Prepare one of the following clays or use your favorite clay recipe. Roll out clay to 1/8-inch thickness, as you would for cookie dough. Cut out with Christmas cookie cutters. Use a drinking straw to punch a hole near the top for a ribbon. When ornaments are dry, decorate as desired with paint, glitter, etc. I use Tulip fabric paints to put details on the ornaments.







Salt/Cornstarch Modeling Clay

2 cups salt
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water

Mix ingredients in saucepan. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Heat until very thick, stirring often. Let cool. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight container. Items made with this clay will air dry at room temperature in about 2 days. They will dry overnight if placed in your oven on the LOWEST possible setting.

This clay is terrific for school projects, Christmas ornaments, etc. It dries very hard and has a slightly sparkly appearance.







Cinnamon Clay

3/4 -1 cup applesauce
4 1/8-ounce bottle ground cinnamon

Mix applesauce with cinnamon to form stiff dough. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or knife into desired shapes. Make hole for ribbon. Let dry several days, turning occasionally.







Cinnamon-Spice Clay

1 cup applesauce
1 ounce ground cinnamon
1 ounce ground cloves
1 ounce ground nutmeg
1 ounce ground ginger
Cinnamon for cutting board

Combine ingredients to make a stiff dough. Roll out on board dusted with ground cinnamon. Cut with cookie cutters of your choice. Put hole in top for string. Lay out flat to dry. Turn over every 12 hours until completely dry.







Modeling Clay

1 cup regular flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
Food coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool the mixture until you can easily handle it. When cool enough to handle, knead it until smooth. Store in plastic bag or container.







Creative Play Clay

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup warm water
Food coloring or poster paints

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add water. Stir until smooth. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture looks like mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and pour onto cutting board to cool. When clay is cool enough to be handled, knead. If desired, knead food coloring or poster paints into the clay until well blended, or paint finished, uncolored objects with poster paints. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Double the recipe for large groups or for large objects. Store unused clay in plastic bags or in airtight containers. This clay will keep for several weeks.







Bread Clay

Materials Needed:

1 to 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon white glue ("Tacky" glue is best)

Tear one slice of bread into tiny pieces into a bowl. Add the white glue to the bread crumbs, and mix with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Now, roll a bit of the mix between your fingers to check its consistency (this will vary depending on the dryness of your bread). The mix should be pliable and somewhat sticky. If it feels very wet, or too gummy to roll into a ball, tear up and mix in a little more bread. Form the dough into a ball, kneading it for a minute or two with your fingers or rolling it between your hands. Soon the dough will become elastic and satiny. As you work with the clay, it may begin to dry out. If it does, you can dip your fingertips in water (have a small bowl at the worktable) and knead the dough until it becomes more pliable.

This clay has a fine, elastic texture that won't crack, even during intricate modeling projects like earrings, buttons, beads or tiny figurines. Bread clay also is a great medium for taking impressions: A small piece pressed against the outside of a favorite shell makes a beautiful pendant or faux fossil. To add a hard, semigloss finish, can mix equal parts water and white glue and brush on several coats.
Drying Time: Bread Clay air-dries in 1 to 3 days. Storage: This recipe dries out quickly, so it's best to make only as much as you will use in one sitting. But if you do have any leftover clay, it will keep for a month when refrigerated in plastic bags or sealed containers.







Dryer Lint Clay

1 1/2 cups lint from the dryer
1 cup water
1/2 cup regular flour
2 drops wintergreen oil
Old newspaper
Paint

Place the lint in a saucepan and cover it with the water. When the lint is saturated, add the flour and stir until it is smooth. Add the wintergreen oil. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms peaks and holds together. Pour it onto newspaper to cool. Shape and model figures, or cover a form with it, such as a balloon. Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days, then paint and decorate as desired.








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