Star Marbled Clay Ornament
I had a realization the other day that I should totally start adding design-forward craft projects to this blog since I’ve been spending quite a bit of my own time creating things and getting my hands dirty! I mean..were you like me and doing allll the crafts during this pandemic? If not, that is TOTALLY COOL too but I’m into it. Like really into it. Clay, weaving, painting, embroidery, paper flowers, coloring, jewelry, beads, paper folding..the list goes on and on!
Now, let’s get into this holiday craft!
Materials
(I ordered a few things online and then went to a craft store for the others.)
oven bake clay – white, grey and another darker color for the marbling effect
rolling pin
parchment paper
star cookie cutters
clay modeling tools
paper straws
wooden beads
leather cording
Directions:
1. Gather the above items and start with a clean work surface.
2. Roll out your white, light grey and black clay (or any darker color) into tubes and twist them around.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out the clay, squish it up into a ball, work/knead it a bit with your hands to get the colors blending together, and then roll it out again. Do this a couple of times to get the desired marble effect.
4. Once your clay is happy, grab the cookie cutters and start stamping away! I would aim for the thickness of the clay to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inches.
7. Use a modeling tool to smooth out any imperfections from your nails and fingerprints.
6. Use a paper straw to create holes for the string to go through. Gently push down straight into the clay and twist it slightly for a clean edge. Line a cookie sheet with some parchment paper.
7. Pop them in the oven at 225 degrees for 15 minutes.
8. Once they have cooled off, grab your leather cording and your wooden beads and your best knotting skills and thread the beads down in whatever design you choose.
9. And there you have it! EASY! Pop it on the tree and enjoy :)
This is a great activity to do with your kids this weekend or if you need a last-minute gift idea for a friend or teacher (I made these for my kid’s teachers). It doesn’t require all that much time or effort but the end result looks pretty great!
Let me know in the comments if you get crafty this weekend and want to try this out. It’s a lot of fun!
Thanks for reading friends!
Stay safe, be well and happy holidays!