I have made the body of a lizard.
I used the suggested technique of making a lizard shaped blob of newspaper - sticking various pieces around each other until it was the right shape.
After this, I used a rolling pin to roll out pieces of clay so they were thin (which was easier standing up) and then texture them - I textured them by rolling over them lightly and in lots of different directions with a rolling pin that had small lumps on it.
I used my hands to model around the finished shape to make a more noticeable head, and then to make indents for where its eyes and mouth were. The actual mouth was made by slitting lightly into the indent with a knife.