To follow up the midsummer candles from my last entry, I made these colorful sun discs with air drying clay. They are really easy to make, and this type of clay doesn’t need to be fired.
Used Materials:
To make the discs, I have used white air drying clay. (available here*) There exists also a terra cotta version of it. You can work with it, just as you would with ordinary clay.
I painted the sun discs with acrylic paint (available here*). But any highly pigmented art paint will work.
This is how it works:
1. Condition the clay by kneading it thoroughly and roll it out flat. If the clay is too dry, you can spray it with a water bottle. I made the round discs with a cookie cutter. For the spiky shapes I just used a cutter. You can always line out the desired shape with a tooth pick first. You can make your own original shapes.
2. If you want to make a small bowl, you have to bend the clay in a rounded dish and let it dry like that.
3. You can smooth out the edges of your clay discs with a little water and your fingers. Carve little details and lines in the wet clay with a toothpick. Then you have to let the clay dry for about 1 – 2 days.
4. After the clay has dried, you can sand the edges and surfaces of your discs with fine sandpaper. You can skip this step, but I think it looks so much better if you do it. Do it outside if you can, because it’s a really dusty, messy business!
5. Before you start painting your clay, seal the surface with a clear drying coat. Otherwise the clay will suck up the paint like a dry sponge and the result can be very patchy. If you use very thick and pasty paint, you can skip this step.
6. Now you just have to paint your sun discs. I painted my air drying clay with acrylic paint (available here*). You can dilute them with water to change the consitency.
These sun discs look great as table decorations or as coasters for candles. I like to put them in my little spiritual coner and place small offerings on top like dried flowers or incence. If you make holes in them befor the clay is dry, you can hang them as little ornaments.
Kids will love playing around with this clay. Even preschoolers can do this. You just have to help them condition the clay. It is easiest if you roll out the clay, and let them make shapes with cookie cutters. Don’t forget that the clay will need to dry. So you have to wait about a day before you can paint it. If you use holiday themed cookie cutters you can make cute little ornaments for your christmas tree.
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