Clay Christmas Ornaments

Pretzel, Watermelon, Dice, Eye, Pie, Joy garland

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Clay (colors of choice)
• Clay needle tool or toothpick (to make holes, lines and imprints)
• X-Acto® blade
• Pasta machine
• Clay rolling pin
• Drill and drill bit
• Ribbon
• Templates

DIRECTIONS:

1. Knead clay and condition by hand or with a pasta machine until the clay is soft and pliable.


2. Using the pasta machine on the thickest setting, roll out clay sheets large enough for the templates given. You will want one sheet large enough for the whole design that will be the backer to the ornament.


3. Cut out the paper template with scissors and place it directly on your clay. Cut around the paper template with an X-Acto blade.


4. Once the backer piece is cut out from the clay, cut out the corresponding pieces to the design with the templates and corresponding clay. Build the design on top of the backer.


5. Once all the pieces are in place, place the ornament onto parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 30 min at 230 degrees.


6. After the ornament is cooled, drill a hole in the top with a drill and bit.


7. To make an ornament: Thread a piece of 6" ribbon through the hole and knot the ends in place to secure the loop for hanging.


8. To make garland: Cut 9 pieces of ribbon a few inches longer than your desired garland length. Knot all 9 strands together, separate the 9 strands into 3 sets of 3 strands and do a basic braid to the entire length. Knot at the end. Thread a small piece of yarn through the hole at the top of each clay letter and secure them to the braided strand by knotting them in place several times. Cut off any excess on the tying strands. Repeat until all the letters are knotted in place.

JOANN HACKS:

• Work on plastic wrap or a silicone mat when rolling out clay to keep the clay from sticking to your work surface.

Seashell, Hand, Duck, Flower

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Sculpey Air-dry clay - White
• Rolling pin
• Awl (or something to punch a hole through clay, like the handle of a thin paintbrush)
• Painted clay ornament template (optional)
• X-Acto knife
• Sandpaper (80-120 grit)
• Acrylic craft paint (Suggested: Black, White, Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green)
• Paint palette (could use a paper plate or cups)
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• String

DIRECTIONS:

1. Use your rolling pin to flatten Sculpey Air-dry clay into your desired ornament thickness. Cut out the shapes from the Painted Clay Ornament Template, set it on top of the clay, and use an X-Acto knife to cut around the paper shape.


2. Use the awl to create a hole somewhere at the top of your shape so that you can attach a string.


3. Set aside and allow to dry completely, it should take about 24 hours. Check the shape’s dryness by giving it a light squeeze in the center. When it’s completely dry, there shouldn’t be any give in the clay when you squeeze it.


4. Once the clay is completely dry, use your medium grit (80-120) sandpaper to smooth out any imperfections and round the edges.


5. Paint ornaments as desired. Let paint dry between color application

JOANN HACKS:

• Immediately place your Air-dry clay in a sealed container after opening to keep it fresh and easy to work with.


• Note that Sculpey Air-dry clay takes about 24 hours to dry, so plan to sand and paint on a separate day.


• Painting a clean detail line can be tricky and the bristles on craft brushes especially have the tendency to stick out to the side and make unintended little paint marks. It helps to reshape the bristles of the brush with water and a towel before making any important detail line. It also helps to imagine the line you want to make before making it, and decisively make that action with your hand without wavering; knowing you can adjust it later if it’s too thick or if you get those side marks from the bristles, simply by painting over it again with the adjacent color.