How to Make a Bakers Clay Cornucopia

If you would like to make a tabletop decoration that is fun and easy to do, make a bakers clay cornucopia. An ancient symbol meaning food and abundance, cornucopias look beautiful and festive at any time of the year. Also known as a horn of plenty, fill your cornucopia with fruit, candy, cookies, leaves or fall grass.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup salt
• 4 cups flour
• Measuring cup
• Mixing bowl
• Paintbrush
• Knife or a pair of scissors
• 1 egg
• Oven
• Shellac

Making Bakers Clay

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups hot water into a large bowl

2. Add 1 cup salt to the water and stir.

3. Mix in 4 cups of flour until the dough is sticky.

4. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, which generally takes between 7 to 10 minutes.

5. Place the dough into a plastic bag with a zipper closure and store it in the refrigerator.

Making the Cornucopia

1. Shape a cone out of light weight cardboard and cover it with aluminum foil.

2. Use extra aluminum foil on the pointed end of the cone to give it the molded shape curve of a cornucopia.

3. Roll out the baker's dough so that you have enough to cover the cardboard cone completely. The dough should be approximately ¼ inch thick.

4. Cover the cone with the dough by wrapping it around and the cone.

5. Seal the edges of the dough together by putting a little bit of water between the overlapping edges using a paint brush.

6. Press the edges together to seal them closed.

7. Smooth the edges by rubbing them gently with wet fingers. Remove any uneven edges around the opening of the cone by trimming them off carefully with a knife or a pair of scissors. Set the dough covered cone aside.

Finishing the Cornucopia

1. Take another piece of baker's dough and roll it into a long snake shape. It should measure twice as long as the outside opening around the cone.

2. Fold the long snake like piece of bakers dough in half.

3. Twist the two ends together, making a coil.

4. Dip the paintbrush into the water and paint the outer edge of the cone. Place the coiled dough on the wet dough around the outer edge of the cornucopia, being careful not to flatten out the coil.

5. Make another snake of dough approximately 1/4-inch thick and cut it into ½-inch wide strips. Wrap the dough strips around the cone, leaving spaces between the strips.

6. Use your paintbrush handle to make ridge lines that go from the narrow point of the cornucopia to the wide end, giving the cornucopia a woven appearance.

Baking the Cornucopia

1. Bake the cornucopia for 1/2 hour in a 300 F oven. If you want your cornucopia to have a golden color, mix together 1 teaspoon of water with 1 egg, and apply it to the cornucopia using a paintbrush after it has baked for the first 30 minutes.

2. Continue baking for another 1/2 hour, turning the cornucopia occasionally.

3. Remove the cardboard mold and bake for approximately 15 to 30 more minutes or until the cornucopia is dry. It is important to keep checking the cornucopia because you do not want it to become too brittle.

4. Remove the cornucopia from the oven and allow it to dry.

5. Spray the cornucopia with shellac once it has completely dried.

Tips & Warnings

• When mixing the dough, add a little bit more flour if it is too sticky. If it is too crumbly, add a little bit of water.

Resources

• Find more great dough crafts
• Go here for more craft ideas