Polymer Clay Ornament - Christmas in July

 Welcome back to Christmas in July at The Apple Street Cottage.  This time I have a quick and easy project for you that doesn't cost much at all.  Why, you ask? Because it's also Ten on the 10th - when a group of bloggers share ideas and inspiration for under $10. 'Christmas in July' is the theme for the hop and I've got a sweet little ornament you can make. 

It all starts with a small block of polymer clay.
The first step is to roll it out.  The instructions mention a thickness of 1/4" so I used two pencils and rolled out the clay between layers of waxed paper.
I needed a little more surface area for my cookie cutter, so I rolled it a bit thinner until I had the size I needed.  I used my bell cookie cutter and peeled the excess clay from around the edge.
Since it looked a bit plain, I grabbed an embossing folder that I had to give it some texture.  If you don't have any embossing folders laying around, rubber stamps, a piece of lace, or anything with a pattern can be used - even a pretty spoon handle!
Don't forget to make a hole with a straw at the top and bake according to the directions on the package.  Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of this step.
Once cooled, the raised design was traced with some glue and sprinkled with prisma glitter.
A glue pen would be perfect for this step, but sadly, mine was dried-up so I improvised!
When dry, a paint brush was used to remove the excess glitter.
All the extra glitter went back in the jar.  
A red ribbon was added for hanging and the ornament was done.
Even though it's a bell cookie cutter, I think it looks like a tree!
Here's a close-up of the glitter detail:
I may (or may not) have missed some stray glitter...LOL

I did not seal my ornament because I've heard mixed reviews on it.  The most common complaint was the clear spray left it sticky.  

This is an inexpensive project to make and most of the materials needed are things you have around the house:  rolling pin, waxed paper, pencils, drinking straw, and ribbon.  The clay was $1.98 and a container of prisma glitter is about $5 and you don't even use a dollar's worth of it.  Honestly, the stuff lasts forever!  So, for less than $3 you have a cute ornament to hang on your tree. Take a look at your cookie cutters - bells, trees, sleighs - SO many possibilities. This would also be a great summer project for the kids.  Don't you agree?

Be sure to stop back all this month for more Christmas in July projects!

It's also Ten on the 10th and you don't want to miss the projects that everyone else has prepared.  All the links are listed below:





French Ethereal

Featured at:





The Really Crafty Link Party








Classy Flamingos








BFF Open House








Blogger's Pit Stop



Comments

  1. Ann this is such a cute ornament to place on a tree or give as a gift. Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Terrie. There are lots of possibilities for ornaments like this - and they're so easy to make!

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  2. Ann this is a beautiful ornament. I can just see a tree full of them with beautiful colorful bows. The glitter added really made the design stand out. Great inspiration!

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    1. Thanks, Tammy. I'm not usually a big fan of glitter, but it does put the finishing touch on the ornament.

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  3. Cute idea...polymer clay is so much fun to work with! This would be adorable tied onto a package or a bottle of wine for the hostess!

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    1. I love those ideas, Patti! I may need to make more just to add to gifts.

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  4. You created quite a lovely ornament, Ann! I love the way you embossed the bell and adding glitter was the icing on a fabulous project!

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    1. Thank you, Gail. Embossing really is the way to go for these ornaments, and everyone needs a little glitter in their life, right? lol

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  5. Such a cute idea, Ann!! This would be a fun idea to use with cookie cutters. The glitter is a perfect addition!!! Happy making more of them!

    Hugs,
    Barb :)

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    1. Thanks, Barb. Cookie cutters give you so many options!

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  6. This is so pretty and will look great on your Christmas tree.

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    1. Thank you, Paula. Although, I think there will be glitter all over the house! lol

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  7. Ann,
    I have never worked with polymer clay but after seeing this cute project, I just may have to!! This is such a cute ornament!! Thanks for sharing and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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    1. You should give it a try, Debbie. The possibilities are endless!

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  8. Ann,

    How many ornaments can you get out of the 2oz ploymer clay? Once dried, are the ornaments fragile like glass ornaments? Thanks for sharing and inspiring others with your DIY project. :)

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    1. It depends on the size of your cookie cutter. Mine was about 4" x 3.5" and I got one with a little left over for a small round ornament. The ornament is not fragile like glass at all. Since it's clay, it may break if dropped on a hard floor, though.
      Thank you so much for asking!

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    2. Thanks, Ann! I'm going to give this a try!

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    3. You're welcome - have fun with it!

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    4. Ann,

      I mentioned you in today's post crediting you for this idea and showing off a few of my test ornaments. ; ) Thanks for the inspiration!!

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    5. Thank you so much, Cathy. Please send me the link so I can read your post!

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  9. That is so pretty. Thank you for sharing with us on the Classy Flamingos.

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  10. What a cute ornament! Great project to do with the kids or grand kids! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. xo Kathleen

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen. Polymer clay really is a lot of fun!

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  11. What a lovely idea. I actually love glitter, so it is perfect :) We will feature your project in the next Blogger's Pit Stop.
    Kathleen

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    1. Glitter...you either love it or hate it! LOL Thank you so much for the feature

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  12. This is so cute. I have that same embossing folder, so I'd love to try this. I've featured it at Thursday Favorite Things today. :)

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    1. I'll be checking to see what you make, Pam. Thank you so much for the feature!

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  13. What a great idea and I have this exact embossing folder ( along with a whole bunch of others). You've given me some wonderful inspiration and featuring when my link party opens.

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    1. I'm happy to have inspired you, Carol and thank you so much for the feature!

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  14. This is so pretty. And so simple to recreate too. Thank you for sharing every week. #HomeMattersParty

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    1. Thank you, Donna. Polymer clay is a lot of fun!

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  15. This is awesome. I'm really going to try to make this one myself too! Did you mean you punched the hole using a straw or something else? I'm confused about "make a hole with a straw at the end", as if there's supposed to be a straw in your ornament somehow. (FYI: I'm blind so I can't see your pics.) Sorry if this is a dumb question.

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    1. There is no such thing as a dumb question, Astrid. I used a straw to make a hole in the clay ornament for hanging. This was done before baking it...that's why I said not to forget. LOL
      I'm so glad I've inspired you to make one!

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