Cheap Christmas Ornament Craft: Painted Clay Cut-Outs

1 16 oz package of baking soda

1 cup of corn starch

1 ½ cups of water

Small pot

Wooden spoon

Bowl

Wet paper towels

Rolling pin

Wax paper

Cookie sheet or baking pan

Christmas cookie cutters

Toothpick

Craft paints, assorted colors

Craft paint brushes

Can of clear acrylic spray

Instructions:

In a small pot, over medium-low heat, add water, corn starch and baking soda. Stir until the mixture becomes thick like mashed potatoes and remove from heat. Turn the clay mixture into a bowl and cover it with wet paper towels.

Spread wax paper on the table. Dust the paper and the rolling pin with corn starch. Take a piece of the clay and mold it into a ball shape. Flatten it like a patty. Roll it like a pie crust, from the center radiating outward, until it's about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Use Christmas cookie cutters to make shapes by pressing the cookie cutter down into the clay. Do not shake or skew the cookie cutter so you get a clean cut. Make sure it goes all the way through.

Remove all of the excess clay around the shapes. Do not move the shapes yet, so they are not distorted before they have a chance to dry. The remaining clay can be returned to the bowl under the paper towels.

Lay out another sheet of wax paper if you like and make more shapes.

Take a tooth pick and, approximately 1/4 of an inch down from the top of each shape, make a small hole for an ornament hook.

Leave the shapes out to dry overnight, or if you prefer, put them in the oven set to low oven (no more than 200 degrees fahrenheit). Check often, and remove them when they are almost dry with an unpolished porcelain-like appearance.

Paint your clay shapes with craft paints or poster paints. If you like, sprinkle glitter on them before the paint dries.

When the paint is dry, bring them outside and lay them on newspaper. Spray them with clear acrylic spray. This will make them shiny and help protect the paint coat. Allow them to dry according to the can's directions.

Put an ornament hook on them and hang them on the tree. Or, place them in boxes wrapped in colorful tissue paper to give as gifts.