Polymer Clay Easter Ornament Step-by-Step Tutorial
It’s that time of year when we’re ready for all things spring, including this charming polymer clay Easter ornament.
I don’t know about you, but I am ready to see some signs of spring and this polymer clay Easter ornament is just the thing to remind me it’s on the way.
The ornament begins with a fun take on a skinner blend where you place small bits of colored polymer clay on a white sheet of clay. By the time you’ve finished blending all the colors into the white you’ve got a lovely sheet of blended pastel stripes.
A spring or Easter themed silk screen, done in white, adds a subtle, decorative detail to the piece. If you don’t happen to have an appropriate silk screen for the project it will turn out just fine without that detail.
Once you’ve got your egg shape cut out, you’re going to grab your polymer clay extruder and crank out some clay noodles for a rope braid trim.
And if you’re not terribly skilled at sculpting floral details, don’t worry! I’ll be the first to admit sculpting florals is not my area of expertise but the flowers and leaves in this polymer clay Easter ornament are simple to make and add to the charm of the overall piece.
A pretty textured back and a ribbon for hanging complete the piece.
So, if you’re ready for a little spring decor, gather up your tools and get ready to make a polymer clay Easter ornament.
Tools & Materials
- Non-porous work surface (I work on either glazed tile or glass)
- Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay use (I use an Atlas 180 and will refer to the settings I use on my machine. If you don’t have a pasta machine an acrylic roller and some playing cards will do in a pinch, it’ll just take a little more work.)
- Polymer clay extruder
- Ball stylus
- Small circle cutters
- White polymer clay plus small bits of other colors—think spring & Easter shades—yellow, pink, green, blue, purple
- Liquid clay
- Easter or spring themed silkscreen—I used this one
- White acrylic paint
- Texture sheet—I used this one, it’s one of my favorites in my collection
- Corn starch
- Craft knife
- Polymer clay blade
- Acrylic rod
- Ribbon to hang the ornament
Directions for Polymer Clay Easter Ornament
Skinner Blend & Silk Screening
Begin by conditioning the white clay and finish by sheeting on a medium setting (no.3 on my Atlas)
Cut a rectangle from the clay slightly larger that the size you’d like your ornament to be. Put small random bits of different colored clay along one of the short ends. Remember, the sheet will get wider as you pass it through the pasta machine and you want the stripes going horizontally on the egg. So be sure to start out with the colored bits of clay on a narrow end.
Fold the top edge over the bits of colored clay and run it through the pasta machine on the no.3 setting, folded edge against the rollers. Continue passing the sheet through the machine until you’ve achieved a nice blend.
RELATED POST: HOW TO MAKE A POLYMER CLAY SKINNER BLEND
Place the bend on your work surface with the stripes running horizontally and position the silk screen over top. Gently roll over the silk screen with an acrylic rod to keep it in place.
Apply a small amount of acrylic paint and spread it over the silk screen, scraping up the excess with a plastic card.
Remove the silk screen and immediately drop it into a dish of cool water with a drop of dish soap.
Once the paint has dried move the sheet onto a glazed tile for baking. No tile? You can place the sheet on a piece of card stock instead and use that for baking. You just don’t want to be picking it up and handling it after it’s been decorated.
Cutting out the Ornament & Decorating
Cut out an egg shape using a craft knife and an egg shaped paper template. I used an egg shape I found on Canva, sized to the size I wanted.
RELATED POST: DIY POLYMER CLAY SHAPE TEMPLATES USING CANVA
Condition a piece of clay for the rope border and use the extruder to make some clay noodles. Double the noodles up and gently twist them to make a rope long enough to go around the outside of the egg. Place the join somewhere near the bottom so it can be covered with some decorative elements.
Starting with a green color for foliage, roll out some thin-ish ropes of clay and taper the ends. Roll up one of the ends into a coil and place the other end over the join in the rope border. Add a few more coiled “leaves” elsewhere.
Condition a few pieces of clay in pastel shades and sheet them on a number 4 or 5 setting. Cut out small circles for flower petals. Using a ball stylus push the circles into thinner, cupped petal shapes.
Join five petals together to make a flower. Place small dots of liquid clay on the egg where you want the flowers and gently put them in place.
Make some smaller flowers in the same manner and place them as well. Roll small balls of clay for flower centers and press them into place with a dotting tool, small ball stylus, or a toothpick.
Roll some thin, tapered snakes and coil them all the way up for rose-like flowers.
Tuck in a few more bits of greenery to fill it out.
Use a small round cutter to make a hole at the top of the egg for hanging.
Place the tile on a baking sheet and tent with foil. Bake at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for 45 minutes to an hour.
Finishing the Polymer Clay Easter Ornament
Condition a piece of clay the same color as the rope border on the ornament and sheet it on a no.3 setting. Place the sheet on your work surface and lightly dust it with corn starch to prevent the texture sheet from sticking.
Texture the clay with the texture sheet. I like to press the sheet in all over with my finger tips and then roll over it with my acrylic rod.
Sponge or smear a thin layer of liquid clay over the back of the cured ornament. Lay the textured sheet over the liquid clay, taking care not to trap any air. Set aside for about five minutes so the raw clay can begin to bond to the cured clay.
Gently place the ornament on a piece of parchment paper or scrap of printer paper and trim away the excess backing clay with a craft knife. Cut out the hole at the top as well.
Pick the ornament up and trim the backing clay again at about a 45 degree angle to get a tapered edge.
Gently roll over the tapered edge with an acrylic roller to smooth out the clay. Use a finger tip to further smooth any missed spots and blend it into the rope border.
Cushion the ornament on a bed of rice or cornstarch or a clean kitchen sponge on a baking tray and tent with foil. Bake again at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for another 45 minutes.
Hang the ornament with a piece of ribbon strung through the hole at the top.
Happy Easter!
If you’ve enjoyed this Polymer Clay Easter Ornament Tutorial and give it a go, please let me know!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, I’m happy to hear from you.