Holiday Craft Ideas: Clay Dog Bone Present Topper

If you are creating a beautiful hand wrapped holiday package for a dog lover of doggy park friend, this adorable clay dog bone present topper is a perfect addition! The bone can be later used as a tree ornament, creating a design that presents itself as an additional gift idea.

For this project, you will need:

- Tan colored polymer clay

- Red colored polymer clay

- Green colored polymer clay

- Craft roller or rolling pin

- Ice pick

- Butter knife

- Dog bone shaped cookie cutter

- Cookie sheet

- Oven

- 1/4 inch green ribbon

- 3 inch red organza ribbon

- Scissors

- Hot glue gun with glue sticks

- Wrapping paper

- Double sided tape

Gently roll out the tan colored polymer clay on your work area until it is 1/2 inch thick. With the dog bone shaped cookie cutter, cut out three to five dog bone shapes. Roll out the red colored polymer clay until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut out two small circle, "holly berry" shapes from the red clay with the butter knife. Repeat the process for each dog bone shape cutout in the previous step. Roll out the green colored polymer clay to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out two "holly leaf" shapes out with the butter knife. Again, repeat this step for each dog bone shape cutout.

Lay the tan polymer clay dog bone shapes flat on a cookie sheet. Punch a small hole in the top of each bone with a toothpick, wide enough to thread ribbon through on a later step. Add the berry and leaf "holly" design onto the upper left corner of each dog bone. Bake the clay according to manufacturer directions. Allow the clay dog bones to cool completely.

Wrap your package with desired paper. Cut a length of three inch red organza ribbon to wrap horizontally across the package. Repeat the process, cutting a length of red organza ribbon to wrap vertically. Secure both using double sided tape. (They should overlap each other in the center of the present.) Tie a simple bow from red organza ribbon, leaving several inches of "bow tail".