Baby Mandrake Root in Polymer Clay for Hagrid's Hut

Baby mandrake in polymer clay

I am sooo loving this Hagrid's hut project, and I have to confess, making the tiny items to go inside the hut is a lot more fun than stitching the hut itself was, lol.

I know that Hagrid isn't Prof. Sprout, but I LOVE baby mandrakes and figured Hagrid should have one, especially since he is so into the care of magical creatures.  I am still learning how to use polymer clay (by reading books and tutorials online).  It's a lot of fun!

Learning to sculpt a tiny baby mandrake

The above pic shows my mandrake while he was baking.  One of his legs (roots) fell off and I had to glue it back on using liquid sculpy.  I re-positioned it so it wouldn't be so easy to break next time.

Painting tiny baby mandrake

I mixed green, brown, and yellow red to get different shades of brown.  I though the should be darker toward the roots and lighter in the face, with green leaves.  I didn't give him many leaves because he is just a baby and only starting to sprout :-).

Side view of baby mandrake

Little baby mandrake bottom, lol

I gave him a sort of baby bottom, but had to make him look rooty, so I drew lines down his back, and across his little behind.

Adding "soil" to baby mandrake

I dabbed a bit of white glue onto his limbs and used a toothpick to add some coffee grounds (grinds?). I even put a speck on his little cheek, lol.

Canadian Nickel and dollhouse size doll to show baby mandrake's tiny size

He's very tiny and it's hard to tell in the other photos so I put him beside a Canadian nickel and a little dollhouse doll, to show scale.

Baby Mandrake on Hagrid's table

 Here he is in Hagrid's hut, on the table. Hagrid's probably wondering where his earphones are. Believe it or not, I actually found earphones for Hagrid in a package of erasers I had purchased ages ago at the dollar store.  I'll take photos of the earphones in another post, after the baby mandrake's special Hallowe'en pot and piles of earth are done.

Baby mandrake on Hagrid's table

Making "soil" mounds and getting pumpkin ready to use as pot for baby mandrake

I mixed coffee grounds and white glue to make dirt piles.  I want to put one in the pumpkin, and one beside the pumkin, so it looks like baby Mandrake is being transplanted.  I also added some glue to the rim of the pumkin and dipped it in coffee grounds (grinds?).  Note to self; next time, let the used coffee grounds dry first, lol.

Making soil patties for baby mandrake

Needle felted Hagrid with ear muffs, repotting polymer clay baby mandrake in plastic canvas dollhouse

I found miniature earmuffs or headphones in a bag of erasers I bought at the dollar store awhile ago...perfect for this scene, lol (since the cry of a baby mandrake kill, lol).  I gave up on the coffee grains and used black wool batting for earth; it works perfectly.

Needle felted Hagrid, crocheted baby Norbert, polymer clay baby mandrake, porcelain poodle :-)

Hagrid's looking at me as if to say, "Can't you move these creatures so I can enjoy my rock cake in peace?" lol.

I'm allergic to all dogs except for poodles and have had poodles for over 20 years, so I figured my Hagrid should have a pet poodle, along with his pet baby dragon and baby mandrake, of course.

I love the baby mandrake; it was such a fun project. Now, what should I name him?