Polymer Clay Ornament - Christmas in July

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 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. decorateandmorewithtip.comJuly 10, 2021 at 8:33 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 10, 2021 at 10:18 PM

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

      Delete
  2. Tammy Patina and PaintJuly 10, 2021 at 8:33 AM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 10, 2021 at 10:21 PM

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

      Delete
  3. Patti @ Pandoras BoxJuly 10, 2021 at 12:18 PM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 10, 2021 at 10:23 PM

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

      Delete
  4. Gail @Purple Hues and MeJuly 10, 2021 at 3:55 PM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 10, 2021 at 10:27 PM

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

      Delete
  5. French EtherealJuly 10, 2021 at 10:42 PM

    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 :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 11, 2021 at 8:42 AM

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

      Delete
  6. Paula@SweetPeaJuly 11, 2021 at 5:43 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 11, 2021 at 8:44 AM

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

      Delete
  7. cloches and lavenderJuly 11, 2021 at 6:31 PM

    So pretty Ann. Love it, Pinned

    ReplyDelete
  8. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasJuly 12, 2021 at 6:39 AM

    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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 12, 2021 at 7:28 PM

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

      Delete
  9. CAACJuly 13, 2021 at 7:59 AM

    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. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 13, 2021 at 8:11 AM

      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!

      Delete
    2. CAACJuly 15, 2021 at 11:37 PM

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

      Delete
    3. AnnJuly 16, 2021 at 8:25 AM

      You're welcome - have fun with it!

      Delete
    4. CAACSeptember 23, 2021 at 8:30 PM

      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!!

      Delete
    5. AnnSeptember 24, 2021 at 7:51 AM

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

      Delete
  10. Linda July 15, 2021 at 9:31 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  11. Our Hopeful HomeJuly 18, 2021 at 5:08 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 18, 2021 at 7:10 PM

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

      Delete
  12. KathleenJuly 19, 2021 at 7:47 AM

    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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 20, 2021 at 4:09 PM

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

      Delete
  13. PamJuly 22, 2021 at 9:32 AM

    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. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 22, 2021 at 2:22 PM

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

      Delete
  14. Carol, The Answer Is ChocolateJuly 22, 2021 at 10:19 AM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 22, 2021 at 2:17 PM

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

      Delete
  15. Donna @ Modern on MonticelloJuly 22, 2021 at 11:10 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 22, 2021 at 2:24 PM

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

      Delete
  16. AstridJuly 23, 2021 at 5:57 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJuly 23, 2021 at 7:44 PM

      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!

      Delete

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