Polymer Clay – Mum In The Madhouse

Kids Fingerprint Heart Ornaments | DIY Keepsake Craft

Jen Walshaw — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:12:58 +0000

These adorable, simple fingerprint heart ornaments are made using baking soda clay and are perfect for valentine’s day. They are a really easy kid craft and inexpensive to make and make great valentines keepsakes or gifts. We are using ours as part of our Valentine’s cards but they also make ace Christmas ornaments or for Mother’s Day.

How to make your own fingerprint heart ornaments

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!

Baking soda clay (we used this recipe, but store-bought air-drying clay or a homemade salt dough works and did you know you can get microwave drying clay)
Red Ribbon or twine (UK Link/US Link)
Heart-shaped cookie cutters (UK Link/US Link)
Adjustable Rolling Pin (UK Link/US Link)
Silicone Sheet (UK Link/US Link)
Straw
Ink pads or paint (UK Link/US Link)
Permanent Markers

Types of clay perfect for Keepsakes

Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Polymer Clay – Staedtler FIMO (UK Link/US Link) or Sculpy (UK Link/US Link)
Microwave Drying Clay (US Link/UK Link)
Homemade 3 Ingredient white clay
Homemade two-ingredient white clay
Homemade White Salt Dough Recipe

Instructions

Once you have decided which clay to use, roll it out (we use a silicone cooking mat) to around 3/4 cm thick. We actually feel that making the clay or salt dough is a fun step in making these. We have a salt-dough ornament that is over ten years old.

Cut out your heart shapes using a cookie cutter; we are using ones designed for cookies.

Make a hole at the top using a straw or skewer, which will become the hole for your thread or ribbon.

Get your child to press his or her finger or thumb into the clay at an angle and repeat in the opposite direction so that the bottoms of the prints meet and form a ‘v’ shape heart. Make sure that the child’s fingerprints are pressed firmly to make a distinct impression in the dough.A fingerprint is a unique and intimate symbol. In many cultures, palm readings and fortune-telling have been used since ancient times. If you want to learn more about palmistry, visit https://asknebula.com/psychics where advisors will help you with fortune-telling.

Allow your dough to harden; how long this takes will depend on which dough you use. We popped ours in the oven for an hour on a low setting (120 degrees).

Once the hearts are hard, then comes the fun part of decorating them. We decided to use ink pads as we wanted to get the boys fingerprint details to show on the hearts, just make sure you have a damp paper towel on hand to clean your child’s finger or child’s thumb. However, you could use paint, ink or even glitter. The special touch of a fingerprint makes these homemade gifts a super special keepsake.

Once the ink is dry, you can varnish the hearts, or you can leave them as they are, which is what we did. If you have made salt dough decorations, then I would recommend using mod podge to varnish and to protect them, as moisture is the enemy of salt dough crafts. Oh, and don’t forget to pop the child’s name and date on the rear using a black sharpie! These make the best handmade gifts, and kids love the completed craft.

Make sure you check out all our other Fingerprint crafts, which are fab to do with kids of all ages, but preschoolers and toddlers especially love them. Just follow the step by step process with the children and make sure there is adult supervision as you do not want them to eat the clay or dough. We love making gifts using a child’s fingerprints as they are such a unique homemade gift idea, and grandparents love them plus they are perfect for Mother’s Day. I love looking at the little fingerprints on the salt dough fingerprint ornaments that children have made in the past. There is something really precious about a child’s fingerprints. I particularly adore our heart pendant fingerprint jewelry.

Simply Clay House Christmas Tree Decoration: A Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial

Jen Walshaw — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:48:40 +0000

This Simply Clay House Christmas Tree Decoration is the perfect way to memorialise a year – the year we stayed home. It is a super simple way to use air dry clay to make a permanent reminder to bring our year after year and place it on our family Christmas tree.

I am a sucker for Homemade decorations and Christmas craft. I love making with the kids and bringing them out each year and reflecting on the memories that they bring. They bring so much joy and 2020 was the year we stayed home so these Clay House Christmas Tree decorations are perfect.

This year has been a strange one and unhappy for some. For me, it has been mainly a blessing as it brought me more time with my teenagers which wouldn’t normally happen.

Our homes became a haven during this crazy year, they kept us safe and warm. My home was filled with love, laughter and sometimes quite a lot of chaos and I wanted to make something that I could remember the year with and I love air dry clay Christmas ornaments,

Types of clay perfect for Christmas Tree Decorations

Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Polymer Clay – Staedtler FIMO (UK Link/US Link) or Sculpey clay (UK Link/US Link)
Microwave Drying Clay (US Link/UK Link)
Homemade 3 Ingredient white clay
Homemade two-ingredient white clay
Homemade White Salt Dough

No matter what type of clay you use, you need to check out the drying process and never leave them to dry over a direct heat source like a radiator as they will crack. Some you can place on parchment paper and bake in the oven (in fact that is essential for polymer clay). I let my air drying clay set on wax paper as it is super easy to remove when dry and if I am in a hurry then I use microwave drying clay to make my Christmas tree ornaments.

These House shaped Christmas Tree Decorations would make a great gift for someone spending their first Christmas in their new home.

How to make House Clay Christmas decorations for the tree

Materials:

Clay of your choice!
House cookie cutter (U K Link/US Link)
Metallic Ink Pads (UK Link/US Link)
Gold Wire (UK Link/US Link), ribbon, thread or peices of twine for hanging from the tree
Cookie circle cutters (UK Link/US Link)
Straw or skewer
Adjustable Rolling Pin (UK Link/US Link)
Silicone Sheet (UK Link/US Link)
Metallic Pens (UK Link/US Link)

No products found.

These House clay Christmas Decorations make a fabulous keepsake gift for grandparents and godparents. I have come to treasure these sorts of tree decorations now my boys are getting older and this year I have made extra for our friends and family.

Start by rolling out your chosen clay to about 1/4 inch in thickness. I use a silicone mat to ensure smoothness and do a small amount at a time turning it over.

Use your cookie cutter to cut out the houses. Remove the clay from around the houses and press a finger in to make an indent and then make a small hole with your round punch or straw and allow to dry.

Once dry it is time to decorate. Colour over your fingerprint indent with ink on your finger. We chose metallic colours. If you want to paint your houses then use acrylic paints, but I like the contrast of the metallic and the white.

You can then add a date or family name

I use a nail file to remove any rough edges on the clay once it has dried to create a smooth surface. Then you can add your loop to hang your decoration from the tree. We used wire for these, but we used a piece of twine and beads for our white clay Christmas fingerprint ornaments.

Depending on the clay you have used, if you want your decorations to last a lifetime then I would encourage you to spray varnish your creations. We are fans of Rustoleum Crystal Clear (UK Link/US Link) and it comes in gloss or matt.

I also think that tiny stamps would work really well on this, especially if you want something a little less handmade and rustic!

If you like this make sure you check out other clay decorations:

DIY Rainbow Clay Christmas Tree Decorations: Fun and Festive Craft Tutorial”

Jen Walshaw — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:47:13 +0000

These DIY Rainbow Clay Christmas Tree Decorations are the perfect homemade Christmas tree ornament for this year. This is a fun DIY Christmas craft that you can hang on the tree and be reminded of the year we have had.

Every Year we made a new decoration for our Christmas Tree. This year I wanted to make something that symbolised the hope of things to come and also remind of us the year we had.

Homemade Christmas Tree Ornament make a fabulous keepsake gift for grandparents and godparents. I have come to treasure these sort of tree decorations now my boys are getting older. This year I have made extra for our friends and family.

We used to use a salt dough recipe for out homemade ornaments, however, one year we had damp in our loft and they didn’t keep, so we started using different types of clay.

Types of clay perfect for Christmas Tree Decorations

Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Polymer Clay – Staedtler FIMO (UK Link/US Link) or Sculpy (UK Link/US Link)
Microwave Drying Clay (US Link/UK Link)
Homemade 3 Ingredient white clay
Homemade two-ingredient white clay
Homemade White Salt Dough

How to make Rainbow clay Christmas decorations for the tree

Materials:

Clay of your choice!
Rainbow cookie cutter (UK Link/US Link)
Acrylic Pens (UK Link/US Link)
Red Ribbon (UK Link/US Link)
Cookie circle cutters (UK Link/US Link)
Adjustable Rolling Pin (UK Link/US Link)
Silicone Sheet (UK Link/US Link)

No products found.

Start by rolling out your chosen clay to about 1/4 inch in thickness. I use a silicone mat to ensure smoothness and do a small amount at a time turning it over.

Press in your cookie cutter firmly.

Press the top into the clay evenly to leave the indent – this may take some practice.

Remove the clay from around the cookie cutter and then make a small hole with your round punch or a straw and allow to dry.

Decorate your rainbow using acrylic paint markers. I recommend leaving the yellow rainbow until last!

The pens are easier for children than getting our lots of acrylic paints and a paintbrush for each colour as you know they will only get muddled up!

We choose to add our family name (ot the person we are gifting to on the left cloud and the year on the right. Then once dry hang with a red ribbon and pop on your tree.

If you like this make sure you check out other clay decorations:

Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament: Easy DIY with Air Drying Clay

Jen Walshaw — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 09:27:00 +0000

What is not to like about this fingerprint Christmas tree ornament made from air drying clay? Anyone that knows me will tell you I am a big lover of creating Christmas ornaments from air drying clay and that I am also a fan of using both kids and adult fingerprints to create keepsake decorations such as these Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornaments. In the past, we have made fingerprint snowman ornaments and also heart ornaments. I have seen Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornaments made with salt dough, but I wanted to use white air drying clay.

Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament

I love Christmas Crafts. I adore personalised and handmade ornaments, decorations and keepsakes and these fingerprint air drying clay ornaments look adorable hanging on the Christmas tree. Follow our step by step instructions below to see how to make a fingerprint Christmas tree ornament from air drying clay to bring out year after year!

There is something really magical bringing out homemade decorations year after year, so I do try to make sure There is something really magical about bringing out homemade decorations year after year, so I do try to make sure that I always add the year we made something to our ornaments even if it is only with a black sharpie on the rear. These Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament make a fabulous keepsake gift from grandparents and godparents. I have come to treasure these sorts of tree decorations now my boys are getting older. These Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament are great for including all the family’s fingerprints, so a fabulous collaborative art project.

In addition to decorations, Christmas gifts, and souvenirs can also be full of creativity and thoughtfulness, such as custom luggage tags, which are not only practical but also a special gift that carries memories. Personalized Luggage Tags can be personalized according to the characteristics of family members.

For example, the name or nickname can be engraved on the front of the luggage tag, and the back can be added with a family photo, fingerprint pattern, or even a Christmas tree or snowflake hand-painted by the children. In terms of color, the classic red, green, or gold can perfectly match the Christmas theme, and the metal buckle design can ensure that the luggage tag does not easily fall off during the journey. Using a custom luggage tag as a Christmas gift will not only make your family feel your care but also evoke warm memories on every trip.

Plus using air drying clay means they coordinate with any trI wanted this tree shape fingerprint ornament to be white to coordinate with any tree decoration and theme so used using air drying clay but these would also be great made from salt dough. Find our Salt Dough Recipe here, I have a lot of salt dough fingerprint ornaments on our tree.

Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament

Materials:

Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter – ours were a gift from Stamptastic
Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Icing Sugar Rolling Pin (UK Link/US Link)
Silicone Mat (UK Link/US Link)
Muli coloured inkpad (UK Link/US Link)
Bakers Twine (UK Link/US Link) or ribbon
Gold and Black Sharpie (UK Link/US Link)
Straw or hole punch

No products found.

If you like these then take a look at our String of Fingerprint Christmas Lights on a plate and guess what it is Dishwasherproof!

How to Make a Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament

We always make a batch of either white homemade clay or salt dough for our seasonal Christmas ornament crafts. It keeps for a good four weeks in an airtight container. I find that fingerprint crafts make the perfect homemade gifts for grandparents and are also a great way of memorialising your child’s fingerprints for life.

Roll out your clay about half a cm think on a silicone mat and cut out your Christmas tree shapes using a cookie cutter, ensuring you cut a hole for the twine (a straw is perfect for this). If you do not have a cutter then trace out your tree shape on cardboard as a template and cut around it with a knife.

Do not remove the excess clay yet as keeping it ensures everything stays in shape. As this is a fingerprint craft, take turns pressing a finger into the clay to leave your fingerprints. If your child’s finger is too small then they can always use thumbprints.

Then remove the excess clay and allow the tress to dry – this will take at least 24 hours. Make sure that you do not place them by a radiator as the change in temperature will cause the clay to crack. If you are making a salt dough ornament then you can bake at a very low temperature in the oven

Take it in turns to colour over your fingerprint indent with ink on your finger. We all chose which colours we wanted to use for our fingerprint tree. If you have a small child or preschooler it sometimes helps to use a q-tip to dab the ink onto their fingers.

Then using a sharpie or permanent marker add a line between the fingerprints to turn them into a string of lights.

Also, add a little black blob at the top of each fingerprint as this makes them look more like lights.

Then add the date in the trunk area using a sharpie.

All you need to do then is add some cords for hanging off the Christmas tree.

I like the matte finish that you get with air dry clay and I have ornaments that are four years old. As long as they are stored in a dry space then they will keep for a long time. If you use salt dough for your Christmas decorations then I would be wary of leaving them anywhere there is moisture or be tempted to coat with mod podge to protect them.

You can seal your Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament made with air drying clay with Mod Podge.

If you like these then check out this years DIY Rainbow Clay Christmas Tree Decorations and Simply Clay House Christmas Tree Decoration

Also, we made fingerprint wreath Christmas cards using finger painting, which was so much fun.

The Best DIY Christmas Keepsake Decorations: Cherish the Holidays with Handmade Memories

Jen Walshaw — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 16:49:53 +0000

I am a massive fan of Christmas keepsake decorations We have loads we have made over the years graduating from salt dough, to homemade clay and then to air dry clay and even microwave clay. I love having something which we bring out each year to remind us of christmases past, plus they make the best gifts for grandparents and godparents.

I gathered up some of my favourite ornament keepsake crafts that you can make with children and cherish for years to come.

Before we start I want to share with you my top tip. Make sure you add the date somewhere on the ornament so you can look back and remember.

There really is something for every ability here and each one of them could be made using any of the clay’s. So if you don’t fancy making your own there is no shame in shop bought at all.

Types of clay perfect for Christmas Tree Decorations

Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Polymer Clay – Staedtler FIMO (UK Link/US Link) or Sculpy (UK Link/US Link)
Microwave Drying Clay (US Link/UK Link)
Homemade 3 Ingredient white clay
Homemade two-ingredient white clay
Homemade White Salt Dough

The best DIY Christmas Keepsake Decorations

Click on each link to take you to the simple how-to instructions for each keepsake ornament! Let me know which ones you will try this year!

Santa Handprint Keepsake – You would never guess that this father Christmas from Messy Little Monster was a keepsake at first glance, it is just

Do you have a Frozen fan in the house, if so this Olaf Salt Dough Keepsake from I Heart Arts and Crafts is perfect?

Perhaps you have a larger family or older kids, if so them our Christmas Tree Keepsake Ornament is what you need.

This Snowman Handprint Keepsake from Learning and Exploring Through Play may be my favorite keepsake of all.

I adore these colourful DIY Rainbow Clay Christmas Tree Decorations – They really pop on the tree

I love fingerprint decorations – we made our own snowman one s here using microwave drying clay (perfect for impatient people like me), but this saltdough one by Crafty Morning is just adorable.

This Nativity Salt Dough Keepsake ornament from The Imagination Tree is just adorable and perfect for doing at Sunday school.

This Simply Clay House Christmas Tree Decoration uses a fingerprint as a door. This would also make a great decoration for anyone moving house.

Perhaps you want something simple, which is great if you have little children, this adorable handprint from mama papa buba is perfect.

These simple white clay Christmas fingerprint ornament are perfect for making year after year.

Or how about these red love heart ones?

How about these simple photograph salt dough keepsake ornaments . They are just so clever by The Best Ideas for Kids.

This Kids Artwork Modge Podge Ornament is easy to make and perfect for the little ones. From How To Nest For Less.

I really adore this Peace Dove from Anna at The Imagination Tree

Perhaps dough is not you bag then how about printing on to white ornaments? How cute are these reindeers?

Or you could buy a pre made decoration and just add your own fingerprints

I love the idea on printing on to a tiny canvas – how cute is this wreath from Celebration Shoppe?

Reindeer Handprint Clay Ornament From Happy Go Lucky

Gold and White Air Drying Clay Christmas Decorations – DIY Craft Guide

Jen Walshaw — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 19:44:23 +0000

We LOVE making our own Christmas Decorations from Air Drying Clay. Each year we add to our ever-growing collection of seasonal decorations with more ornaments. I have to say that I do love these Gold and White Air Drying Clay Christmas Decorations. The addition of some gold paint has really elevated them.

I love how simple they are to make and really love the effects you can get. They make great keepsakes for family and friends. I always try and remember to pop the year we made them on the rear.

I also like to use them as gift tags for wrapping, then people can use them on their own tree. I never run out of ideas thanks to the myriad of Christmas cookie cutters you can get. Yes, that is my secret, I am always on the lookout for fabulous festive cookie cutters.

A lot of the time we keep our air drying clay decorations white, but we decided to add some gold to these to really make them pop.

DIY 2 Ingredient Air Drying Clay

Materials:

Ornament Shaped Cookie Cutters – ours were a gift from Stamptastic
Air Drying Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Icing Sugar Rolling Pin (UK Link/US Link)
Silicone Mat (UK Link/US Link)
Gold Acrylic Paint (UK Link/US Link)
Bakers Twine (UK Link/US Link)
Black Sharpie (UK Link/US Link)

How to make Gold and White Air Drying Clay Christmas Decorations

Roll out your clay about half a cm think on a silicone mat and cut out your trees using a cookie cutter. Ensure ensuring you cut a hole for the twine. You can use a straw for this.

Smooth the edges. I find it is easiest to do this with a damp finger, but some people like to use a damp sponge.

Allow the decorations to dry – this will take at least 24 hours. Make sure that you do not place them by a radiator as the change in temperature will cause the clay to crack. Also to make sure you don’t get the curve we did, be sure to regularly turn your ornaments over.

Once dry then paint. I am a fan of acrylic paint for older children and adults and a water-based paint for younger children. I love the depth of this gold paint. (UK Link/US Link).

It is better to add multiple thin layers and let them dry in between.

We left some mainly white with just a hint of gold at the top.

Allow to dry and then add some ribbon or twine. I wanted the attention on the decorations so used some translucent ribbon I had in my stash.

DIY Terrazzo Polymer Clay Ring Dish

Jen Walshaw — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 12:52:26 +0000

This DIY Terrazzo polymer clay ring dish is a simple way of using up leftover coloured polymer clay. You can really mix things up by using different colours. Not only are they really simple to make they look fabulous. Plus Terrazzo is making a real comeback, in fact, I think it might be the new DIY marbling! This would be a really great handmade homemade gift.

Materials:

Polymer Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Rolling pin (UK Link/US Link)
Oven proof tray
Circle cutter (UK Link/US Link)
Knife
150 grit Sandpaper (extra fine)

No products found.

How to make a DIY Terrazzo Polymer Clay Ring Dish

I don’t have special clay tools and actually, repurpose a lot of my baking equipment which is what makes this a really inexpensive craft.

Start by picking out the colours for your terrazzo. I chose a white background with flecks of brown, grey, pink and coral. You can choose whatever colours you like and this is a fabulous way to use up leftover polymer clay from other projects. Do use the same brand clay, so it all cures at the same temperature and time.

Roll out your base clay – I have a roller with little circles you put on the ends to make the clay an even thickness and I really love it. It is perfect for this and for pastry too.

Then cut flakes of small pieces of the coloured clay. If you have older clay it is easier to do this! You can also grate, yes with a cheese grater older polymer clay. Then sprinkle it on to the base clay and roll again.

Now you need to cut out you bowl. I used a 4 inch cookie cutter, but you could use a bowl or cup as a template.

Place the clay into an ovenproof bowl to form a bowl shape and bake according to packet instructions.

Allow to cool before removing from the bowl.

Then sand the edges of your bowl. The first place I saw polymer ring dishes was on A Beautiful Mess and just like theirs you could use gold acrylic paint to paint the edge.

I love how simple and easy these are to make. They would make for a great teen craft or even to make with your girlfriends.

DIY Terrazzo Earrings using Leftover Polymer Clay

Jen Walshaw — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:25:37 +0000

These DIY Terrazzo Earrings are a super simple way of using up leftover polymer clay. They are really fun to make and look fabulous. Plus Terrazzo is making a real comeback, in fact, I think it might be the new DIY marbling!

I wanted to use up some of the FIMO clay that I have and this is a really fun craft for doing with tweens, teens or even your girlfriends. I also wanted to showcase the colour coral which is so now and add a pop of colour to my earrings.

This was a really fun way to spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon and I have so many more ideas of things to do with DIY tarrazzo polymer clay now, so keep your eyes peeled.

Tutorial for DIY Terrazzo Earnings using Leftover Polymer Clay

Materials:

Polymer Clay (UK Link/US Link)
Rolling pin (UK Link/US Link)
Parchment or greaseproof paper
Oven proof tray
Circle cutter (UK Link/US Link)
Bostik Fix and Flash
Earring Findings (UK Link/US Link)
Knife
150 grit Sandpaper (extra fine)

‎

No products found.

How to make DIY Terrazzo Earnings using Leftover Polymer Clay

I don’t have special clay tools and actually, repurpose a lot of my baking equipment which is what makes this a really inexpensive craft.

Roll out your base clay – I have a roller with little circles you put on the ends to make the clay an even thickness and I really love it. It is perfect for this and for pastry too.

Then cut of flake small pieces of the coloured clay. If you have older clay it is easier to do this! Then sprinkle it on to the base clay and roll again.

Then cut out your circles for the earrings. I wanted to have a contrasting smaller circle, so I cut that at this time too.

Then place on to a baking tray and cure as per your clay’s instructions. Be sure not to over cure as you don’t want to colour your clay or to release any chemicals into the air.

Once the clay has completely cooled then sand off any bumps and make sure the edges are all smooth with extra fine sandpaper.

You then need to glue on the posts to the back of your earings. I particularly like Bostik Fix and Flash as it only takes 15 seconds to dry, so I can move on to the next one plus there is no smell.

It was easy to glue the posts on the back and to sick the coral circles on the front too.

I love how they turned out and next time I am going to try and make some dangling ones.

DIY Festive Clay and Cork Trees

Jen Walshaw — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 07:32:56 +0000

If you are a long-term reader then you will know that I have a real passion for clay crafts with kids. These DIY festive clay and cork trees are a really simple make and you do not need any special tools to make these. In fact, all you need is a rolling pin, knife and cardboard, which makes then perfect for making with kids or for your first clay project.

DIY Festive Clay and Cork Trees

I adore how tactile and hands-on working with clay is. It appeals to kids of all ages from little ones to older children who really love that they can create lasting items with clay. Over the years we have used different types of clay and love them all and this craft will work with pretty much all of them, from standard air drying clay, through to microwave drying and polymer clay.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make any purchases after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!

Materials

Clay
Cardboard
Knife
Ruler
Scissors
Corks
Rolling pin

No products found.

How to make DIY Festive Clay and Cork Trees

If you have a steady hand and a good eye you can skip the step of making a cardboard template, but my boys wanted to use them.

We used the back of a writing pad as our cardboard, but a cereal packet works just as well. Draw on your triangle templates and cut them out. We cut out three different sized triangles for our trees.

Roll out your clay – we use an icing roller and a silicone mat to around 3/4 mm and place on your cardboard template before cutting around it. I have to say I love using an old-fashioned butter knife for cutting out.

Then lay the trees out to dry depending on the clay instructions and the type of clay you are using.

Once dry you need to cut a slit in the corks the same diameter as the tree. This is a job for an adult or an older child. We used a small kitchen knife, but a craft knife would work too. We also used a little stick to dig out the cork.

We left our trees plain white as we are on a minimalism kick, however, they would look beautiful with lace pressed into them like our clay mittens or even painted like these from Diary of a frugal family.

Do you have a favourite type of clay to use?