Easy Clay Craft for Children - Makes Professional Looking Gifts

This easy craft makes for great gift giving. We used it for Valentine's Day for Preschool teachers but it could easily be adapted to any holiday or gift giving need. I am thinking Christmas trees or Easter eggs would lend themselves nicely to this project. Child made gifts make for specialized one of a kind gift giving sure to be treasured. The overall cost is inexpensive if you make multiple pieces for teachers, coaches, and grandparents.

Materials Needed:
Oven bake clay - like fimo
Cookie cutter
Hot glue gun and glue or super glue
Pin backs
Future floor finish
Paintbrush
Cookie sheet
Tin foil
Rolling pin or round bottle
300 grade sand paper - wet

Many of the items listed above are typical cookie making items. Please note before you begin, do not mix food-making items with craft making items. You can easily buy inexpensive duplicate items for craft making at the local dollar store or similar type store.

Begin with the clay. I suggest a variety of colors and specifically a few that have a metallic or sparkle character to them. Typically oven bake clay needs to be conditioned. This just means kneading until it is pliable. Usually thirty to fifty kneads. I work with a lot of oven-baked clay and have a pasta maker dedicated to working with the clay. I usually run it through the machine twenty times to condition it. Failure to do so will cause the clay to be brittle or crack after baking. You can find oven-baked clay that doesn't need conditioning, one suggestion would be Fimo Soft, it is ready to use.

Once the clay is ready, mix all colors chosen together. This process needs finesse. Mixing too much will create a muddy mix. Try twisting together and folding. Roll it out flat with a dedicated rolling pin or a round bottle to about a quarter inch in thickness, too thin and after baking it will easily break or snap in two. Use the cookie cutter to cut out desirable shapes that have interesting patterns. You can use your fingers to smooth out the edges if needed. Place on tin foil on a baking sheet, try not to over handle and follow the baking instructions on the clay packaging.

As soon as you can touch the clay, you can continue to work with the shapes. If there are any flaws along the edges or on the surface you can use the sandpaper wet to smooth out the surface. Rinse with water and paper towel dry. The shapes can be used this way or can be finished with a glossy surface. This trick is worth a million and can be used with other craft items, and is extremely inexpensive. Use Future floor finish and paint thin layers onto the clay surface. Allow each layer to dry before applying more layers, this take about thirty minutes to dry. Once the desired effect is achieved, I suggest allowing it to dry thoroughly overnight. The Future floor finish can also be sanded if an air bubble or flaw appears, then apply another layer.

With the dry shape in hand, use the appropriate glue to apply the pin to the back. This is now finished and ready to be worn. My daughter gave them to her preschool teacher's on a card that said Hand made especially for you by "insert name here".