Designer Genia Ward shows how to make creative holiday ornaments with polymer clay.
Materials:
yellow polymer clay
black polymer clay
rolling pin or pasta press
pencil
aluminum foil
sharp knife
cornstarch
star-shaped cookie cutter
cookie sheet
oven
Steps:
Roll the yellow polymer clay through the pasta press or flatten the clay with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4-inch in thickness.
Dip the star-shaped cookie cutter into the cornstarch, and cut a star from the yellow clay.
Roll two small balls from the excess yellow clay. Use the eraser side of a pencil to make an indention in each ball for the pupils. Press a very small black polymer clay ball in each indention. Position the eyes on the star, looking in different directions (figure A).
Make a larger yellow clay ball for the nose, and center it beneath the eyes. Cut the mouth with a sharp knife.
Pull the bottom lip over the star's face, and place a small ball of aluminum foil beneath the top lip. Pull the bottom lip back down, and press gently on the sides around the aluminum ball (figure B). This gives the star a silly and dimensional grin. Make a small hole at the top of the star with the point of the pencil if you are planning to hang the star as an ornament.
Bake the star in the oven on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes at 275 degrees. Allow the clay to cool for several minutes after baking.
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