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.