N, who is 4, attends a co-op, learning-through-play preschool near our home. I'll post more about our co-op another time, but today I'm sharing a craft that his wonderful teacher makes with the kids each holiday season. Lizz (as she is known to the parents) has kindly given me permission to share the "how-to's."
Each December, Lizz gives the kids some clay, beads, and copper wire, and with a little help from grownups, they make holiday table place card holders.
So, if you'd like to make some too, gather together:
18 gauge wire. You will need 7 to 9 inches for each place card holder you plan to make (about 2 feet, four inches for a set of four). Lizz uses copper.
clay you can air-dry or bake. There are various air-dry and oven-dried clays for kids that you can buy (such as Sculpey) or you can make your own at home. For those who'd rather make homemade, I suggest the salt dough we use. (Recipe follows.) If using Sculpey, you'll need the equivalent of 1/2 to 1/3 of a package of clay for one place holder. Lizz and the kids like to mix and match.
beads. Ours have 5 to 10 beads on the wire. Be sure to get beads that have holes large enough for the wire. Lizz likes 'em metallic and shiny.
a pencil. This will be used to twirl the wire at the end so it can hold a place card.
a home oven. For baking the clay.
Take bits of clay mold them into little bell-shaped lumps or other shapes to serve as the place card holder "stands." Make sure the bottom of the sculpture is flat as the table so that they won't tip over later.
Cut enough wire for the number of place card holders you'll be making, in 6 to 8 inch increments (Lizz likes to vary the lengths).
Poke your wire through the clay base (careful!) and far out the other side, then bend the end of the wire into an "L" shape. Gently pull the wire back so that the bent end is flat against the clay.
Now, the sculpture is ready to bake. Use parchment paper to protect your cookie sheet or pan from any clay. If using Sculpey, Lizz recommends baking in a 280 degree oven for one hour. If using salt dough, I recommend baking in a 180 degree oven for one hour to let it set, then air drying for a day or two. (The low temp oven keeps salt dough a snowy color.)
If using salt dough, once it's baked or dried, you can paint the base. Wait a day or so for the paint on the clay to dry thoroughly before the next step.
String the beads onto the wire. Leave about 2 inches of wire free of beads at the very end. Then, wind the end of the wire onto a pencil (small kids will need help, wire is pokey).
Let the kids loose with paper, crayons, pens, stickers, etc. to make the place cards. In our house, place cards often have pictures or initials instead of names.
and that is it! Thanks, Lizz, for letting me share your fun idea.
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Salt Dough Recipe for Kid Sculptures and Ornaments
Sculpey and other polymer clays are made with PVC plastic, so if you have very small kids or would rather use a homemade clay, I suggest this salt dough.
The recipe is simple: 2 parts flour to 1 part salt. Mix thoroughly, then slowly add 1/2 part water. Test the consistency by taking a small bit of dough and rolling it in a ball. You want a firm but pliable dough that won't droop when shaped. If you need more water, slowly add more (up to 1 full part). The amount of water will depend on how humid your home is. If your dough turns out too droopy, add in a bit more flour and salt, keeping a 2:1 ratio.
Salt dough can be air-dried (it takes a couple of days) or baked, and also painted once it's dry. You can also color the dough before baking, by adding food coloring directly to the dough, or you can color the water that's added to the dough (although this gives you less control over the final color).
I'll share some salt-dough sculptures we made in another post.
