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?

Hagrid's Hut in plastic canvas, interior, now with baby dragon Norbert

Good afternoon!
I hope the sun is shining, wherever you are.  Here it is raining  and dreary, but that's OK because yesterday I went for a 3 hour hike and am too sore today to do any walking :-).  I'll post some photos of the hike another time, but for now, would like to share Hagrid's Hut interior, complete with furniture and odds and ends.

Hagrid's Hut, plastic canvas, Interior, with Norbert, crocheted baby dragon in egg

Here's a photo of the finished interior, with all of the items (so far).  Hagrid himself was needle felted. The dollhouse (hut), and furniture were all stitched on hard plastic canvas sheets.  I didn't have a pattern for the house or built in shelves, bench, and fireplace; I made those up myself.  The table and chairs, fire logs, log holder, book, and canister set are all Barbie sized furniture.  Since Hagrid is half giant I figured his items should be a lot bigger than standard sized dollhouse furniture.  I plan on making little Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione dolls, and I want the furniture to be too big for them, the way Hagrid's is for the movie kids.

Hagrid's Hut, fireplace with cauldron.

 The plastic canvas fire and logs can be removed from the fireplace, so the fire can be burning or not. I purposefully made the fireplace deep enough to hold a hanging cauldron.  I just found some Hallowe'en candies in tiny plastic cauldron shaped pumpkins, and I think I'm going to wrap the crocheted cauldron around that to give it the right form (and handle).  I'll take more photos if it works out.

Hagrid's Hut interior

Hagrid's Hut, crocheted baby Norbert dragon in eggshell

Here's my version of a baby dragon, Norbert, in an eggshell.  He has a curly tail, wings, and a long narrow body, just like the movie version.  I didn't have green or grey thin yarn so had to use worsted.  He's cute, but I'd like to try him again with lighweight yarn, so I can add more details, like ridging along the head, and webbing on the wings.

Hagrid's Hut, interior, canisters on shelf

Needle felted Hagrid, Plastic canvas Hut and furniture, crocheted Norbert

Hagrid's hut, interior

Hagrid's Hut, interior, with plastic canvas fire in fire place

Hagrid's fireplace, plastic canvas, crocheted cauldron

I had a lot of fun with this project.  Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Take care.

Hagrid's hut plastic canvas dollhouse, inner walls completed

Plastic canvas Hagrid's Dollhouse, inner walls

Plastic canvas Hagrid's dollhouse, inner walls

 I've been working on a plastic canvas Hagrid's Hut dollhouse, to go along with my needle felted Hagrid doll.

I can't believe how much fun I'm having with this project (or how obsesses I'm becoming over it, lol).

I am not following a pattern, so I looked at several photo's of Hagrid's hut online. Hagrid's hut seemed to change from movie to movie, with some showing wooden walls, other's showing stone walls. My version has both the dark walls, with some stone around the fireplace, and the bench, just like the original, but I added some other touches for color, like the banner over the door, the Gryffindor crest over the fireplace, and the green shelves.

As I stitched, I caught myself imagining that this was the new Hut, built after the fire in the last movie, lol.  The crest is magical, of course, and it changes color, so I outlined it with the normal red and gold, and used different colors inside.  The crest wasn't originally magical...the idea just formed in my head, lol, because I realized as I stitched that the person who created the crest pattern used the wrong colors.  Here's the link to the free pattern, if you'd like to try it yourself: http://pdfcast.org/pdf/harry-potter-plastic-canvas-patterns  I'll also try to embed it below, but if it doesn't work, just click on the link above and it will take you to the pattern.  There are crests for the other Hogwarts houses as well.

Powered by Upload PDF

Download document to PC

Plastic canvas inner walls for needle felted Hagrid's dollhouse

Needle felted Hagrid, showing off his fireplace 

 Hagrid seems pleased with his magical color changing crest, doesn't he?

The fireplace is 3 holes deep on the inside, although it's hard to see in the photos.  I'm going to try to sculpt a fire to sit inside.

The doorway wall has two hooks on either side of the door frame.  My plastic canvas lantern is hanging on the link.  I'm going to sculpt a candle to set inside (the top of the lantern comes lifts off, so it will be easy to add later).

So far, everything except for the banner and crest was made without a pattern.

The house is a bit bigger than standard dollhouse size, because Hagrid is half giant.

I'm going to start working on the outer walls next, then I'll do the floor.  I'll do the roof last.  I want to make beams that lay across the walls, to hang items like cooking utensils, baskets, and ropes, just like in Hagrid's movie hut.

I'm also going to make a round kitchen table, and possible an easy chair.

Needle felt and plastic canvas, Hagrid's Hut

I'm having a lot of fun with this project; I can't wait to see how it will turn out.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Take care!