A number of months in the past I began making state formed ornaments with uncooked clay at my ceramics studio for an area market the place I’m promoting artwork prints and ceramics in early December. These ceramic ornaments have been fired in a kiln, nonetheless I believed to myself maybe I might recreate them with air dry clay for individuals who don’t have kiln entry and the experiment was profitable so excellent news, you too can make these with air dry clay!
These are easy to make however they do take somewhat endurance. Air dry clay takes a number of days to totally dry so if you wish to recreate some for buddies or household it’s finest to start out early.
Provides you’ll want: white air dry clay from craft retailer (I used one package deal of this clay); state form cookie cutter (I purchased this one); colourful gloss nail polish; rolling pin; 12x½” inch wooden strips or ½” picket dowels for evenly rolling clay; plastic straw (or round clay chopping device); coronary heart formed stamp bought or self made; white gloss spray paint (non-obligatory); ribbon.
Step One: You might have two choices for creating the center form to imprint contained in the state love ornaments, 1) buy a small coronary heart stamp, or 2) make your personal stamp with clay first like I did. If you happen to do the identical, minimize of a bit of air dry clay, type the form and permit it to dry for twenty-four hours. Be sure that to seal the rest of the air dry clay so it stays gentle whilst you look ahead to the center form to harden.
Step Two: Roll the air dry clay flat between two wooden strips or dowels. For elongated states like California or Florida, select a ½” thickness, however for extra condensed shapes like Texas or Arizona, you would flatten the clay to a 3/8” thickness. Something thinner than ¼” dangers the clay form cracking so err on the thicker aspect.
Step Three: Minimize as many state shapes as potential with the state formed cookie cutter. Stamp clay with bought or self made coronary heart form.
Step 4: Minimize gap in nook of state the place ribbon shall be connected. Enable clay form to dry for 48-72 hours. You’ll want to flip the state shapes each 12 hours for even drying and to forestall the clay from curling.
Step 5: As soon as clay shapes are absolutely dry, calmly spray paint them with white gloss spray paint (non-obligatory) or depart them uncooked with a matte floor. Subsequent, paint the within of the center imprint with two coats of a shiny nailpolish, I selected crimson to match crimson velvet ribbon, however you would do pink, mint, forest inexperienced, no matter you want.
Connect a ribbon to the within gap and use the clay ornaments to hold on a tree or as an embellishment on a present!
