Form an armature, or skeletal framework, for the sculpture out of wire and aluminum foil. Use 22- to 30-gauge wire for smaller fairies and 16- to 18-gauge wire for larger fairies. The wire will add strength to the completed sculpture. Snip off a length of wire with the pliers about the length of the torso of your finished fairy sculpture, and roll strips of aluminum foil into two small balls to provide further support for the head and body.
Cover one aluminum ball with a layer of polymer clay thick enough to carve detail into it later. This ball will be the fairy's head. Form the shape of the head as desired, working the clay until it is smooth. When satisfied with the shape, insert the wire into the clay and through the foil in the center.
Map out the facial features with a knitting needle. Make a horizontal line one-third of the way down the face for the brow line. Mark a parallel line halfway down the rest of the face for the bottom of the nose and another line halfway down from that line for the bottom of the lip. Connect these lines with a vertical line down the center of the face.
Carve the fairy's features into the face, including the eye sockets, nose and cheekbones. Create finer layers of detail as you go with a fine-tipped sewing needle or blade tool. OOAK fairy sculptures tend to feature realistic details. If desired, add extra pinches of clay to give fullness to the cheeks and eyelids and blend smooth.
Add ears. Fairy sculptures often have long, pointed ears, although you can make them any shape and size. Roll a small log of clay and divide in half. Pinch the ends to make pointed ears and use needles to create the channels of the outer ear. Attach to the sides of the face.
Sculpt the torso. Cover the second foil ball with a thick layer of clay and smooth the surface. Pinch inward at the top of the torso for the neck. Insert the end of the wire at the bottom of the head into the top of the torso to attach the two. Smooth the neck and form the torso into the desired shape.
Sculpt the arms and hands. Roll one log of clay twice the desired length of the arms and cut in half. Make the log thinner at the wrist. Leave the arms and elbows rounded and soft. Carve hands and fingers into the desired shape. For beginners, a close-fisted design may work best. Carve sharp edges at the finger joints and mark individual fingers with the blade tool. Refine the arms and hands with needles as necessary. Use the eye of a needle to make fingernails.
Sculpt the legs and feet. Start by rolling out a log twice the desired length of the legs and cut in half. Leave the legs and knees rounded and soft. Form the heel, arch and ball of the foot at the end of the leg. Form the shape of the toes with the blade tool and refine with the needle tool.
Attach the arms and legs to the body by blending the clay together. Bend limbs into the desired position. Add detail to the torso and any other finishing touches. Sculpt clothing directly onto the fairy if desired, using the clay to form an outfit.
Bake the polymer clay according to package directions, about 20 minutes at 265 degrees. Let cool before handling. With acrylic paint, dry-brush your fairy sculpture with accents of color.
Adorn your fairy sculpture as desired. For eyes, glue small glass beads into the eye sockets. Use a wire armature to form fairy wings out of fabric, feathers or other material.
Add hair if desired. Make a wig for your fairy sculpture out of doll hair. Stack the hair to the desired thickness. Wrap tightly once around one finger and apply a line of glue to the center "part" of the hair. Form the part by pinching the hair around a small pin or needle and quickly removing the needle. Let the glue dry, then apply the wig to the head with another line of glue. Lift hair up to reveal the head and apply a layer of glue all around the hairline. Glue the hair in place.