DIY Christmas Ornaments

How do you make Christmas ornaments from homemade air dry clay?

These are personalised tree ornaments made from a clay you mix yourself. The recipe is equal parts Selleys Aquadhere Interior and cornflour, plus a tablespoon each of vegetable oil and lemon juice, kneaded with extra cornflour until it stops being sticky. Roll it, cut out shapes, poke a hole for the string, and leave them 24 hours to dry before decorating.

The step that is easy to forget and impossible to fix afterwards is the hole. Once the clay has hardened, drilling a hole through a thin ornament tends to crack it — so make the hole while the shape is still soft, and make it far enough down from the edge that there is material around it.

What you need

• Selleys Aquadhere Interior — 100 grams, plus extra for the glitter finish
• Cornflour — 100 grams, plus extra for kneading and dusting
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Food colouring (optional)
• Bowl and spoon
• Baking paper and a board
• Rolling pin and cutters
• A skewer or similar for the hanging hole
• String, paint and glitter

How to make them

1. Mix the base. Pour equal parts Selleys Aquadhere Interior and cornflour into a bowl — 100 g of each in this example.
2. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one tablespoon of lemon juice.
3. Mix until it forms a slime-like consistency.
4. Knead. Place baking paper on the board and sprinkle it with cornflour, pour out the mixture and knead, folding in more cornflour as needed. It will come together and become less sticky and tacky.
5. Roll and cut. Once it is a dough-like consistency, sprinkle more cornflour on the surface, roll it out and cut out your shapes.
6. Make the hanging hole. Poke a hole at the top of each shape so you can thread string through later.
7. Dry for 24 hours.
8. Decorate. Paint the shapes, or brush on more Selleys Aquadhere Interior and sprinkle with glitter.

Why the method works

The cornflour is added progressively rather than all at once because how much a batch needs varies with humidity and how the mixture was measured. Judge it by feel: still tacky means more cornflour, cracking as you roll means you have added slightly too much.

Twenty-four hours of drying is not padding. Air-dried clay loses moisture from the outside in, so a shape that feels firm after a few hours is often still soft at the centre. Painting or hanging it at that point leads to warping and to paint that cracks as the middle finishes drying. Thicker shapes need longer than thin ones.

The glitter finish uses the same glue as an adhesive coating — brush a thin layer of Aquadhere Interior over the dry ornament and sprinkle the glitter onto it while it is wet. PVA dries clear, which is why this works as a finish rather than leaving a white film.

About the glue, and where these ornaments can live

Aquadhere Interior is a water-based PVA wood adhesive. It is what gives the dried clay its strength and the glitter coat its clarity.

Its limitations define where the finished ornaments belong. Aquadhere Interior is interior only, not waterproof and not suitable for structural use. Tree ornaments are indoor objects, so that is not a constraint in practice — but it does rule out using this clay for anything on a verandah, in a garden, or hanging on an outdoor tree. For exterior woodwork, Aquadhere Exterior is the weatherproof version, though it is a woodworking adhesive rather than a craft material.

Clean up and storage

Uncured PVA comes off hands, bowls and boards with water. Cured product has to be sanded or scraped, so wash up before the mixture dries. Store the finished ornaments somewhere dry — damp will soften them.

Common questions about clay Christmas ornaments

What is the recipe?

Equal parts Aquadhere Interior and cornflour — 100 g of each here — plus one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one tablespoon of lemon juice, then more cornflour worked in while kneading.

How long do the ornaments take to dry?

Twenty-four hours before painting or decorating. Thicker shapes take longer.

When do I make the hanging hole?

Before drying, while the clay is still soft. Drilling a hole in a dried ornament usually cracks it.

Can I colour the clay instead of painting it?

Yes — split the dough after mixing and work food colouring through it, or leave it white and paint once dry.

How do I get the glitter to stick?

Brush a thin layer of Aquadhere Interior over the dry ornament and sprinkle the glitter on while it is wet. PVA dries clear.

My dough is too sticky to roll.

Keep folding in cornflour as you knead, and dust the rolling surface as well.

Do I need an oven?

No. The clay dries in air.

Can these ornaments go on an outdoor tree?

No. Aquadhere Interior is interior only and not waterproof, so the ornaments are indoor decorations.

Is the glue safe for children?

It is a water-based PVA that cleans up with water. As with any craft material, adults should read the label and supervise the mixing.

How do I store them between years?

Somewhere dry, wrapped so they are not knocked. The clay is not waterproof and damp storage will soften it.

How do I clean up?

Water while everything is wet. Cured PVA needs sanding or scraping.

Where is the base clay recipe explained on its own?

See DIY air dry clay, and the rest of the repairs and craft guides.