How To: Modern Mountain Clay Ornaments

This holiday season, a group of the Curbly writers decided to team up and each of us created a simple and stylish new Christmas ornament. We’re calling it the “Curbly Ornament Challenge” but there’s not much competition involved…just a lot of fun, seasonal crafting. See all of the ornaments here.

This year, I am really leaning toward simple and minimal Christmas decor. I purposely went through our boxes and boxes of decorations and intentionally brought out a few select pieces we loved and had a purpose for. Our home has glimpses of Christmas in every room, without the overhaul. Likewise, when it comes to Christmas ornaments I want something that’s neat and fresh. It’s not always easy to find, which is why these modern mountain clay ornaments are the perfect solution! They take no time at all and are certainly fun to make.

materials

Oven-bake clay

Rolling pin (preferably non-stick)

Sharp knife

Clay tools (for designing patterns – these can be anything you find in the kitchen that can create interesting and unique patterns and shapes!)

Watercolor paint

Small paint brush

Step

Begin with a clean surface, knead and roll you clay into a medium-sized ball.

Step

Using your rolling pin, carefully begin to roll your ball into 1/4″ thickness.

Step

With a sharp kitchen knife, begin creating basic triangles of various sizes and widths. These are your mountains!

Step

Now for the fun part! Use your imagination when it comes to creating unique patterns to mimic the “snow” on your mountains. You can use a material such as lace to roll over the clay to create organic patterns. You can create small shapes to stick to the clay by rolling little balls or other shapes. You can create small holes using a straw or make indented patterns with tools or even utensils! The sky is the limit.

Step

When you have finished your patterns, create a small hole at the top of the triangles that will be big enough for twine, ribbon or thread. Depending on how you would like to hang it!

Step

Place clay on a metal baking sheet. Refer to package instructions for baking time and temperature.

Step

Allow clay to cool completely. Once cooled, you can place your ribbon or twine through the hole.

Step

You can leave your ornaments as is – white. Or you can add another touch by painting the tops of the mountain patterns using a watercolor effect.

Simply mix whatever color you love (I went with black) with a touch of water and gently brush it on the tops of your triangles. You can dilute the paint as much as your like, depending on the kind of effect you are going for. The paint will settle in all the grooves and bumps.