Clay Christmas ornaments are a fun DIY Christmas craft that the whole family can enjoy! Learn how to make your own clay ornaments with me using polymer and air dry clay!
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Usually, I like to wait until after Thanksgiving to put up our Christmas tree. Most years I want to get as much as I can out of fall and this season that is so often overlooked. This year, however, Christmas came early.
Veterans day weekend, yes you heard me right, our Christmas tree was up! I’m not mad about it one bit. Every morning I sit on the couch with a hot cup of coffee and stare at my bright, glowing Christmas tree. I love it, seriously.
One thing was missing, though. Our tree is decked out in lights, but there’s no ornaments! Well, I guess now that I’ve made my own out of polymer clay and air dry clay we have a few. Before that though, there were none. That just can’t be.
DIY Christmas decorations are so fun and personalized. Each handmade decoration holds a story and a memory, which both my husband and I love. If you want your Christmas traditions to evoke these same feelings of unity, warmth, and fun memories, then you need to make your own clay Christmas ornaments!
I promise these are so much easier to make than you think. You definitely don’t need to be an artist to create these ornaments! They are also a fun Christmas craft that kids and husbands can help out with, too!
Supplies Needed
Polymer clay-My polymer clay came from Amazon. Click this link to buy the same kit that I used! Or, you can pick out your own kit as well. Make sure your kit comes with some necessary tools to shape and form your clay.
Air dry clay-Here’s a great air dry clay option from Amazon. Click here.
Glass baking dish-While not necessary for the air dry clay, you will, however, need a glass baking dish, or aluminum lined baking sheet, to finish the polymer clay Christmas ornaments.
Small bowl of water-Water can be used on air dry clay to smooth out the surfaces if you need to!
Small mouth mason jar-Small mouth mason jars work great to cut out a perfect circle. Grab another circle shaped object, perhaps a circle cookie cutter, if you do not have any mason jars on hand.
Scissors
Polymer clay Christmas cutters-Grab the ones that I used by clicking here!
Paint brush or sponge (optional)- These tools are not included in each tutorial. See the tips below that go along with why these tools are needed!
FAQs
What kind of clay to use for Christmas ornaments?
For Christmas ornaments, use air dry clay, salt dough, or polymer clay.
Is air dry clay good for Christmas ornaments?
Yes! Air dry clay is good for Christmas ornaments. It requires less active work. You will just need to let it sit for a longer period of time before assembly or painting the clay.
What do you put on air dry clay to make it glossy?
If you want to make air dry clay glossy, you can paint it with a gloss finish. The best paint to use on air dry clay is acrylic paint.
How long do air dry clay ornaments last?
For a lifetime. Store the air dry clay ornaments in an air tight container so that no moisture can get to them. Gently wrap them in plastic wrap and/or bubble wrap to keep them from breaking. Also, adding a sealant onto the air dry clay can help prevent chipping of paint and dust removal.
DIY Colorful Beaded Polymer Clay Ornament
3 colorful beads stacked on top of one another make this super cute and super easy clay ornament. Here’s how to do it!
What you need:
- Polymer clay
- Twine
- Scissors
- Glass baking dish
- Circular clay tool
First, preheat the oven to 275 degrees and choose your 3 colors. Since this is a Christmas ornament, I chose red, green and white.
Second, you’re going to roll each color into a small ball. Whichever color you want on the bottom, make that one the largest. Roll a medium sized ball for the middle, and the smallest ball will go on top.
Third, using the rounded tool from the polymer clay kit, gently create a hole through the middle of each ball. Make sure the hole is large enough for a piece of twine to be threaded through.
Next, Bake the three balls at 275 for 15 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on thickness, but use the general rule of 15 minutes of bake time for every 1/4 inch thickness. Then, allow the balls to cool.
After the balls have cooled, cut a long piece of twine, at least 12 inches (we will cut off excess twine later). Thread twine through the largest, bottom ball and tie a knot to secure it. Tie a knot that won’t slip back through the ball. Thread on the 2 other beads.
Keeping a small loop at the top, thread the excess twine back through all 3 balls and tie another knot at the bottom. Trim off the excess twine. You should have created a small loop at the top to hang the clay ornament with.
Hang on the tree!
DIY Polymer Clay Christmas Tree Ornament
Christmas trees are probably as festive as you can get! All of these ornaments are easy to make, but this one may be the easiest yet. Here’s how to do it!
What you need:
- Polymer clay
- Small mouth mason jar
- Twine
- Circular clay tool
- Glass baking dish
- Christmas tree clay cutter
- Scissors
To begin, preheat the oven to 275 and choose 2 polymer clay colors. I’ll be using red and green. Red and white, like the picture shown above, is also a super “Christmassy” option!
Next, roll both colors into fairly large balls. Use your hands and/or the bottom of the mason jar to press them out into a circle shape. Once the balls are flattened, use the mouth of the mason jar to cut them into perfect circles.
Taking the color you want to make your Christmas tree, cut out a Christmas tree shape using the small clay cutter.
Carefully score the background circle and the back of the Christmas tree cutout. Gently press the Christmas tree onto the background circle.
Create a small hole in the center top of the ornament with the circular clay tool. Bake the clay ornament at 275 for 15 minutes, or 15 minutes for every 1/4 inch of thickness. Allow to cool.
Finally, after the clay has cooled, thread the twine through the hole and tie in a small loop. With scissors, cut off the excess twine.
Hang on your tree and admire your clay Christmas ornament!
DIY Christmas Tree Cut Out Air Dry Clay Ornament
Last but not least, let’s make this cute Christmas tree cutout ornament with air dry clay!
What you need:
- Air dry clay
- Christmas tree clay cutter
- Twine
- Small mouth mason jar
- Scissors
First, grab a large chunk of air dry clay and form it into a ball. Flatten out the ball with the small mouth mason jar, or your palm.
Second, use the mouth of the mason jar to cut a perfect circle.
Next, find the middle of the ornament and cut out a Christmas tree with the Christmas tree clay cutter.
With your finger, gently brush away excess clay and smooth out the edges of the Christmas tree cutout. You can also dip a craft sponge into the water to smooth out the surface of the air dry clay.
After this, take a small chunk of clay and divide it into 3 sections. Form the chunks into small balls of equal size. These will be the beads on top of your ornament. Poke a small hole through the center of each ball, but large enough for twin to thread through.
Poke a small hole at the top of the ornament using the circular tool. Again, using either your finger or a sponge/paintbrush dipped in water, smooth out the cracks of the clay. At this point, set the clay in a safe spot to dry for 24-72 hours.
Finally, once the clay has dried, assemble the ornament by first threading the twin through the hole on the large ornament. Secure it with a knot. Thread the small beads onto the twine on top of that knot.
Form a loop with the end of the twine and tie it off with another knot at the top. I actually ran out of twine so I used a smaller piece of twine to make sure the loop was secure. Trim the excess twine with your scissors.
Hang it on your tree!
Tips for making Clay Christmas ornaments
Clay, especially the air dry clay, easily shows cracks and impurities. Use a paint brush or craft brush dipped in a small amount of water to gently erase those cracks and creases. You can also you your finger. Do this before you bake your clay or set it aside to dry.
When using the polymer clay, make sure you wash your hands frequently to avoid the colors getting tinted. The clay is fairly sticky and the colors will blend together easily.
Also, avoid sticking colors together until you absolutely need to. Otherwise, the colors will stick to one another and are hard to tear apart.
For air dry clay ornaments, about halfway through the drying time flip them over so that the underside is also exposed to air and can dry more easily.
Tell me about it!
If you had fun making these ornaments, I’d love it if you left a comment below and shared these clay Christmas ornaments on Pinterest!
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