Learn how to make air dry clay Christmas ornaments. These make cute holiday decorations, and the kids can help once the homemade air dry clay cools. You can turn these into diffuser ornaments for DIY essential oil gifts.

Air Dry Clay Christmas Ornaments

Each year, I like to make small gifts for volunteers at a non profit I work with. I usually make a sugar scrub or soap, but this year I wanted some aromatherapy Christmas gifts.

My Simply Earth box came with directions to make diffuser ornaments, so I decided to make those to give as gifts.

I made my own air dry clay, which was easier than I thought it would be. It worked really well, too!

The November 2021 Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box had several aromatherapy Christmas gifts. Each month, you get 4 full sized bottles plus supplies to make 6 recipes.

The November box has:

Candy Cane blend
Cassia
Lime
Winter Spice
Lavender Buds
Test Tubes (for bath salts)
Lip Balm Tubes
Gift Tags
Labels
Recipe Cards

I shared the oatmeal cookie sugar scrub recipe over at Everything Pretty. Today, I want to share how to make DIY air dry clay and use it to make diffuser ornaments.

Want to make your own essential oil DIYs each month? Use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you subscribe to get a free bonus box plus a $40 gift card for a future purchase!

Is Air Dry Clay Good for Ornaments?

Yes, it's very easy to make and to work with. I just used three ingredients to make DIY air dry clay, or you can buy air dry clay.

One thing I liked was that it was easy to work with. I made my first two ornaments too thin, but I was able to combine them with the rest of the clay and roll it out again. The two cut ornaments worked into the clay without any seams.

Can I Add Glitter to Air Dry Clay?

Yes, you can add glitter to your air dry clay ornaments. I recommend adding a little bit and then kneading the clay before rolling it out.

I use biodegradable glitter because it's better for the environment.

You could also use glitter after they harden, but it may fall off. If you want a sparkle on the top, then cover the front with Mod Podge Extreme Glitter.

Can You Stamp on Air Dry Clay?

Yes, and it works really well as long as the stamp has some depth. I used an owl stamp and a bird stamp. The bird is really cute, but the owl wasn't deep enough.

I also used mermaid scale and wood grain fondant mats. I really like how those turned out!

Can You Use Cookie Cutters for Air Dry Clay?

Yes, you can definitely use cookie cutters to make air dry clay decorations. I wanted circles, so I used a regular mouth mason jar for my circles.

I also used a shot glass to make smaller ones that I'll turn into diffuser necklaces.

How Thin Can You Roll Air Dry Clay?

I suppose you can roll your air dry clay pretty thin, but I left mine at about 1/4 inch thick for my air dry clay Christmas ornaments.

I didn't want them to crack, so I wanted thicker clay.

How Do I Get a Smooth Finish on Air Dry Clay?

I used my marble rolling pin to get a smooth finish on my air dry clay decorations. The air dry clay does take a while to harden, and I had plenty of time to make my DIY essential oil gifts.

However, if your clay starts to harden, you can wet your fingers and smooth out the clay.

Once your air dry clay ornaments are hardened, you can use a fine grit sandpaper to get a smooth finish.

What Paint Do You Use on Air Dry Clay?

You can use acrylic paint to decorate your air dry clay Christmas decorations. Let the clay air dry overnight or until completely dry. Then paint the front with acrylic paint.

Leave the back unpainted if you want to use them for diffuser ornaments.

How Long Do Air Dry Clay Ornaments Last?

These air dry clay Christmas ornaments will last for several years. The clay dries very hard without baking.

When properly stored to prevent breakage, they should last for several years.

You will need to add more essential oils for diffuser ornaments because the scent will fade.

Essential Oils for Diffuser Ornaments

I used Candy Cane and Winter Spice for my aromatherapy Christmas gifts. You can use other essential oils or blends. I recommend one of these blends:

You can also make an apple pie spice essential oil blend or a pumpkin spice essential oil blend. These fun essential oil blends that smell like candy would also work great.

For more Christmas ideas, check out these posts:

What Do You Need to Make Air Dry Clay Ornaments?

This is to learn how to make DIY air dry clay. You can also buy air dry clay and follow the same steps.

You will need:

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup water
Ribbon or string
Cookie cutters
Straw or toothpick (to make the hole for hanging)
Rolling pin
Towel
Essential Oils
Medium saucepan

How Do You Make Air Dry Clay Decorations?

Step #1

Place the baking soda, corn starch, and water in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Stir constantly. It will be very watery at first and slowly thicken.

Step #2

Keep stirring on the heat until the mixture gets thick enough to form a ball. This took 6 minutes for me on an electric stove.

The mixture did not form an actual ball, but it was able to spooned into one and held its shape for a few seconds.

Step #3

Remove from heat. Let the air dry clay dough cool in the pan until you can handle it without burning yourself.

Step #4

Remove the dough from the pan and wrap in a damp cloth and let it cool completely.

Step #5

Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Use a straw or toothpick to create a hole on the top for hanging.

Use stamps or other things with texture to gently press on the air dry clay Christmas ornaments if desired.

Step #6

Let the air dry clay Christmas decorations sit for 3 to 4 days until completely dry. You can then use acrylic paint to decorated if desired. I dry brushed paint on the faux bois ornaments.

To make diffuser ornaments, add 1-2 drops of essential oils to the back of the air dry clay ornaments.

These make great aromatherapy Christmas gifts. Once the air dry clay is cool, kids can help roll it out and cut shapes.

Want to make your own air dry clay Christmas ornaments? Use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you order your Simply Earth box for your free $40 gift card!

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essential oils, aromatherapy, christmas, ornament, air dry clay

Yield: 4 ornaments

Author: Cari @ Koti Beth

Estimated cost: $5

Air Dry Clay Diffuser Ornament

prep time: 15 Mperform time: 30 Mtotal time: 45 M

How to make air dry clay to make diffuser Christmas ornaments.

materials:

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup water
Ribbon or string
Cookie cutters
Straw or toothpick (to make the hole for hanging)
Rolling pin
Towel
Essential Oils
Medium saucepan

tools:

Scissors

steps:

Place the baking soda, corn starch, and water in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Stir constantly. It will be very watery at first and slowly thicken. Keep stirring on the heat until the mixture gets thick enough to form a ball. This took 6 minutes for me on an electric stove. The mixture did not form an actual ball, but it was able to spooned into one and held its shape for a few seconds.
Remove from heat. Let the air dry clay dough cool in the pan until you can handle it without burning yourself.
Remove the dough from the pan and wrap in a damp cloth and let it cool completely.
Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Use a straw or toothpick to create a hole on the top for hanging. Use stamps or other things with texture to gently press on the air dry clay Christmas ornaments if desired.
Let the air dry clay Christmas decorations sit for 3 to 4 days until completely dry. You can then use acrylic paint to decorated if desired.
To make diffuser ornaments, add 1-2 drops of essential oils to the back of the air dry clay ornaments.

https://www.kotibeth.com/2021/11/how-to-make-air-dry-clay-christmas.html

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How to Make Air Dry Clay Christmas Ornaments