My Little Dim Sum Project
Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got into recently. I was just thinking, you know, I love dim sum. Like, really love it. And I needed a new keychain. So, brainwave! Why not make a tiny dim sum keychain? Seemed like a fun thing to try.
First thing, gotta get the supplies. I rummaged through my craft box and found my polymer clay stash. Needed some white, a bit of pinky-orange for shrimp, some yellow for wrappers, maybe a speck of black for eyes on a custard bun? Yeah, something like that. Also grabbed my sculpting tools – mostly just toothpicks and an old craft knife, nothing fancy. Oh, and keychain rings and little screw-in eye pins. Found those online ages ago.
Getting Hands Dirty
Okay, so I started with the classics. A little siu mai first. Rolled out a thin yellow piece for the wrapper, then a ball of ‘porky’ looking clay inside. Tried to make the top look a bit ruffled. Harder than it looks to make it tiny and neat! Then I tackled a har gow. That translucent wrapper look is tough with clay, but I used a mix of white and translucent clay. Getting those pleats right? Fiddly work, my fingers felt huge.
- Made a couple of siu mai.
- Attempted three har gow – one looked a bit sad, haha.
- Tried a little steamed bun too, just a simple white ball.
It took a while, just sitting there, rolling and pinching tiny bits of clay. Pretty relaxing, actually, once I got into the groove.
Baking and Painting Time
Once I was happy enough with my miniature dim sum army, I carefully stuck the little screw-in eye pins into the top of each piece. Then, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper they went. Popped them into my toaster oven – followed the clay package instructions, low temperature for about 15-20 minutes. I watched them like a hawk to make sure they didn’t brown too much.
After they cooled down completely – patience is key here! – it was painting time. This is where they really start looking like dim sum. I used my acrylic paints. A tiny dot of orange on the siu mai top for roe. A little bit of shading on the har gow to make the pink shrimp filling peek through. Added a little gloss varnish later to give them a slightly steamed, shiny look and to protect the paint.
Putting It All Together
Last step! Once the varnish was totally dry, I got my pliers out. Opened up some small jump rings, hooked them onto the eye pins I’d baked into the clay pieces. Then, attached all those jump rings onto the main keychain ring. Jiggled it a bit to make sure everything was secure.
And that’s pretty much it! Stood back and looked at my creation. A tiny cluster of siu mai and har gow dangling from my keys. It’s not perfect, definitely handmade looking, but I kinda love it. Makes me smile when I grab my keys, and definitely makes me hungry. Was a fun afternoon project, totally worth it.