Yesterday I found some branches that a neighbor had trimmed off the bottom of their tree and left next to the dumpster. I put them in a bucket of water overnight since they looked a bit dry
So I'm trying to make garland to go around one of my windows. I've never done this before, but it makes sense to build it in sections, then wire the sections together
It's been a Christmas gift factory around here. I've been making lavender sachets, bookmarks, and hand salve for all the people in my life who I want to give a little gift (but not a big gift, or in addition to a big gift.
Ah yes, the slow burn of panic as Christmas approaches, my pockets are empty thanks to some YouTube merch impulse buys over Cyber Weekend, and I am yet again forced to make all of my gifts.
Wish me luck 😅
and if anyone has homemade gift ideas, please bless me with your ideas because I’m at a loss and I have 8 people to make for.
Clay ornaments are easy to make and a lot of fun too. They’re a great project to get both the big and little kids involved in the run-up to the festive season.
You can make them in a variety of shapes and sizes. Hang them individually or string them up together as a pretty garland. Make big ones and use them as gift tags on bags or teeny tiny mini ones and make a garland. Either way, they’re sure to impress.
Supplies:
Air Dry Clay
Rolling Pin
Parchment Paper/Greaseproof Paper
Stamps (I used these ones)
Cable knit knitting or anything else you want to use to make an impression in the clay,
Star-Shaped Cookie Cutter
Sandpaper
And some ribbon or string
Directions
1. Start by taking your air dry clay and knead until soft and pliable.
2. Roll out your clay to about 3-5mm thick. The thicker the clay the longer it takes to dry.
* To prevent the clay from sticking to your work surface you may need to roll it out onto some parchment paper.
3. Use a star cookie cutter to cut out your clay shapes.
4. Carefully peel away the remaining clay.
5. Use a straw or pen lid to make a hole in the point of each star.
Make sure you don't make the hole too close to the edge of your shape. The clay needs to be thick enough not to snap when the ribbon is threaded through.
6. Leave to dry for around 24-48 hours. As the clay dries and the water evaporates it will turn from a pale grey to white.
How fast the clay dries depends on the weather. In warm weather, the clay dried quickly (around 24 hours) but in cold, wet weather it took up to 72 hours.
Top Tip:
Remember the thicker the clay the longer it takes to dry. If you find your clay stars curl up as they dry simply turn them over halfway through the drying process.
7. Sand away any rough edges using fine sandpaper.
8. Thread some ribbon through the hole and hang.
How To Emboss Air Dry Clay.
1. Take your cable-knit wool or whatever you’re using to give the clay texture and place it on top of the clay.
2. Use the rolling pin to press the wool firmly into the clay.
Make sure to apply even pressure with the rolling pin. You can always peel back a corner first to make sure you're happy with the pattern before you remove the whole thing.
3. Cut out the star shape using a cookie cutter and leave to dry like the other stars.
7. Thread on some ribbon and hang.
Remember you don't have to use wool to emboss your clay. You can use stamps or anything else that will leave an impression. I used these stamps to decorate some of my stars.
Depending on the humidity and thickness of the clay it can take up to 72 hours for the clay to dry. If you don’t have the time to wait you could try using polymer clay that you can bake in the oven or how about making a simple salt dough instead?
I love these. I think they'd make great gift toppers as well as tree decorations and you could even make teeny tiny ones and string them together to make a sweet star garland.
Grandparents are usually the ones I stress about shopping for. But came across this idea on tiktok and ran with it! Kiddos finger print art for the win!