How to make and paint clay ornaments:
What you will need: Oven-bake clay (Sculpey), corn starch, wet-dry sand paper, wax paper, cookie cutters and stamps (for decor), acrylic paint and gloss, paint brushes and sponges
When I originally decided to make ornaments, I thought about painting pre-made pieces, but that seemed far too structured. Instead, I researched different types of clay to figure out how to make them on my own! For the ornaments used in this post, I used Sculpey oven-bake clay, but there are great air dry options as well. I was drawn to the Sculpey clay because it stays malleable until you bake it, so there is no risk of drying out your clay while you work! I have a feeling that I will be using this clay for many crafts to come, so stay tuned!
Before starting this project, I lined a cookie sheet with wax paper, and added cornstarch to keep the clay from sticking to the wax and the stamps used. I used my hands to flatten the clay since it is easy to work with, but for my next batch I bought a fondant frosting roller to make the thickness (about 1/8 inch) more uniform. Once the clay was prepped, I cut out my desired ornament shape with a cookie cutter.
I then used stamps to emboss my design into the clay. You can use doilies and other objects to create cool designs and textures as well! I then created a hole in the top for ribbon with the sharp tip of one of my clay tools. Make sure that you don’t make the hole too close to the edge!
I baked the ornaments according to the directions on the box, which for Sculpey clay is 225 degrees for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness. I kept them in the oven for close to 15 minutes, though, even though the ornaments were thinner. Just make sure to keep an eye on them, as the clay can brown if left in the oven for too long.
Once the ornaments were baked, I let them cool completely before using my wet-dry sandpaper to even the surface. I started with 400 grit sandpaper, but I would recommend starting with an even lower grit (more grainy) to really smooth the surface of your ornament. I just bought 320 grit paper to use on my next batch and plan to work up to 1000 grit for extra shine.
Once sanded, my ornament was ready for painting! On the Christmas tree ornament, I applied a thick layer of paint in the crevices of the letters, and then wiped the rest with a damp paper towel to create a stained look.
Note that if you want to remove the paint completely, you can use alcohol to do so. After this layer had dried, I added another thin coat of paint to the ornament and used a painting sponge to create texture and remove brush strokes.
For the snowflake ornament, I applied thick silver acrylic paint to the entire ornament and let it dry. Next, I used a thin paintbrush to apply the white paint in the crevices of the stamped numbers. After this dried, I applied a second coat of silver paint to the entire ornament with a painting sponge, leaving the crevices white and the remainder of the ornament silver.
Sculpey comes in several colors, so if you have small detail that you would rather not paint, you can always buy the color you desire. Or, you can sand and buff the ornaments to a high shine and leave them as it! I let this paint sit for a little over 24 hours, and then applied an acrylic glaze to strengthen the surface and add additional gloss.
You can also mix a little paint with the gloss to add color and gloss in just one step – so many options! Regardless of which method you use, let the ornaments dry overnight and tie on your ribbon for the perfect gift, or hang them front and center on your own tree!
