Thick copper wire
Wire cutters

Download the template used in this project here.

Method

1. Roll out clay 1mm thick, and cut two wheelbarrow sidebars from your template. A tissue blade is good for cutting these long straight lines.

2. Roll out more clay 1.5mm thick and cut around your wheelbarrow wheel template. For more intricate cutting a sewing needle is perfect.

3. Once your copper pieces are dry, sand and refine any rough edges using your sanding pad and file. Be delicate with the 1mm thick pieces as they‘ll snap easily.

4. Drill some holes in your pieces – these will hold the axel of your wheelbarrow. Candy used a 3.5mm drill bit. Drill a central hole in your wheel and one right in the end of your wheelbarrow sidebars.

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5. Once your pieces are completely dry, refined and drilled you‘re ready to fire. Candy fired hers in a kiln at 970°C for 30 minutes and finished it with a simple brass brush.

6. To make your wheelbarrow top, roll green polymer clay 2mm thick and cut around your templates. Cut a 2cm wide long strip (this will be for the ends).

7. Once baked and cooled (Candy baked hers in the oven at 130°C for 30 minutes), glue your wheelbarrow together. Start with the sides and base, then measure up the ends, trim appropriately and glue.

8. Glue your wheelbarrow sidebars along the edge of your green top part using superglue. With pliers, bend the drilled ends in, and using some thick copper wire (which will be your axel), thread your wheel onto it.