If you're looking for some fun and easy ways to spruce up your front door and yard for the holidays, look no further! Check out this DIY project that will have your home looking festive in no time or you can give it as a gift to your beloved ones.
This project is pretty simple to create. You could easily
make an entire neighborhood of houses without too much effort.
Tip: I recommend storing your extra clay in an air-tight container while you work so that it doesn’t dry out and you can use it again for other projects
Supplies needed:
- House + Flag Template – Download
- Premier Stone Clay | You can also use oven-bake clay for this project if you’d prefer (although I don’t cover the baking step in this tutorial)
- Craft knife
- Craft scissors
- Twine | I recommend something that is sturdy but not overly thick
- Freezer paper or waxed paper to protect your work area
- Rolling pin (I use a non-stick version. I’m not sure how a standard one will work)
- Glue
- Bamboo skewer
Optional items for customization:
- Fine glitter
- Paintbrush
- Tiny star-shaped cookie cutter
Cut out the house template you’d like to use (there are two size options available on the printable file), then begin by protecting your work surface with a piece of freezer paper (waxed side up) or waxed paper. Take a golf ball sized portion of clay (or larger if needed) and begin rolling it out using your rolling pin. Make sure that the flattened shape is is both wide and long enough to fit the house template you will be using. The finished thickness of your rolled clay should be about 1/4.”
Place your template on top of your prepared clay and use the tip of your craft knife to lightly trace around the outer edges of your template. The goal is not to cut all the way through the clay, but to give yourself a guide for the next step. Once you’ve traced your house shape with your blade, begin cutting out your house. This is best accomplished by cutting straight lines all the way along each flat edge until your blade passes through the edge of your clay. This will remove clay in smaller sections and will give you the cleanest edges on your house. Tip: If you are worried about cutting into your work surface, I recommend working on top of a cutting board or self-healing mat.
Use your finger to smooth out any roughness on the edges or surface of your house. It can sometimes help to add a dab of water to your fingertip during the smoothing step. Once your shape is nice and smooth, use the sharp end of a skewer to press a hole into the center of the top point of of your house. The impression doesn’t need to be too deep. This is where you will be gluing your twine for hanging.
While the clay is wet you may wish to add additional decorative touches to your house. In the first example I used my craft knife to very gently create the outline of a door and window. In the second, I used a small star cookie cutter to punch a design out of the center. If you would like to glitter your ornament, you will need to wait until the design is dry to do so (keep reading below).
Happy Holidays!
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