Clay Hanukkah Dreidel

Materials:

Kato Polyclay: blue, green, yellow, white, orange
All Night Media Hebrew alphabet stamp set #2956Q (or hand-draw letters)
dye-based black rubber stamp pad
1/4" barb splicer*
Kato Nu-Blade
2" nail
two 8" x 8" or larger smooth ceramic tiles
pasta machine (or 12" length of acrylic rod or PVC pipe)
Super Glue
white craft glue
ruler
needle tool or knitting needle
paper
scissors

* A hose connector found at hardware stores or plumbing supply centers.

Steps:

Note: All clay must be conditioned by kneading for a minute or two, or slice it and run it through the pasta machine several times before use.

1. To make the stand: Roll half a block of conditioned white clay into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball against the work tile with the palm of your hand.

4. Press the eight sections vertically against the white clay ball, spacing each one evenly around stand base. Arrange the candle colors in the following order: blue, orange, green, orange, blue, orange, green, orange.

6. Bake the stand for 40 minutes at 275 F degrees and allow to cool.

7. To make the dreidel: Create the letters for the dreidel by running white clay through the fourth largest setting of the pasta machine or rolling it out to 1/32 inch thick.

8. Working on the ceramic tile, stamp the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hay and Shin onto the white clay sheet. Cut out each letter with the clay blade and remove the excess clay. Bake the white letter blocks on the tile for 15 minutes at 275 F degrees and allow to cool.

9. Place a small amount of white craft glue around the clay surrounding the nail protruding from the center of the dreidel stand. Flatten a 1/2-inch ball of blue clay against your work surface. Carefully remove the clay circle from the tile by sliding the clay blade underneath it. Center the clay circle over the nail tip and press down onto the glued surface of the stand. Set aside.

10. Create four square paper templates of the following sizes: 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch and 1-1/4 inch. Roll out conditioned yellow, orange, green and blue clay through the largest setting of the pasta machine (or 1/8 inch thick). Using the paper templates, cut out four clay squares in the following sizes and colors: 1/2 inch green, 3/4 inch orange, 1 inch orange and 1-1/4 inch blue.

12. Place the four cooled Hebrew letter blocks onto the blue clay square. Place the letters around the square in the order of the Hebrew letters listed in step 1. Each letter should sit in the center of each side, slightly away from the square’s edge. Slightly press the clay blocks into the blue clay with your fingertip. If necessary, trim the blue clay with the clay blade to reshape the square.

14. Turn the clay pyramid right side up and set it on the tile. Slowly insert one end of the barb splicer all the way through the clay squares. Lift the inverted clay pyramid with your fingers. Carefully push the pyramid the rest of the way up until the blue clay comes in contact with the brass collar in the center of the barb splicer. It may be necessary to reshape the pyramid with your fingers so that the squares sit flatly and evenly.

16. When the dreidel and stand have cooled, Gently twist the dreidel to release from the blue clay. The impression made in the clay will ensure the dreidel stands straight when being displayed. Carefully twist the yellow tip off of the top of the dreidel and super glue it back. Loosen the dreidel from the barb splicer by twisting. Apply some Super Glue around the stem and under the collar of the barb splicer and press the clay back into place to secure.

17. Cut off the tip of the nail in the base with wire cutters. Make sure you wear safety goggles when cutting.