How to make lace hearts from air dry clay to use as ornaments or magnets.
Okay, so we’re getting a bit obsessed here with our lace hearts.
Making lace prints in dough is awesome! The process is very, very satisfying (for kids and adults alike) and it creates such a lovely relief of the lace. We’ve been doing this with playdough and air dry clay and I also want to try it in cookie dough, salt dough, real potter’s clay. Anything else?
Earlier this week, I posted about our playdough lace prints (and what the kids did with this pretty, textured dough). Today, I’m going to share the homemade heart ornaments and magnets that we made with the more permanent air dry clay.
How to Make Lace Hearts in Clay
MATERIALS
- Air dry clay (we used the Crayola air dry clay but you could also try a different brand or make your own)
- Crochet doilies or other thicker-type lace*
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Medium heart cookie cutter (ours was 3 inches across)
- Plastic drinking straws
- Small beads (optional)
- Paint (optional); we used Colorations Activity Paint and BioColors, in metallic colors
- String or thin ribbon
*We used crochet doilies picked up at a yard sale, but you can also find them available for purchase at craft stores, fabric stores, and online. Also, give any thicker lace a try, including lace ribbon. Just don’t use paper doilies.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place clay on parchment paper. Add doily & roll.
Pull off a piece of air dry clay and set on a sheet of parchment paper.** Lay your lace doily over the clay and use a rolling pin to press the doily design into the clay.
**Use parchment paper to cover your work surface rather than the plastic mats shown in some of these photos. We quickly learned that the clay lifts up easily from parchment paper but not from the plastic mats.
- Reveal the lace print
Carefully lift the doily off the clay to see the pattern beneath.
Look at that detail!
- Make a heart
Use a cookie cutter to cut a heart from the clay.
- Make a hole to hang the heart
Use a straw to punch a hole at the top for hanging.
- Add beads (Option 1)
If you like, you can embellish your lace heart by pressing small beads into the design. Daphne really got into this.
If you add beads, make sure to press them in well. A couple of her beads fell off after the heart dried and I had to glue them back in place.
Here’s another one she made.
I pressed a few beads into the ones I made as well.
- Paint your hearts (Option 2)
If you like, you can even paint the hearts once they are dried (especially if you didn’t add beads).
The paints we used are Colorations Activity Paint and BioColors, in metallic colors, and both available through Discount School Supply. Tempera or acrylics would work okay as well.
- Let clay hearts dry, then add ribbon
Allow the clay hearts dry (ours took a couple days) then thread string or a narrow ribbon through the hole and hang.
I really like how these ornaments look against my teal door!
We sent our lace heart ornaments as Valentine’s Day gifts to the grandmas and cousins. And also included some magnets we made using the same technique.
Here’s the (simple) magnet variation…
How to Make Lace Heart Magnets
MATERIALS
- Air dry clay
- Crochet doilies or other thicker-type lace
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Small heart cookie cutter (ours was 1 3/4 inches across)
- Paint (optional); we used Colorations Activity Paint and BioColors, in metallic colors
- Small magnet disks
- Hot glue gun
INSTRUCTIONS
Make lace hearts
Follow the instructions for the lace hearts through cutting out the hearts, but use a smaller heart cookie cutter for the magnets.
Let dry
This takes about a day for these smaller clay hearts.
Paint if desired
Again we used Colorations Activity Paint and BioColors, but tempera or acrylics would work okay too. Let the paint dry.
Add magnets
Use a hot glue gun to glue the small magnet disks to the backs of the clay hearts.
Use your new lace heart magnets to hang artwork on the fridge! And to give as gifts…
Want more ideas? Click here for 30 Valentine Crafts and Activities for Kids (with a FREE printable list!).
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6 Comments
Roxanne Crouse
February 11, 2016 at 2:30 pmWhat great ideas. Thanks for sharing
Jean Van't Hul
February 11, 2016 at 4:13 pmYou’re welcome!
Brigitte
February 11, 2016 at 7:11 pmThese are just beautiful! And using air dry clay is my favourite thing at the moment – I love making it too. I love the idea of the tiny beads and using them as magnets. Fantastic!!! This makes them a much nicer idea to give as presents. Thank you!
Jean Van't Hul
February 15, 2016 at 12:52 pmYou’re so welcome, Brigitte! What all do you make with your air dry clay? Just curious… :)
Harry Nwaosu (Children Art and Craft Instructor)
May 9, 2016 at 2:40 pmGood paintings. However kids should start learning how to pant with primary colours. Drawing should also start with shapes.
Erin
April 15, 2018 at 11:17 pmIs it necessary to let dry before painting? I’d like to use for an activity time, but only have an hour with the kiddos.
Thanks!