How to Make Clay Ornaments in a Shortbread Mold
If you want to get creative and don't own a kiln, make clay ornaments using a shortbread mold. Homemade clay can be made with flour and a few other ingredients. By making your own flour-based clay, you will not release toxic chemicals in your stove that can be dangerous for future cooking. Decorate the clay with pre-existing patterns in your shortbread molds and use them for ornaments during the holiday season. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 8 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2 tsp. alum
- 3 cups water
- Large container
- Rolling pin
- Thin wires, length of 2 inches
- Stove
- Sandpaper
- Nail polish
- Acrylic paint
Instructions
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1
Pour 8 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, 2 tsp. of alum and 3 cups of water into a large container. Stir the mixture until it sticks together.
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2
Remove the mixture and knead it until it forms the consistency of dough or clay. Kneading the mixture removes air bubbles.
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3
Pour a thin layer of flour on the inside surface of a shortbread mold. The flour prevents the mixture from sticking to the mold.
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4
Insert the mixture into the shortbread mold. Press down on the mixture to get the details on the shortbread mold. Roll the top of the mixture with a rolling pin to flatten it. Scrape off excess mixture from the top of the mold using a flat object.
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5
Bend thin two-inch pieces of wire into “U” shapes. Insert the ends of the “U” shape into the top ends of each molded form. Position them according to the shapes of the shortbread mold.
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6
Bake the mixture at 260 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Invert the mixture and bake the other side for one hour. Remove the mixture and let it cool for 30 minutes.
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7
Cut the mixture into the shapes made by the shortbread mold to make ornaments, using a serrated knife. Smooth the edges of the ornaments using sandpaper.
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8
Paint and decorate the ornaments, using nail polish and acrylic paint. Let the nail polish and acrylic paint dry for four hours.
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Tips & Warnings
Use oven mittens or gloves when handling the hot shortbread mold.
