Miniature 'flowers in a watering can’ tutorial

Get ready to welcome brighter days with a burst of colour by creating your own version of ‘spring in a can’ – Sadie Brown shows you how in just five steps! 

DIY miniature watering can flower arrangement 

By Sadie Brown

You will need

Materials 

• Polymer clay in white, sunflower yellow and light pink 
• Acrylic paints in metallic bronze, terracotta, burnt umber, black, grass green and phthalo green 
• 1/12th scale watering can 
• 1mm jewellery wire 
• Self-adhesive landscape flower tufts 
• All-purpose glue 
• Matte varnish 

Tools 

• Small brushes 
• Needle tool 
• Jewellery wire cutters  

Instructions 

1. Mix metallic bronze acrylic paint with terracotta, burnt umber and just a dash of black to create a rusty shade. Coat a 1/12th scale metal watering can thoroughly. As this is to give the can its aged, rusty e­ffect, try and give the paint a slightly textured look using a rough brush.  

2. Roll tiny tubes of polymer clay in white and pink, creating a point at each end. Flatten with a fingernail to create petals and arrange in a flower formation. For the large daisies, just one layer of white petals is required, with a second layer of smaller petals for the pink flowers. Add a small ball of sunflower yellow clay, flattened slightly to the centre of each daisy. You can also make a couple of roses by flattening balls of pale pink clay with a fingernail, levering them from your work surface with a needle tool. Roll the first petal into a cone shape and build the rose by adding the rest of the petals around that central core. Bake and allow to cool.  

Enjoy making miniatures? Subscribe to Dolls House & Miniature Scene magazine and watch your skills blossom! Enjoy quick-make projects, just like this one from the April 2020 issue, along with fascinating features, detailed projects, the latest news from the world of ‘mini’, techniques, seasonal inspiration and so much more! 

3. Cut a small length of 1mm jewellery wire to create a single flower stem. Coat with mixed grass green and phthalo green acrylic paint. Allow to dry and coat this and the flowers with matte varnish. Glue a daisy to the top of the stem.  

4. Using a variety of seasonal colours, cover the top of the watering can with carefully cut and small pieces of self-adhesive landscape flower tufts.  

5. Glue the flowers over the top of the flower tufts to create the final ‘bouquet’ e­ffect. 

Next, learn how to make a 1/12th scale greenhouse or make your own miniature garden using polymer clay and art clay.