DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments

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Let’s make DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments with oven-baked clay and stamp-style cookie cutters. This is a fun and easy homemade Christmas decor idea that anyone can do. The results are beautiful, professional, and totally festive! 

clay christmas ornament hanging on tree.

Handmade Clay Christmas Ornaments 

This Christmas I really felt the urge to skip the stores and instead go with DIY for a lot of my Christmas decor. My goal is to create a handmade holiday and that’s exactly what I’m starting to do. This past week I crafted several different handmade ornaments and garlands and I couldn’t wait to share them with you. We’re going to kick things off with these adorable DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments. 

You will be surprised at how easy these are to make and as you can see, the decor impact speaks for itself. If you’re looking for a fun holiday craft, I highly recommend these DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments. 

clay christmas ornaments in a bowl.
clay gingerbread man christmas ornament on a tree.

Why I Love This Project:

Need a few more reasons why you need to try this handmade holiday project? You’ve got it. 

  • It’s Handmade: There’s something special about handmade/homemade items during the holiday season. 
  • Easy and Gorgeous: You will be so surprised at how easy these are to make while still giving you beautiful results. 
  • Multiple Uses: I created these to hang on my tree, but you could also use them as gift toppers, turn them into jewelry, give them as a gift, have them be a vase filler, fashion them into a garland, and the list could go on and on! 

Ready to get started? Let’s make some Christmas ornaments! 

clay christmas ornaments on a tree.

Here’s What You Will Need:

Before we get started, let me walk you through the materials list. I will share links to the exact products I used to create these Christmas ornaments. 

supplies for making clay christmas ornaments.
  • oven bake clay – I really like this Sculpey brand clay. It’s worked well for me in the past and I loved it here too. 
  • rolling pin – I purchased THIS rolling pin for the project. What I love about this rolling pin is that it can be customized to roll a perfectly consistent thickness. It was a game changer and made the process really simple. 
  • stamp-style cookie cutters – I used THESE cookie cutters. I found them to be a perfect size and they worked great for this project. If you want a smaller ornament, try THESE
  • baking sheet – THESE baking sheets are a kitchen essential for me. 
  • parchment paper – You’ll want to add it to your baking sheet to protect it. I really like THESE precut sheets
  • toothpick – A wood skewer would also work. 
  • twine or ribbon – You’ll need something to hang your ornament. I used a decorative twine like THIS one. 
  • silicone mat (optional) – You can use wax paper instead. The mat (or wax paper) helps prevent the clay from sticking to your surface. 

Now that you have what you need, it’s time to start crafting! 

clay gingerbread man christmas ornament on a tree.

Instructions: 

I will walk you through the steps here. I’ve also provided a full materials list and craft instructions in a printable card below. 

  1. Begin by rolling out about a cup of clay to a 1/4-inch thickness.* (I recommend working on a silicone mat or wax paper to prevent your dough from sticking to your surface.) 
rolling pin rolling out clay.
  1. Press your cookie cutter into the rolled-out clay. 
  2. With your cookie cutter still in place, press the stamp inside the cookie cutter. Apply even pressure to transfer the design. 
cutting out shape from clay.
  1. Remove the stamp. Remove the cookie cutter. 
  2. Transfer the clay cutout to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
  3. Use a toothpick to create a hole in the cutout. Ensure the hole is large enough to fit a piece of twine, ribbon, or an ornament hook. (If you end up needing to enlarge the hole after the baking process, use a power drill and drill bit.)
using a toothpick to add hole to clay ornament.
  1. Repeat the above process with the remaining clay or until you’ve created your desired number of ornaments. 
  2. Bake at 275 degrees F for about 17 minutes. (This is the time suggested for 1/4-inch thick ornaments. If your thickness varies, adjust the baking time according to the package directions.) 
clay ornaments on a baking sheet.
  1. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. 
  2. Thread the hole with twine, ribbon, or an ornament hook. 

Now you’re ready to hang the ornament on your Christmas tree, decorate a package with it, or use it in any creative way you wish!

hanging a clay ornament on a tree.

Don’t you love them?

Project Variations:

I love these ornaments just as pictured, but feel free to get creative. 

  • I left my ornaments plain. Feel free to paint, add glitter, etc. This is your craft to design as you wish. 
  • I used the gingerbread people and bauble cookie cutter designs, but feel free to use whichever ones speak to you. 
  • You can also use different color clays to match your decor or esthetics. 
  • If you want to get super creative, skip the cookie cutters and design your own shapes. Or use the cookie cutters you have, and draw on a design with a toothpick. 

Have fun and make these ornaments your own!

clay ornament hanging on a tree.

Happy Handmade Holiday:

And that’s a wrap on these DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments. You’re ready to get crafting.

I hope you enjoyed this project and are looking forward to more homemade Christmas decorations. 

If you try this project or anything else that has been featured here on Inspired by Charm, I would LOVE to see your creations. Share on Instagram and tag me at @inspiredbycharm

Happy crafting! 

diy clay ornament hanging on a tree.

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diy clay ornament hanging on a tree.

DIY Clay Christmas Ornaments

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Handmade Gift, Home Decor Craft
Keyword: christmas, christmas ornament
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Begin by rolling out about a cup of clay to a 1/4-inch thickness.* (I recommend working on a silicone mat or wax paper to prevent the dough from sticking to your surface.)
  • Press your cookie cutter into the rolled-out clay. With your cookie cutter still in place, press the stamp inside the cookie cutter. Apply even pressure to transfer the design.
  • Remove the stamp. Remove the cookie cutter. Then transfer the clay cutout to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Use a toothpick to create a hole in the cutout. Ensure the hole is large enough to fit a piece of twine, ribbon, or ornament hook.**
  • Repeat the above process with the remaining clay or until you’ve created your desired number of ornaments.
  • Bake at 275 degrees F for about 17 minutes. (This is the time suggested for 1/4-inch thick ornaments. If your thickness varies, adjust the baking time according to the package directions.)
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
  • Thread the hole with twine, ribbon, or an ornament hook.
  • Hang on your tree, decorate a package, or create a garland.

Notes

*While it’s not necessary, I purchased THIS rolling pin for the project. (It comes with a silicone mat mentioned above.) What I love about this rolling pin is that it can be customized to roll a perfectly consistent thickness. It was a game changer and made this process really simple.
** If you need to enlarge your hole after baking, this can be done with a power drill and drill bit.

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8 Comments

  1. Love this idea and plan on giving it a try. I’m for sure going to order the rolling pin, pretty sure it will come in handy even after this project.

  2. Everything you post is always so inspiring. I can’t wait to make this with my family one night…maybe even do a garland. Thanks for sharing. These are adorable.

    1. I’m sorry I don’t have a source for that tree. It was from a small shop several years ago. Have fun crafting the ornaments!

      xo Michael