Clay Angel Ornament

When I was younger I loved sculpting things out of oven bake clay. I often made small animal figurines and beads. This year I decided to rekindle that old love of mine and make some ornaments for Christmas. I chose to make an angel because angels are so important to remember during Christmas, as well as everyday life.

Here is how I did it:

Sculpt about 1/2 a block of sand colored Sculptey clay into a head with a long flowing blob underneath it. (mine is about 6 inches in height) Then attach 2 long rectangles in the center of the back and have them meet in the center of the front of the body to make the arms.

Then free form the wings. Mine were about 3 1/2 inches in height.

Attach the wings to the back of the angel

Make a rectangle with rounded corners the same height and width of angel's body that extends below where the hands meet. Pinch the top of one end to make pleats.

Attach the skirt just underneath where the hands meet.

Make a small heart out of a piece of colored clay and attach it to the front where the arms meet. 

Make 4 long "snakes" out of brown (or whatever color you'd like) clay. Twirl them around a pen to make curls. Then attach them together at the top with 2 on each side.

Lastly I cut the top of a paper clip off with wire cutters and pushed it into the top of the angel's head to make a hook.

Then bake at 275 degrees F for about 30 minutes (or whatever the directions say). If you don't want your clay to show any finger prints in it, then I recommend lightly rolling over each piece with a rolling pin prior to attaching the pieces. I chose not to do this because I liked the handmade look.

These make perfect Christmas gifts or can be used in your own home on your tree.