Skill Level
Intermediate
Time to Make
1 hour plus drying time for paints & 24-48 hours drying time for the clay.
How to Make
- Working with a small piece of clay at a time, (so not to dry it out), knead in your hand a little before rolling out with a rolling pin. This helps the clay become less sticky. Roll no thinner than 0.5cm
- Take whatever you have chosen to emboss the clay and press carefully but with enough pressure to leave a clear mark.
- Choose a festive cookie cutter or cut a freehand shape, cut into clay ensuring you take partial or all of the embossing into the shape.
- Carefully pierce a small hole at the top of the decoration for the hanging string, using a pointed object. Pierce through front & back to have a clear hole.
- If the edges or the decoration are a little rough, smooth down by wetting your finger and gently rubbing & smoothing.
- Place decoration onto a sheet of tracing paper/baking parchment to dry. The paper will stop it sticking to the surface. Ensure the decoration is as flat as can be to avoid it curling during drying.
- Repeat the process for further decorations. Allow the clay to dry between 24 – 48 hours, turning over to allow the underside to fully dry too.
DECORATING THE DECORATIONS
GINGERBREAD MAN
- Paint the whole gingerbread man in gold metallic acrylic paint. Apply well and allow to dry.
- Thread gold 4mm ribbon through the hole & knot.
PEACE ON EARTH BAUBLE
- Paint in white acrylic paint, front and back & give at least 2 coats. Allow to dry between coats.
- Decant a small amount of red metallic acrylic paint in a paint tray and dab a small sponge in it. Do not saturate sponge.
- Dab the sponge over the embossed pattern gently but covering the raised pattern.
- With a fine detail brush and red metallic paint, paint in the wording.
- Cut a red 4mm ribbon length, thread through hole and knot.
FOLIAGE GEM DECORATION
- Paint the whole decoration in white acrylic paint. Give at least 2 coats and allow to dry between coats.
- Make a glue/water mix and paint the middle of the decoration. Sprinkle white iridescent glitter over.
- Paint over the glitter with the glue mix to fix the glitter.
- Using the green Giotto metallic décor pen colour the foliage using light strokes.
- Stick alternate small and medium acrylic gems at the end of each stem all the way around.
- Thread a 4mm white ribbon length through the hole and knot.
CHRISTMAS TREE
- Paint the whole decoration in white acrylic paint. Coat twice allowing the paint to dry between coats.
- Paint the embossed snowflakes with the silver metallic acrylic paint and a fine detail brush. Allow to dry.
- Make a glue/water mix and paint the border of the tree, sprinkle with the pewter colour glitter and then shake off excess. Allow to dry.
- Paint over the decoration with the acrylic satin varnish to seal and fix the glitter.
- Thread a 4mm silver ribbon length through hole and knot.



Top Tip
Rolling the clay out too thin can lead to cracking & breaking once dry. Roll no thinner than 0.5cm. Seal your artwork with a coat of acrylic satin varnish.
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