Barrettes and Roses

Sculpey polymer clay, which is soft and easy for children to use, is recommended for this project. The clay is pressed onto a barrette starting with a strip of green clay the length of the barrette. Each of the leaves is a small green ball of clay that's been flattened and pinched at one end to create the point of the leaf. Use a toothpick to press veins into each leaf.

To make the roses, flatten a tiny rope of pink clay and roll it into a coil. Add two or three petals to each small rose and five or six petals to a large rose, forming them from small balls of clay as you did the leaves.

Carefully press the roses into place on the barrette, then bake the barrette in a glass baking dish at 275 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Let it cool before removing it from the baking dish. Seal the clay with a coat of clear nail polish.

Photo by Charles Brooks