Let’s get crafty!

I’ve teamed up with CraftemberCrafting this month to help bring creativity into our lives in order to boost our mental health and feel a sense of achievement - plus it brings us all together!

Join me and commit to just 10 minutes a day creating something that you’ve had sitting on your Pinterest board for years, or just something you’ve always wanted to try!

This week I’ve been testing out some clay ornaments I’ve wanted to make for a while - hopefully the first of many as I love how it turned out! With the right tools and a patient hand, you can easily create these too.

Here’s how I made my clay ornaments!

All the Materials You’ll Need:

• A pack of air-drying clay (I used Das white)

• Cookie Cutters to the desired size and shape you want

• A chopstick or cutter to make the ribbon hole

• Ribbon or jute twine

• A letter stamp set (I got mine from ebay!)

• A rolling pin (with thickness guides)

• A flat surface like a piece of acrylic to roll the clay out on

Ready…? Let’s get making!

First - lay out your flat surface and add the thickness guides to your rolling pin. You can also use two pieces of wood or coasters etc either side of your space so the rolling pin rolls the clay out at the same thickness.

Roll out your clay to the thickness of your guides - you can smooth out any imperfections with a little bit of water before you cut out your shape.

Next - cut out your shape gently with the cookie cutter, making sure you press all the way through to the base! This will help you to peel away all the excess clay with ease and leave smoother edges.

Peel away the excess clay around your shape(s) gently, use a spatula or knife to help you do this in the awkward areas.

Use a small cutter or a chopstick to poke a hole through the top of your design. This will be where your ribbon or jute will loop through! I used a wide cutter as I wanted my ribbon to sit flat against the edge of the ornament.

Line up the letters in the stamp for what you want personalised on your ornament - you’ll have to write it backwards so make sure the letters are the right way around and up! Press the stamp with even pressure into the clay and lift gently to reveal.

Smooth out any rough edges with a damp sponge or finger and leave to air dry for the instructed time.

Cut your ribbon or twine to the desired length, you want 2x the drop length as this will loop through the hole in the ornament and back! You can tie the ends together, or sew them if you’re handy with a needle!

Now it’s your turn to make your own!

I’d love to see how yours turns out - tag me on social media with your creation - @alisonc_illustration

Spending time being creative for the sake of enjoyment can be so good for our mental health - I hiope this brings you as much enjoyment as they do for me!

You can find my hand crafted ornaments in my shop too!