Dipped Feather Ornaments

Instructions

1. Preheat oven according to temperature on clay packaging.
2. I used much less than 1/4 of a one pound package of clay to make 3 ornaments, so break off about that much to start.
3. Warm the clay with your hands by kneading it and stretching it until it becomes soft and easy to work with.
4. Cover your work surface with parchment paper or wax paper and tape it down as unbaked clay can damage finished surfaces.
5. Roll out your clay until it is about 1/4"-1/8" thick.
6. Pick out feathers the size and shape you would like create copies of for your ornaments. Lay the feather on top of the rolled out clay.
7. Roll over the feather, pressing it gently into the clay.
8. Carefully lift the feather off the clay and you should see the imprint of the feather left behind. Use the toothpick or dowel to make a hole in the clay at the shaft of the feather for hanging.
9. Use the x-acto knife to cut out around the shape of the feather impression and then remove the excess clay. Use the x-acto knife to exaggerate some of the details of the feather impression and create small marks along the edges of the feathers working along the natural "grain" of the feathers to create a more feathered look.
10. Gently fold the feathers slightly to give them shape and place the parchment and feathers on a cookie sheet and bake according to the package directions.
11. Cool completely, then paint the feather using the BEHR white cameo paint. Paint several thin coats being careful to follow the "grain" of the feathers with your brushstrokes to avoid washing them out with paint. Allow to dry completely between coats.
12. Use painters tape to block off section of the feather and paint with the BEHR essential teal paint to make it look as if it were dipped in the paint. Go thicker with the teal, but still follow the "grain". Let dry.
13. Thread ornament hanging wire through the hole and hang on your Christmas tree.