Sculpey Premo™ Carved Christmas Tree Ornament

Getting Started:

Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Oven-Safe Work Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a Pasta Machine. We recommend using a designated machine for clay purposes only. When working with multiple colors, clean hands with soap and water or baby wipes (we have found that baby wipes work best) before switching colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

Baking (also called Curing):

Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake/cure clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil, an index card or the Sculpey® Clay Mat at 275°F (130 °C) for 30 minutes per 1/4" (6 mm) thickness according to package directions.
Oven safe glass or ceramic surfaces are also acceptable for baking/curing;
however please note that the baking/curing times may take longer as the glass
or ceramic surfaces take longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an
oven thermometer.

DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME.

For the ornament oval shape we will need two sheets of Spanish Olive that are each approximately 1/8” thick and a Pearl sheet that is 1/16” thick. You can produce these sheets with either an Acrylic Clay Roller or a pasta machine. I like to use the pasta machine because I find that it presses air out more thoroughly
when mounting the sheets together. Make sure each sheet will accommodate the
size of your oval cutter.

Mount the thin Pearl sheet to one of the Spanish Olive sheets. Use either the Clay
Roller or a pasta machine on the thickest setting to laminate the two sheets
together. The sheets should be as smooth as possible so that later when carving
the design, there are minimal air bubbles.

Use the Roller to laminate all three sheets together with the Pearl sheet on top. Cut
out the oval shape using the oval cutter and smooth the cut edges with your
fingertips. The bottom will be double thick Spanish Olive and the top will be
very thin Pearl.

Poke a hole (for a ribbon) through the center top of the oval with the Blunt Point
Tool.

Bake the oval following the baking instructions for Premo™. Allow to cool completely before handling.

Designer’s Note - if you have never used a linoleum cutter, you may want to make an extra piece of baked clay to practice carving on before going straight to your
finished piece.

Using the #2 V shaped blade in the lino cutter handle, cut a series of V gouges down the center of the oval from the hole to about 1/4” away from the bottom.

Use a pencil and make really light lines going out from the center gouges to indicate the angle and direction of the tree branches.

Following your pencil marks, make a few initial gouges to direct the tree branches.

Work closely to the tree trunk and add more gouges in the direction of the branches.

Keep adding rows of marks gradually until you have a little tree. You can go as full
or as thin as you like for your tree.

Flatten Mustard to a sheet about 1/8” thick. Cut out a 1/2” circle and place it over
the hole at the top.

Poke the hole once again through the Mustard circle and through the original hole.

Use the tip of the Blunt Point Tool to make six radiating marks from the hole outward.

Use the tip of the Blunt Point Tool and make little indents from the outside of the
circle inward.

Bake the ornament again to cure the star following the baking directions for Premo™.
Allow to cool completely before adding a ribbon for hanging.