These clay egg ornaments are very simple and easy to make. They are made out of air dry clay which is kid friendly and 100% natural – no baking required! Even though this is a simple craft you can add your own creative touch to these egg ornaments. Try mixing paint with the clay for coloured eggs or decorating untextured eggs with dried flowers or decoupage. The options are truly endless. These ornaments are perfect for gifting to friends, adding to Easter baskets, or decorating your home. We’ll be using ours to decorate an Easter tree which is a lovely tradition with European roots.

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Materials

• Air Dry Clay (white)
• Egg shaped cookie cutter (3 inch/8 cm size works best)
• Bits of nature with interesting textures (evergreen branches, lavender stems, strawberry leaves)
• Rolling pin
• Tweezers (optional but helpful)
• Parchment paper or silicone mat
• Twine, cotton string or wool yarn
• Tempera paint (optional, for dying the clay)
• Pressed flowers (optional, for gluing onto ornaments)
• Mod podge (optional, for gluing pressed flowers)

Instructions

1. Roll out the clay: Place a ball of air dry clay on to parchment paper or a non stick surface and roll the clay to 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thick using a rolling pin.
2. Lay out nature bits: Lay bits nature on top of the clay. Use pieces of nature that are sturdy and have distinct textures like evergreen branches, lavender stems, and rosemary leaves.
3. Press and print: Use a rolling pin to press the bits of nature firmly into the clay to make nature prints.
4. Remove the nature bits: Carefully remove the nature bits out of the clay. Use a pair of tweezers to grab little pieces that are difficult to remove with your fingers.
5. Cut egg shapes: Use the egg shaped cookie cutter to cut out the egg ornaments.
6. Make a hole: Make a hole near the top of the egg with a chopstick or pencil. Don’t go too close to the edges.
7. Let them dry: Place the egg ornaments on a rack and let them air dry until firm which takes 24 to 72 hours.
8. Add a string: When fully dry, thread a piece of twine or cotton string through the hole.

How to colour air-dry clay

Most air-dry clay comes in white but it’s easy to give it colour. To colour air dry clay add a dollop (a few teaspoons) of tempera paint to a clump of clay and knead it together very well. This well take a few minutes. Be warned, this is messy business, but tempera paint washes off hands and surfaces very easily.

Add more tempera paint than less, the colour will lighten significantly as the ornaments dry. For instance, red paint will result in a pink colour, dark yellow into a soft yellow an dark purple into a pastel purple.

Note: You can substitute tempera paint with acrylic paint but it won’t wash off hands and surfaces easily.

Troubleshooting

Cracks in the clay: Cracks will form in the clay if it is too dry. If you notice that the clay is cracking when it’s being rolled out, knead in a splash of water.

Air bubbles in clay: Air bubbles in the clay can be removed by popping them with a sharp knife or kneading the clay for a few minutes before rolling it out.

Nature print isn’t visible: The best types of nature to use for printing into clay are those that are more rigid or hard. Soft plants and flowers won’t leave a noticeable imprint. Use things like evergreen branches (cedar, spruce and fir), woody herbs (rosemary, lavender, thyme) and sturdy leaves (use the back of leaves where the veins stick out more).

I hope you enjoyed this fun spring craft. Please feel free to drop me a line or ask me questions by posting below or contacting me.