by Jenny Batt

I’ve seen a lot of garland in my time, but these clay letters really make a statement. If you have ever made cookies, you can make this garland.

You will need: air dry clay, letter cookie cutters, wax paper or freezer paper, rolling pin, hot glue, cotton twine

Click through for instructions and photos!

I chose a light colored air dry clay to work with because it is softer and easier to knead than oven bake clays. There is also the added bonus of not having to bake it, yay. The first thing you want to do is soften the clay by working it with your hands, just keep kneading it and squeezing with your hands until it is really soft. Next, lay out a sheet of freezer paper, the clay and a second sheet of freezer paper on top. Make sure the shiny non-stick sides are facing the clay. Roll the ball of clay flat until it is about .25″ thick.

Cut out each letter with the cookie cutters. These letters have indents for the open spaces inside the letters, like the “O” and “R”, but just smooth those over with you finger after you cut them out. I cut out all of the letters first and removed the excess material around it. It is easier this way and your letters move less. Make many fun phrases, it really is hard to stop with just one. Kids will love to help with this DIY, I let both boys help cut out the letters.

Set these aside and let dry. It will take about 24 hours to dry, but check them a few times before they are done and make sure they don’t curl. If they start to, just press lightly to straighten while they are still workable.

Once dry, heat up the glue gun. Set out your letters and space nicely. Flip over each letter vertically so they are upside-down, keeping the spacing. Cut a piece of twine to length. Add a drop of glue to the top of each letter and press the twine in. Add full lines across the tops of longer topped letters like “E”. Repeat for each letter and let cool.

That’s it. HURRAH! YIPPEE! You now have your own AWESOME garlands, no pun intended. Well, okay, it was. They clay can be painted or used as is. I plan on sending these to a few friends instead of cards as thank you gifts. What would you use them for?