Christmas Craft Projects For Children
Author: Tyler Powers
Copyright (c) 2006 Tyler Powers
This Christmas, get into the spirit of the season by making some
wonderful Christmas decorations with Baker's Clay.
The Baker's Clay is not difficult to make. What you need is:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cup water
Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, and knead until smooth.
Now, you're ready to surprise your Mom.
1. Christmas Tree Ornaments
These two are easy and fun to make:
A Snowman...
Use the Baker's Clay to roll three balls. These should be of
three sizes. A small one to make the head, a medium one to make
the belly and a large one to make the bottom. Now, gently
"score" (make scratches) the belly top, moisten it with water
and attach the head to it by pressing it gently. Similarly, join
the belly to the bottom.
The Teddy Bear...
Roll one small and one medium sized ball. Score and attach
together, as in the snowman. For arms and legs, make four small
cylinder shapes with flattened ends. Attach tem to bear body.
Use your thumbnail to pinch ears into the head. For ornament
hook, take a 2" piece of wire and, with pliers, bend one end
into a hook. Put the straight end of the wire into the ornament
top, leaving the hook showing.
Now bake at 300 degrees, for about ½ -1 hours, until the clay
gets set, and turns a nice golden hue. If any cracks appear
midway, cure them with moist clay and continue baking.
Paint the ornaments with egg when they are almost baked, and
look dry. This will give them a deep golden color. For an even
richer gold, apply 2-3 coats of egg.
2. Napkin Rings
Take a paper towel or toilet paper cardboard tube. Cover it
completely with aluminum foil. Roll pieces of Baker's Clay into
ropes, each ¼" thick and 12" long. Fold each in half and twist
the strands together. Wind them around the tube, moisten ends
with water and press together to seal. Bake at 300 degrees, for
½ -1 hour, until set and golden. For a deeper gold, paint with
an egg, when almost done baking. When done, take off tube and
cool.
Here's another idea:
Roll out flat strips of Baker's Clay, 6" long, 2" wide and ¼"
thick. Wrap around cardboard tube and seal ends as above.
Decorate with clay "fruit", e.g., small clay balls can become a
bunch of grapes. To attach, score napkin ring, moisten with
water and press "fruit" down gently.
You can also make roses, stars, etc., but bake them separately
and then glue them to the baked napkin rings.
Tips to note: For a brighter look, add some food coloring to the
clay. Alternatively, after baking and cooling, paint ornaments
and rings with acrylic, and seal with shellac. Or, top up with
gold or silver spray paint to make them sparkle. This way, they
will keep for years. All that you need to do is to store them in
a dry, cool place.
Baker's Clay can be used for making a variety of creative gifts
and decorations. So, let your imagination roam free this
Christmas.
About the author:
Tyler Powers contributes as an author and webmaster for
www.craft-ideas-guide.com where you can get free craft
ideas with absolutely no strings attached.
Artbeads.com is your jewelry-making superstore.
Artbeads.com has been a leading online bead and jewelry supply retailer since 1999. We are most recognized in the beading world for our specialization in Swarovski crystal components and sterling silver beads. Our collection has become expansive, and we are proud to say that Artbeads.com has evolved into the one-stop beading superstore for discriminating bead enthusiasts.
 Complete Ceramics: Easy Techniques and Over 20 Great Projects (C&B Crafts)
Published: February 03, 2009 Hardcover
List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $18.96 Prices subject to change.
You Save: $5.99 (24%)
hobbycraftinfo.com
|
