How to make miniature blueberry pancakes using polymer clay

Who doesn’t love pancakes piled high and drenched in maple syrup? This miniatures project combines simple steps and techniques to create a delicious-looking piece for use in a dolls house, miniature scene, as jewellery or just for fun. 

This project is from Making Mini Food by Lynn Allingham, published by GMC. If you love this project you can get the book from our website WITH an automatic 10% off just for being you, PLUS free UK P+P! Don’t say we don’t spoil you, miniaturists…

DIY Miniature blueberry pancakes tutorial

You will need

• Polymer clay in white, beige, yellow, navy and translucent yellow
• Soft pastels in rusty orange and brown
• Acrylic paint in white and cream
• Deco gel in opaque yellow and opaque honey 
• Red and white gingham material 
• Miniature plastic or ceramic plate 
• Extra-small miniature plastic or ceramic plate and saucer
• Clean toothbrush
• Small embossing tool
• Pokey tool 
• Fine tweezers
• Paintbrush 
• Cosmetic sponge applicator
• Scissors
• Glue

Method

Making the miniature pancakes

1. Mix white clay with a little beige and yellow to create a soft cream. Divide the clay into six equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and roughly flatten out into pancakes, about 1in (2.5cm) in diameter. Each pancake should be unique in shape, not perfectly round. 

2. Take a clean toothbrush and apply texture to the surface of each pancake. Use a small embossing tool to apply finer detail to each pancake as desired. 

3. Use a cosmetic sponge applicator to gradually build up rusty orange and brown pastel colour to the surface of each pancake (see page 15 of the book). Apply a little colour to the reverse of each pancake too. Position the pancakes in a stack. 

Making the miniature blueberries

4. Take navy clay and roll into individual 1/8 in (2mm) balls. Make approximately 50-60 balls in total. 

5. Take the balls and make a hole in each one with a small round-headed embossing tool. Use a pokey tool to make four little indentations around the previously made hole. 

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To make the miniature butter

6. Take translucent yellow clay and cut into a 3/16in (5mm) square to resemble a knob of butter. Soften the corners to look as though the butter is melting. Place the butter on top of the pancakes and scatter a few blueberries over the stack. Use fine tweezers to glue a few berries into place around the side of the late. 

7. Bake all items made in Steps 1-6 for the recommended times. Once cooled, assemble and fix onto a plate. 

8. Take the remaining blueberries and glue them onto the extra-small plate or saucer. Take a little acrylic paint in white and cream and thin down with water. With the paintbrush, apply a little white paint to each blueberry. Apply a little cream paint to the top pancake to add definition. 

9. Take opaque yellow deco gel and apply it to the butter. Then take opaque honey deco gel and squeeze a generous amount onto the stack and around the blueberries. Pay particular attention to drizzling the gel down the side of the pancakes and onto the plate. 

10. Cut a piece of gingham material 1 9/16in (4 cm) square, fold diagonally and fix in place. Attach the napkin to the underside of the plate. Leave all pieces to dry completely. 

If you loved this project as much as we did, don't forget we've got the book Making Mini Food by Lynn Allingham (and many more amazing books) on our website with 10% off and FREE UK P+P! 

There are also plenty more great projects for you to try on our blog – why not make miniature strawberry jam next?!