How to Make Polymer Clay Candy Corns
Candy corns are one of those candies -- like marshmallow eggs or candy canes -- that are definitely seasonal. Around here, it just doesn't seem like autumn til we've bought that first bag of candy corns. It's a yearly tradition.
Another yearly tradition is when I take a few of those candy corns up to my craft room to use as a model for my yearly batch of polymer clay candy corns. These are easy & fun to make -- and they can be turned into any number of things (earrings, thumbtacks, etc.). Course the best thing about the polymer clay version is they're not sticky & they won't ruin your diet!
Here's a quick tutorial on how to make your own batch of candy corns out of polymer clay:
Materials
- Polymer clay: orange, yellow, white
- Tools (optional): pasta machine, round cookie cutters
Instructions
Cut out orange, yellow and white clay pieces. I use my pasta machine to roll out each color of conditioned polymer clay to the thickest setting. I then use a set of small cookie cutters to cut out the right size clay pieces. The cookie cutters I use are 5/8" diameter (yellow), 3/4" (orange) and 1/2" (white).
This is a quick way to ensure all of pieces of each color will be exactly the same size -- which is important if you're making a pair of something like earrings. But if you don't have a pasta machine and/or cookie cutters, you could just eyeball it. Or you could embrace the uneven-ness as "handmade charm."
- Roll each color piece into a ball. Making a ball first will help eliminate creases in the clay when you push the colors together.
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Push the colors together. Start by pressing together the orange and yellow balls. Smoosh them together to eliminate the seam between the colors, then roll this between your thumb and index finger to create a conical shape. Wipe your hands off on a baby wipe (to prevent tinting the white clay), then repeat the process to add a white ball to the bottom of the candy corn. If you want to match the traditional Brach's candy corn, the color order should be yellow (top), orange (middle), white (bottom). 
Shape & bake. Now that the colors are all in place and the seams are mostly eliminated, work to achieve the conical candy corn shape. (Buy a bag of candy corns for "research" if you need a little help. Or you can try Flickr -- but where's the fun in that?!)
Once you're happy with the shape, do any other pre-baking steps required for your specific project. For example, if you're making dangle-y earrings, you may want to stick an eyepin down the middle. Finally, bake your candy corns according to your clay manufacturer's recommendations (check the package if you're not sure).
If you want a little shine, you can glaze the baked pieces using Future floor finish or another polymer-clay friendly product. When I glaze my candy corns, I push them into a styrofoam block til they dry.
Enjoy making these fun little candies. Who knows -- maybe polymer clay candy corns will become the new sign of fall in your household!
For more candy corn fun, check out Brach's recipes and Curbly's Candy Corn Cookies. And don't miss the "Ode to Candy Corn" written by Lynn of Lynn's Favorite Recipes on National Candy Corn Day.
Comments
Great tutorial! I love candy corns. Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Ilysa Bierer | November 21, 2007 6:31 AM
Thanks Ilysa -- & happy holidays to you, too!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | November 21, 2007 9:19 AM