Premo! Sculpey in the following colors:

• White #5001
• Beige #5092
• Sea Green #5305
• Cadmium Red #5382

Directions:

• Condition all clays, by kneading or rolling through a pasta machine dedicated to clay use. Start with white, end with red. Wash hands.
• Roll the white clay to 1/16" thickness or #3 setting on pasta machine.
• Cut the white clay into a rectangle, about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide.
• Begin at the top edge of the glass part of the bulb and slightly stretch the clay as you wrap the bulb tightly.
• Continue stretching and wrapping the clay all the way around the bulb until you overlap the first line of clay. This will make a faint mark. Cut away excess clay at this mark with X-Acto knife.
• Smooth the clay by rolling in the palms of your hand. The overlap line will disappear. Press out any air bubbles. Set bulb aside.
• Roll the red clay through pasta machine (or with a roller/brayer) to 1/16" thickness. Cut a rectangle about 2inches long by 1 inch wide.
• Wrap the red rectangle around the screw end of the bulb and smooth any bubbles out before sealing. Follow the line of the bulb end, bringing the clay to a slightly rounded tip. Hat may be elongated and pleated if desired.
• Wash hands after working with red clay. Then, roll a white snake about 2 inches long by 1/8 inch in diameter. Point both ends, and set aside. This will be Santa’s moustache.
• Roll another white snake, about 4 inches long and ¼ inch in diameter; press it where the hat meets the top of Santa’s head. Meet the two ends in the back, miter the edge with your X-Acto knife. Smooth with finger to hide the seam.
• Roll the beige clay through the pasta machine to 1/16" thickness. Cut a ¾ " heart shaped face piece using the cutter.
• Press the face (point end up) just below the hat brim.
• Mix a little red clay with a small ball of white to create a light pink for cheeks. Roll to 1/16" thickness; cut two cheeks using the small Kemper circle cutter. Press at the rounded lobes of the heart.
• Press the mustache you set aside earlier onto the lower third of the face. Press the needle tool into the vertical center of the moustache to make a dividing line. Curl ends up. Trim length if too long. Inscribe lines for texture into the mustache, using needle tool.
• Roll a small beige ball for the nose and place it above the moustache.
• Thread a seed bead onto the needle tool. Press the bead sideways into the face between and slightly above the cheeks for the eye. Repeat for second eye.
• Roll a tiny double-pointed white snake for the eyebrows. Cut in half and press the two halves in place. Inscribe lines for texture into eyebrows, using needle tool.
• Roll a white pom-pom about the size of a small grape. Press it to the tip of Santa’s hat.
• Using small pliers, twist a 2 inch length of wire together to form a braid. Loop the braid, and twist the open ends closed. This loop will be the hanger.
• Poke a hole in the top of the pom pom with the needle tool. Put some glue on the end of the twisted wire, and press into the hole. Allow the glue to dry, and smooth the clay up over the hole to strengthen the bond.
• Using the needle tool, texture Santa’s beard as you did the eyebrows and moustache.
• Cut seven green stars with the star cutter and position them around the top of the brim of Santa’s hat.
• Bake ornament on an index card in a Pyrex pan at 275 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool in oven before removing.
• Thread cord through the hanger.

NOTE: Millefiore designs may be used to decorate Santa’s hat and pom pom if desired, such as a red, gold, green plaid.

NOTE: Design may be modified to create an elf, even a nutcracker! Use your imagination!