I love making air dry clay decorations: they are perfect for Christmas, gifts, teacher presents and of course Easter. So here’s my how to make air dry clay Easter decorations.
You will need:
- air dry clay (I use DAS air dry clay)
- a rolling pin
- a tray
- an egg shaped cookie cutter
- a plastic straw (I have an old one that I reuse)
- if stamping: letter stamps (I have a set similar to this) or something that leaves a nice pattern like lace, a patterned rolling pin, leaves or in this case an old printing block
- fine sanding paper
- if painting: paint (I think chalk paint works best on the clay)
- a ribbon or twine to hang it
I use DAS air dry clay as it dries beautifully, and you can reseal the packet and keep it for a few days. To start you need a clean surface and a rolling pin. Like dough, you pull off a section of the air dry clay, kneed it and then roll it until thin. If you are stamping with something that leaves a nice pattern like lace, a patterned rolling pin, leaves or in this case an old printing block, you stamp the clay now before cutting it. If you are using the letter stamps you stamp later. Then you can use the egg shaped cookie cutter to cut out your decorations. Keep going until you have enough. Place them on a tray as you go. If you are letter stamping now is the time letter stamp. I keep a small bit of clay to one side to test my letters are the right way round before stamping the finished product. I use these letters to stamp FIMO, air dry clay, cookies… Then to make the hole to hang it up, use an old plastic straw. Make sure you make the hole in the middle so it hangs balanced.
Make sure whilst they are drying that they are flat and that you keep turning them. I leave mine to dry overnight but if they are thicker, they make take a little longer. You can feel when the clay isn’t fully dry.
Then you need to sand the edges with fine sandpaper. It doesn’t take long, a quick back and forward on the edges but it does make a lot of fine dust. A blow or rub down with an old cloth and you’re done.
Of course if you would like to paint them you can. Here I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Tilton as it matches my Jersey be good upcycled yarn. I gave it a quick coat of clear wax to protect the paint but you don’t have to, it depends how much it will be handled.
Then add your choice of ribbon or twine. Et voilà!
Pin this image to Pinterest to find this post later.
Please comment below if you have any questions and please share your inspired home made productions on social media with the tag #homemadeproductions
Happy Easter making!
