diy: clay ornaments

We’ve been taking turns with the flu in our home, i’m pretty sure i’ve been through it twice at this point. Today I snuck out to the craft store before my husband left for work and stocked up on craft supplies and stuff to make some ornaments for our tree and as gifts! I wasnt even planning on doing a tutorial on the blog but I got so much interest after i posted to instagram stories that I would share here and make it easier to just direct my lovely tribe here for details etc!

So here’s what you need:

• oven-bake clay. this one is my favorite i used 1.75 lbs of clay to make all my ornament sets

• parchement or wax paper

• rolling pin

• clay tools or a wooden skewer and knife

• bead twine OR jewelry string OR copper wire

• cookie cutters for desired shapes

So here’s what you do:

Preheat your oven to 275 (every clay is different so read the back of your instructions if you got a different kind than mine). I laid my parchment paper sheets on top of my counter and baking sheets to create a clean workspace, and worked and kneaded the clay for a while with clean hands to make the clay smooth and workable. I made it into a ball and placed it between two sheets of parchment paper and placed a cutting board on top and pressed down to flatten as much I could to start the process of pressing the clay flat. Then I rolled it until about 1/2inch thickness being careful not to press into the clay with my fingers because I wanted to keep the clay smooth.

Once the clay was even and flat, I cut out my shapes and made sure to pre-meditate how I wanted them to hang and where I would carve the holes to attach them together in order for them to hang right.

I arranged all the pieces that I cut and started making all my hanger holes with my wooden skewer, make sure you don’t forget to put the holes in because i forgot few and wasn’t able to drill it after the clay is hard or it will crack. I placed them on the baking tray and baked them in the oven for 15 minutes (again every brand of clay is different so ready the instructions if you got a different clay than i did).

I experimented with both jewelry twine and copper jewelry wire and think overall wire was a little easier to string through the holes etc but its totally preference!

I think they turned out pretty cute! You can paint them after if you want too but I got lazy and i like them simple so its completely up to you! Have fun and if you make them tag me on insta, I want to see! @amberthrane

xo, Amber Thrane