Air dry clay ornaments are one of the easiest Christmas crafts I’ve ever made in an afternoon. By the next morning, they were dry, painted, and hanging from little ribbons by my window.
If you’ve been wanting to try clay crafts but have felt intimidated, this is your sign. It’s genuinely one of the most beginner-friendly projects out there, and it looks so much more expensive than it actually is.
Let’s get into it.
What You’ll Need
Here’s the good news: you probably already have half of this stuff.
- Activa Hearty Soft Clay is a favorite for ornaments because it stays workable, doesn’t crack easily, and dries smooth enough for fine detail work like handprints or delicate cutouts. DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay is another great budget-friendly pick.
- Rolling pin (or a smooth drinking glass, no judgment)
- Wooden dowels or popsicle sticks to use as thickness guides on either side of your clay so you roll it evenly
- Cookie cutters or clay cutters — stars, hearts, snowflakes, whatever matches your vibe or the season
- Straw or skewer for poking the hanging hole
- Fine sandpaper (like 220 grit) for smoothing edges after drying
- Acrylic paint in your color palette, plus a few small brushes
- Sealer or varnish — a water-based acrylic varnish or Mod Podge works great for indoor decorative pieces, though if you want real durability and shine, a polyurethane varnish holds up better long-term
- Ribbon, twine, or small jump rings for hanging
- Parchment or wax paper to line your flat drying surface so nothing sticks while it dries
Optional but fun: stamps, lace, buttons, or even burlap texture for pressing designs into the clay before it sets.
If you’re brand new to working with this stuff, it’s worth pausing here and checking out my 25 Air Dry Clay Tips and Tricks Every Beginner Should Know before you dive in. It covers a bunch of the little things that make this whole process smoother.
Step 1: Roll Out Your Clay
Pinch off a piece of clay a little bigger than your palm and knead it briefly to warm it up and remove air bubbles. Roll it between two dowels to keep the thickness even, aiming for about a quarter inch. Too thin and it’s fragile; too thick and it dries slowly and cracks in the middle.
If these are headed for an actual tree, thickness matters even more, since smaller branches can only hold so much weight before they droop. Here’s how I keep mine light:
- Roll them thin. Aim for somewhere around 4 to 6 mm. It’s thin enough to stay lightweight but still sturdy enough not to snap once dry.
- Stick to smaller, simpler shapes. Stars, hearts, snowflakes, and simple little Christmas trees are ideal since they don’t need bulk to look good.
- Skip the heavy detailing. The more raised texture and added-on pieces you build up, the heavier and more fragile the ornament gets. Simple reads as intentional, not lacking.
- Go light on the hanger too. Thin ribbon or twine won’t add unnecessary weight or bulk the way thicker cord or chain can.
- Dry them all the way through before hanging. Even a slightly damp center adds weight and risks warping once it’s up on display.
There’s no universal weight limit, it depends on your tree’s branch strength. As a rule, small ornaments do fine on most trees, while larger, thicker pieces are better saved for shelves, wreaths, or garland instead.
Step 2: Cut Your Shapes
This is the fun, meditative part. Press cutters straight down instead of dragging them for crisp edges. For handprints or fingerprints, press gently and evenly to get a clean impression.
Feeling extra? Press a piece of lace, a button, or even a leaf into the surface before you lift it away, and you’ll get a pretty embossed texture for free.
Step 3: Poke Your Hanging Hole
Don’t skip this step or forget it until after everything’s dry (ask me how I know). Use your straw or skewer to punch a clean hole near the top of each shape while the clay is still soft. Give yourself a little extra margin from the edge so it doesn’t tear out later.
Step 4: Let It Dry Completely
Move your shapes to your parchment-lined surface and let them dry undisturbed for 24 to 72 hours, depending on thickness and humidity. Flip them halfway through if you can, so both sides get even air exposure and avoid warping.
Resist the urge to paint early. Air dry clay needs to be fully, completely dry before you add any color, or you’ll trap moisture underneath and mess up your finish.
Step 5: Sand the Edges
Once everything is bone dry, give the edges a light once-over with your fine sandpaper. It only takes a minute and it’s what makes your ornaments look finished instead of homemade-in-a-rush.
Step 6: Paint Your Ornaments
Now for the pretty part. Acrylic paint goes on beautifully over dried clay. Do your base coat first, let it dry, then layer in your details, dots, stripes, little florals, whatever fits your theme. Thin coats dry faster and look cleaner than one thick, streaky layer.
Step 7: Seal It Up
This step matters more than people think, sealed ornaments resist dust, scuffing, and humidity far better than bare ones. Brush on a thin coat of Mod Podge for something quick and low-odor, or acrylic/polyurethane varnish for more shine and durability.
Let it dry fully before adding a second coat. Water-based varnishes dry in about an hour, while oil-based ones can take eight or more, so plan accordingly.
One thing to keep in mind: air dry clay never gets fully waterproof, even sealed, so keep your finished ornaments away from soaking or heavy moisture.
Step 8: Add Your Hanger
Thread your ribbon, twine, or a small jump ring through the hole you punched back in step three. Size the loop so the ornament hangs the way you want it to, centered or slightly tilted, whatever looks best.
Ornament Shape Ideas To Try
Once you’ve got the basic method down, the shapes are really where you get to have fun and make these feel personal. Here are some of my favorites to start with.
- Stars — Simple and foolproof, no fussy curves involved. Try matte white with a gold-painted edge, or cluster different sizes on one branch.
- Christmas trees — An instant crowd-pleaser. Paint green with toothpick-dotted “ornaments,” or leave it bare with twine wrapped around for a rustic look.
- Snowflakes — Roll slightly thicker to keep the delicate points from snapping. White paint with glitter mixed into the sealer gives a nice shimmer.
- Hearts — Sweet and versatile beyond Christmas, think Valentine’s tags, anniversary keepsakes, or a baby’s first ornament with a birth date etched in.
- Gingerbread people — A kid favorite. Score a smiley face and buttons before drying, then paint brown with white icing details.
- Mittens — Fun and Pinterest-friendly. Pair two together with a string looped between them, like they’re hung to dry.
- Handprint rounds — Roll thicker to hold the print, then date the back before it dries for a keepsake you’ll love years later.
- Wreaths — Roll a clay snake into a circle, pinch the seam, then paint green with tiny red “berries.”
- Angels — A bit more advanced with a layered silhouette. Keep wings thin but not paper-thin to avoid breakage.
- Moons and suns — Great year-round option. Pair a crescent moon with a few star cutouts for a pretty grouping.
Mix and match a few of these into one batch and you’ll end up with a set that feels curated instead of random, perfect for gifting, styling on a tree, or photographing for your blog or Pinterest board.
And that’s it, you’re done. Hang them on a tree, string them along a mantel, tuck them into a gift box, or tie them onto a wrapped present as a little bonus.
Want to go deeper on technique, from avoiding cracks to cleaner edges? Check out my 25 Air Dry Clay Tips and Tricks Every Beginner Should Know. Have fun with it, and don’t stress about perfection, the slightly imperfect ones are usually the most charming anyway.
