It's finally this time of year when we start to be feverish and feel the energy of the Holidays invading us. I admit, Christmas is my favorite time of the year! I am a nostalgic person who can no longer wait to receive my family at home. Christmas carols have already made their way into my head and even though it may be, for some, a little early to decorate, I found the loophole to fully assume myself in my preparation for the holidays: I have made, with my mom, Christmas ornaments and other small decorations that can be installed on December 1st!
Did I mention I'm a nostalgic? When I was younger, I used to prepare Christmas desserts with my mother every year. We are a bit far today to keep this tradition active, 10 hours of road separates us. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we can see each other even without being together and that's why we made a video meeting to make, with a rolling pin, our Christmas decorations in self-hardening clay.
Newly retired, my mother discovered a new passion for handmade pottery ... which also coincides with the launch of my small business the Club terracotta 😉. So she immediately accepted when I offered her this virtual mother-daughter pottery activity..
We therefore prepared, before our call, all the necessary equipment.:
- Self-hardening clay
- Rolling rollers (a glass bottle can also do)
- Cutters
- Tools for cutting and shaping clay (knife, needle or tools provided in sets Club terracotta )
- Wooden board or piece of fabric to work on
We also thought of the music to set this holiday mood and we took the opportunity to discover the new, very smooth, Christmas song by Alexandra Stréliski. 🧡
Then we started our projects. When making "slab" pottery, which means spreading the clay like a pie crust and cutting pieces that will be assembled later, it is important to lift the clay frequently and to flip it to prevent it sticking to the table and also to make sure the 2 sides are smooth. It is also necessary, after reaching the desired thickness (about 1/4 inch), to smooth the surface with your fingers or with a slightly damp sponge.
Then, we cut the pieces according to our project. You can use cookie cutters, cut out random shapes or use a template as in the photo above. My mom made houses to hang in the Christmas tree. For my part, I made a small house to illuminate with a tea light as well as small ornaments for the tree on which I wrote the names of the children of the family. Do not forget to make holes to thread the strings.
For some pieces, I applied cedar branches before I finished spreading the clay, then I removed the branches and cut with a cookie cutter. The textured effect is really pretty.
All that remained was to let our pieces dry to paint them with acrylic paint and apply a varnish for a shiny finish, if this is the desired effect.
I did not paint or varnish the interior of the house and the clay trees since I wanted to put a tea light inside.
I love the ornaments with the children's names, I can't wait for them to come home and find their names on the tree. I also made small clay beads, inspired by the clay beads necklace that Julie, from the blog Try Small Things, made with her Club terracotta DIY pottery kit.
So here we are, we spent about 3 hours making little Christmas decorations while chatting. We both thought it was a great way to spend time together without seeing the time slip away. It was also perfect for my newly retired mom who enjoys that kind of activity.
Do you want to have a good time making your own Christmas decorations out of air-drying clay too? You can get a DIY pottery kit right HERE ) .