How to Make a 3D Strawberry Pen
Transform an ordinary ballpoint pen into a textured 3D strawberry topper using polymer clay, custom leaf sculpting, and dotting tools for a fun stationery upgrade.
This guide shows how to make a 3d strawberry pen in 45 - 60 minutes. Start with disassemble the pen barrel; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Ball stylus or dotting tool
- ✓ Precision craft knife
- ✓ Acrylic clay roller
- ✓ Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- ✓ Fine-detail paintbrush
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Standard ballpoint pen with removable ink cartridge
- ✓ Red polymer clay (approx. 50g)
- ✓ Green polymer clay (approx. 20g)
- ✓ Yellow acrylic paint
- ✓ Gloss polymer clay varnish
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Remove plastic ink cartridge before baking clay to prevent melting and toxic fumes.
- • Always cut clay on a flat mat with the blade angled away from your hands.
- • Bake clay in a well-ventilated room strictly within the manufacturer temperature guidelines.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Disassemble the Pen Barrel
Grip the pen tip with your fingers or pliers and pull out the inner ink cartridge and plug. Set the ink core aside in a safe spot away from heat. Test-fit the empty plastic or metal pen body to confirm it can handle low-temperature baking or serve as your sculpting mandrel.
- • Pen barrel is completely hollowed out
- • Ink reservoir is stored safely away from your workspace
- • Leaving the ink cartridge inside, which will burst or melt during the curing step
Condition and Shape the Strawberry Base
Knead the red polymer clay until it is soft, pliable, and free of air bubbles. Form a rounded ball about 1.5 inches in diameter, then taper one end to create a realistic strawberry teardrop shape. Press the wide end down onto the upper third of the pen barrel, smoothing the clay seam down the barrel so it grips firmly.
- • Smooth, tapered teardrop shape sitting firmly on the pen barrel
- • No visible cracks or fingerprints on the clay surface
- • Applying clay too loosely, causing the strawberry to slide off after curing
Imprint Strawberry Seed Textures
Hold the pen steady by the lower barrel without squeezing the red strawberry shape. Use a small ball stylus or toothpick to press teardrop-shaped indentations into the clay in staggered diagonal rows. Angle the impressions slightly downward toward the tip to replicate the natural surface of a real berry.
- • Evenly spaced, staggered indentations covering the entire red berry
- • Original teardrop contour remains intact without flat spots
- • Poking holes straight in rather than angling them, creating unnatural round dots
Sculpt and Attach the Leaf Calyx
Roll out a small sheet of green clay to approximately 2mm thickness using your acrylic roller. Cut out a 5-pointed star leaf calyx with the craft knife, then texture subtle vein lines down each leaf. Drape the green calyx over the top of the strawberry, gently wrapping the leaves downward against the red berry surface.
- • Five-pointed leafy crown firmly adhered to the crown of the strawberry
- • Leaf tips curl slightly outward for a realistic 3D appearance
- • Rolling the green clay too thin, which makes the delicate leaf tips snap off easily
Bake and Cure the Clay Structure
Preheat your oven to the clay manufacturer's specified temperature (typically 230°F - 275°F / 110°C - 135°C). Prop the pen on a crumpled foil mound on your parchment-lined baking sheet so the sculpted strawberry does not touch the flat tray. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the piece cool completely inside before handling.
- • Clay feels firm with no surface give when touched with a fingernail
- • Color remains vibrant without browning or scorching
- • Removing the hot clay too quickly, leading to cracks or finger indentations
Paint Seeds, Glaze, and Reassemble
Dip the tip of a fine-detail paintbrush into yellow acrylic paint and dab tiny specks inside each impressed seed cavity. Once the paint is completely dry, brush a clear high-gloss polymer glaze over the entire strawberry and leaves to protect the surface and give a juicy sheen. After the varnish cures, slide the ink cartridge firmly back into the pen barrel.
- • Glossy, vibrant finish highlighting bright yellow seeds in every depression
- • Ink refill firmly seated and pen writes smoothly
- • Applying glaze before acrylic paint is completely dry, causing yellow paint to smear across the red clay
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by SLICK SLIME SAM - DIY, Comedy, Science — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Ball stylus? Rounded tip of a toothpick or sewing pin
- No Acrylic clay roller? Smooth glass bottle or straight drinking glass
- No Polymer clay gloss glaze? Clear water-based polyurethane or clear coat nail polish