pleasure in simple things

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing instructions on how I created my first ornament design for holiday 2015 to coordinate with my sea glass theme…a whale! And, I made him in a sea glass shade!

I started by drawing a whale outline on a thin piece of scrap cardboard. I used the cardboard as a template to cut out the shape of the whale from the clay. If you are not big on drawing, you can certainly find a pattern online to print out and trace.

Once I had my template completed, I prepared the clay. Softening the clay in my hands, I formed it into a ball and rolled it out with a rolling pin, as I would for cookie dough, to a ¼” thickness. Then, using my template as a guide, I cut out the whale shape using a dull knife. I added a hole in the top of the ornament using a straw – this is where I would add my wire for hanging. Following the directions on the package of the clay, I baked the shape in the oven.

Whale Ornament Supplies Needed:
• Modeling clay, 1 -2 oz. per ornament – will vary depending on size of ornament (my whale is 4” x 1 ½”)  I used FIMO in the desired color for finished ornament
• Rolling pin
• 20 gauge black wire
• Cardboard template (optional) or cookie cutter
• Acrylic paint in black and white
• Thin paint brush

I was surprised how easy the clay was to use and how sturdy it was when it came out of the oven.  Once the ornament was completed, I used the black wire to form a ‘spout’ of water. Twenty gauge wire is easy to shape without any special tools! I made one end into a ‘spout’ and I wrapped the opposite end of the wire through the hole I had created with the straw.  My whale looked great already!

As an optional step, I decided to sand the edges some – just to make them look a little less angular. (For a vintage look, rub a little bit of Annie Sloan dark wax to the edges of the ornament.)

Now. all I needed to do was to add the whale’s eye. I did this with a little bit of acrylic paint and a thin paint brush – first a little dot in white, and then a smaller dot in black.

I completed my first ornament design for 2015!  I will be making a few more in sea glass shades before the tree goes up!  My whale may also get a little clear glass glitter for sparkle. :)

Have I inspired you to make your own whale? Or, maybe a variation on the design? You can use the same process to create something to coordinate with your own holiday theme.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie