Student Samples:

Christmas Clay Ornaments

Is the goose getting fat where you are? Gather the kids around the table for this inexpensive yet creative craft that brings out the sculptor in everyone! Create traditional symbols or have fun and make Christmas crabs and flamingos! (See below left for some ornaments made by the students at my studio.)

Supplies: 2 cups flour 1 cup salt water tempera paints, various colors paintbrush clear nail polish, polyurethane varnish or liquid floorwax for glazing yarn or ribbon

1. Mix together the flour, salt and enough water to make a smooth, soft dough that is not sticky. (If it is sticky, add a little bit more flour.)

2. You can either add tempera paints to the clay to create various colors or wait until after the ornaments are hard to paint them. (Creating colored clay is better for younger children who can't paint well.)

3. To make the Christmas goose, create dough pieces as seen in the following illustrations and join them with a touch of water:

Be sure to create a hole as your last step using a small paintbrush handle.

4. Bake ornaments on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, or until hard but not heavily browned.

5. If you used white dough only, paint with tempera paints when cooled.

6. When the paint is dry, brush with one of the following glazing mediums to make it shiny: clear nail polish, polyurethane varnish or liquid floor wax. (This step works well with the colored dough, but it may cause paints to run if painted after baked. That is only the case, however, if the glazing medium is put on too heavily or brushed a lot.) Allow to dry thoroughly. Turn over and glaze the back too. Allow to dry.

5. String with a loop of yarn or ribbon for hanging.

For other holiday symbols click here.

© Karine Bauch 2006. All rights reserved.

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