I like to use up my scraps when I can and these past several weeks I have been so busy in my studio that I have had lots and lots of scraps. So … when scraps take over your work surface, find something cute and fun to do with them.

Perhaps the most scraps I’ve generated in one day was the day I took to make the caned Poinsettia pins. I had two huge logs of scraps probably equivalent to about 1/3 block of clay each. WOWSERS! So I had to do something with them.  While I haven’t ventured into using the red scrap log yet, I did use up all of the green scrappy log …

Christmas Tree Ornament Tutorial

• Gather up all your green scraps.
• Marble them together using your pasta machine.
• Roll out your clay slab on the 2nd largest setting of your pasta machine.
• Using 3 different sized circle cutters, cut big, medium, & small rounds from your sheet.
• Use a knitting needle to insert holes into your rounds (they do not need to be perfectly centered, in fact they are cuter if they are not).
• Use a stamp or another kind of texture tool to give some texture to your rounds.
• Bake at 275 degrees for 45-60 minutes, covered with foil to prevent scorching.
• When they are completely cool, paint the textured side of your rounds with white acrylic paint.
• Allow it to set just a minute or so and remove access paint with a wet wipe, leaving behind the paint deep in the texture.
• When you have done this to all your beads, seal them with a clear coat of varnish.
• Once the varnish is dry to the touch, place them back in the oven at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes to harden the varnish and super-seal the rounds.
• Now simply string up your beads onto 18 gauge wire.
• Add additional elements using seed beads, base metals, sterling, or any other findings you have on hand.
• When all your pieces are on, bend the metal to make little “hooks” that your trees can hang from.

Sculpting Blessings,

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