Polymer Clay -Christmas Baubles
Small glass ornaments – you may use plastic, but check first for melting in clay oven
Polymer clay – any brand – holiday colors
Clay extruder - optional
Clay knife or plastic knife
Toothpick or bamboo skewer
Work surface – ceramic tile, file folder or wax paper
Oven for baking
Pretty ribbon for hanging
This Polymer clay Christmas craft project shows you how to decorate store bough bauble's and turn them into handmade Christmas tree decorations.
Condition your clay by rolling and squeezing in your hands. Test to see if it cracks when you bend it – that means it needs more conditioning!
Roll your first color into a ball and then an even snake. If you use a clay extruder, this process is MUCH faster & the snakes are more even.
Starting at the top of your ornament, begin wrapping the clay snake around the ball. Be careful to make sure the clay touches itself, so it will adhere once cooked.
When switching to a new color, use your clay knife to cut a flat edge so the colors “butt” up against each other.
Wrap the entire ornament ending at the bottom. Make sure the entire ornament is covered and clay is touching clay, or it may fall off after baking.
Add details with your toothpick or skewer to camouflage seams and add texture.
Bake according to manufacturer’s directions and let cool.
Glaze if desired. I use varathane – found in most hardware stores. For small projects, use the clay manufacturer’s glaze. The bottles are smaller & more affordable!
Hang on a pretty ribbon & enjoy or give as a gift!
***TIP***
***Experiment with different colors and shaped ornaments!
***Red clay can leave some pigment on your hands. To help keep the white clay from turning pink, handle most of the white clay first. You can also use baby wipes to clean your hands and tools (alcohol is a solvent for the clay) or wear latex gloves & switch in between colors.
By Shellie Wilson. Shellie is the chief creative editor for Craftbits.
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