I’m joining in with the 20 Days of a kid-Made Christmas fiesta today and sharing an idea for some DIY clay heart decorations, which are so pretty for hanging on the Christmas tree or as some festive bunting. Here’s the DIY clay recipe and how to make the heart decorations.
DIY clay heart bunting
We’re making our heart decorations from a DIY glue dough recipe, which will air dry, rather than needing baking.
To make the air-drying clay/dough you will need:
:: one part PVA glue
::two parts cornflour {UK name} / cornstarch {US name}.
We used a one cup measure of glue and two cups cornflour.
Then all you need to do is mix the two together ~ easy as that!
In a matter of minutes you’ll go from this :: to this :: to this, and you’ll have a lovely, white moldable dough, similar in consistency to ready-roll icing/frosting.
It’s a fun hands-on mix for kids to try.
Then you can roll out the dough and use some cookie cutters to stamp out some shapes.
We’re using hearts, but Christmas trees and snowflakes would be lovely too. And if you have a number 8 cookie cutter, you could use it as a snowman shape.
You can use a pencil or skewer to make holes in your hearts, so you’ll be able to add a ribbon and hang them up.
Make one hole in the centre top if you want the kind of decoration you hang on a tree, or two holes either side of the top if you want to make bunting.
And you can use a dry paintbrush to sweep over the surface and remove any clay dough crumbs that you might have on the surface of your hearts.
Then you can set your hearts on a flat surface {we used a baking tray lined with baking parchment} and leave them overnight to dry out.
Once they are dry the hardened clay dough is a wonderful surface to decorate, and it takes pencils and wax crayons really well.
Or add some glitter glue for sparkles.
All the children (and adults!) in your family or class could make a heart to add to the set ~ each of them unique.
Add a ribbon or some thread and you’re ready to hang up your decorations. Our heart garland is going in our kitchen to be some festive bunting across our window.
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Can you use elmers glue?
Hi Debbie, I’m in the UK and we don’t have Elmers Glue, but I think it is the same thing. I used a PVA white general craft glue – that’s the same, yes?
yes cathy
I had the recipe for cold porcelain, but can’t find it. Would you know what it might be? Thanks ejw,
I’m sorry, I don’t that one.
Thinking of adding a drop of essential oil, adding ribbon to individual hearts and giving them as scented wardrobe angers as gifts 🙂
I love this idea Lowri!
Great idea
Love that it can be decorated with pencils & crayons. Absolutely love how white & easy the dough is! Just love it!
Hi, could you add food coloring to the glue before you mix it so they would be a solid color other than white?
Thanks
I don’t lisa, I haven’t tried it. You might need a very strong colouring, or lots of it, to get a bold colour, as it will be ‘diluted’ by the flour. You’d need to perhaps add it in as part of the glue ration, or you’ll end up with too runny a clay. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out. Cathy
These are beautiful! Thanks for a great idea and the how-to!
Going to try these today with my 15 year old & my 11 year old. We ‘re having a crafty afternoon together. I don’t get to share time with them very often these days so crafting is something we can do while having a chat, much better than going to the movies! Can’t wait! Merry Christmas!
molto carini anche per la festa della mamma thank you
Could you paint this clay after it drys, or will the moisture ruin it?
Hi Lori. I haven’t tried it, but I think you probably could paint it. It dries really hard, so I think it should take some paint. Let me know if it works!
How many hearts did your recipe make?
Really still one of my absolute holiday favorite posts! 😉 Happy Holidays
PS– the latest Newsletter/email was absolutely gorgeous w/the Christmas ornament calendar activities!
loving the deaign!
Thank Jeanine! Hope you are well. I still have these hearts hanging in my kitchen window – I look at them everyday as I drink my morning coffee. 🙂
Hi,
I wanted to use this idea to make 3-D ornaments, would this recipe be okay for that?
Hi Neelam, it’s going to depend how 3D you want them I think. You can see from the photos that the hearts have a depth to them – so they are 3D. But if you are thinking of making tall, stand-alone, statue type decorations, I think you might find this clay too soft to mould and stand up.
Can you please message how many hearts your recipe makes up? My 17 yr old daughter and I are going to whip up a couple batches for gifts for Valentines gifts for her friends and family. Thanks for the recipe they look super easy. My daughter and I have been deciding what to use to decorate them. She’s an artist, truly. And wanted to use fine sharpies. I said no it will probably be a little rough. So I’m going to spray some with clear coat after they dry and then let that dry. Should be a good smooth surface for her work. I will definitely let you know and send a pic or two? If you’d like that email me your address. Thanks Again!
Hi Heather. I’m going to guess you’d get 12 hearts (of the size shown) from this quantity – but it’s a while since we made these hearts, so I’m going from memory and you might find it makes more. Remind your daughter to brush down the ‘crumbs’ off the surface of the hearts and she will get a much better surface to drawn on. It is much smoother than a salt dough, and matte. I would love the see the designs you create!
Sorry it looks as though I can’t write a proper sentence. I’ve got a migraine lol.
Love these hearts and am trying to get the dough consistency correct.
I followed the ratio (2 cups corn startch to 1 cup if white school glue) and now have a crumbly ehite mixture that is not
forming anything resembling dough. Any suggestions on what I did wrong and how to not make the same
error next batch? Thank you so much!
Hi Deborah. Because flour is a natural material it’s absorbency does vary a little. Cornflour in particular seems to be like this. I usually add in a little more glue to the mix if it seems too crumbly.
Hi,
I would like to know how long this last? Or do you need to use it immediately after making?
Thank you
Elsje
Hi Elsje. We used it straight away but I think if you wrapped it up well in plastic is might be OK to use a few hours later or even the next day, so long as you don’t let air get to it and dry it out?
Hi I’m looking at making craft circles with this kind of clay. I need to know how solid it is after it dries. I mean iv tried making the salt and flour one before and altho it dries hard but if u tap it hard or drop it on the floor it breaks. Any idea is this is stronger than that? Beautifully hearts btw. TIA
Hi Mini. Not sure about this – and I don’t want to test it on our bunting in case it does break! My instinct is that this will be better, because of the glue, but I think a determined child could still make it shatter?
Hehe…ok! I’m going to go ahead and give it a try nonetheless. Thanx so much
Let me know how it turns out!
This is an amazing idea!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Both my kinder class and my own children will be doing this and I’m sure they will love it!!! What a satisfying project for them :))
Oh, I’m so glad i found this craft ! My grandbabies are her for a couple of days & we love crafts. I’ve read all the comments and I found some Red Glitterglue and wondered, if anyone has tried to mix a bit of it to add a “sparkle” to their ornaments?
I haven’t tried it but I think would be gorgeous!
Can you make paw prints with this.
I was thinking the same thing.
Oh, nice idea Debbie! I’m not sure how much definition you would get in the print though.
Hi- was just wondering if you could dry this in the oven to make it go faster?
I haven’t tried this. I’m cautious about the glue in the oven.
How many cup of cornstarch and glue?
Hi Di. That depends on how much clay you would like to make. You need one cup measure of glue and two cups cornflour, and then you can scale those proportions up if you want to make a larger amount.
How long do they take to dry thinking great idea for Valentine Day.
Hi Barbara. That will depend on how big and thick you make your hearts. We left ours to dry out overnight.
I wonder if we could use the glitter clear elmers glue… would give it some color and glitter!! Might be fun to try..
That sounds great Amanda! If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
What a cute idea, I’m going to make some of these, I think they would make cute earings. I like the idea of adding some scented oil !!!! Thanks for sharing !!!!
I’m sorry to say I had a lot of trouble with this. The dough came together nicely but when I rolled it out, it stuck to the surface and I had to scrap it off with my fingernails. There was no way to use cookie cutters for sure. Any advice?
Sorry to hear that Ryn. I’d just suggest treating it like pastry – so maybe add more corn flour to the clay, or use it to flour your surface. You could also try rolling it out on to baking parchment so it’s easier to pick up.
brilliant ideas and so easy to follow
Can you varnish these to give a shiny finish? If so what kind would you reccomend?
Yes, I’ve haven’t tried it, but I think that would be fine. Maybe Mod Podge, or a glue and water mixture, or even a clear nail varnish.
Hi love these, can you glue paper or photos afterwards on top, and then cover with modge podge to hang on Christmas tree? X
Ooh, that’s an good idea Lyn. I haven’t tried it but I think that would work nicely.
I’ve made this clay for Stone Age teeth and it’s fabulous! It dries super hard without baking so would make long lasting decorations for sure. It’s very robust but I’d guess like snyithing, it you dropped it on a hard surface your shapes could break. You can make it in advance and store it in clingfilm and it’s fine. Also, if it gets dry you can add a touch more glue or a drop ( think making water icing sugar) of water to bring it back together.
Thanks for that feedback Helen. Stone Age teeth sound fun!!
I would like to make wised chimes with this recipe. Would some sort of sealer hold up outdoors?
Hi lanna. I haven’t tried them outside but I think they would definitely need something to protect them. A clear weathershield varnish? If you try it, let me know how they hold up. Cathy