Polymer clay is one of the most versatile products for creating clay art. Whether you are an experienced clay artist or a novice, you can make clay art for a variety of projects. Cookie cutters and push molds help to create designs and shapes you can use to make jewelry or embellish garden art such as planters and wind chimes. To make clay art wind chimes, use your imagination to create clay shapes and then pair them with colorful glass beads, bells, crystals or other small objects that will bring life and music to your outdoor space.
Instructions
Making Clay Art
1. Knead a 50-cent-size piece of polymer clay to soften it. Flatten the softened clay on a hard surface with your hand. Roll the flattened clay through a pasta machine to create a clay sheet with uniform thickness.
2. Place the clay sheet on a work surface covered with wax paper. Use a clay cutter or a cookie cutter to cut shapes from the clay sheet. Make a hole in the top of each shape with a thin metal skewer. If the clay art pieces will hang at the bottom of the wind chime strands, you only need one hole in the top. If the clay art will hang anywhere else on the strands, make another hole at the bottom of the shape. If you're unsure about the strand design, make two holes; you can always dangle a crystal from the bottom of the clay art if it hangs at the end of the strand.
3. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Place the clay art shapes onto the cookie sheet. Bake the clay in the oven according to the package directions. Allow the clay art to cool.
4. Cover the clay shapes with clay glaze. Allow the glaze to dry completely.
Making the Wind Chimes
5. Cut two strands of fishing line to fit across the center of the craft ring, plus 5 inches. Tie one line across the center of the ring with a double overhand knot. Tie the other line across the ring in the opposite direction so that the lines cross in the center. Cover the knots with viscous jeweler's glue. These strands make the hanger for the wind chimes.
6. Arrange the objects for each wind chime strand in a vertical line.
7. Connect each object by lengths of fishing line tied at the top of one and at the bottom of another. Some objects, such as beads, can be threaded over the line, so account for this as you cut the lines. Double overhand knots work well to attach the lines to the objects. Cover each knot with jeweler's glue for added security.
8. Tie each decorated strand to the craft ring with another length of fishing line. Space the lines evenly around the craft ring. Cover the knots and the part of the craft ring they touch with jeweler's glue. Let the glue dry.
9. Hang the clay art wind chimes by attaching a small S hook to the fishing line cross point in the center of the craft ring.
