Nature Pointillism Mother's Day Necklaces

Friend Ana asked me for ideas of Mother's Day crafts for her Jr. High and Sr. High co-op art classes. I had found a site I liked called Every Heart Crafts with clay pendants using a pointillism and nature theme. I thought they would be fun to try. Last week Ana and I traded classes. It was fun to do the older kids, many of whom I had taught when they were younger.

To make the necklaces, we used:

white Sculpey clay (or any polymer clay)
waxed paper squares (about 6 x 6)
paper plates
acrylic craft paint
round clay cutters
crochet doilies (easily found at thrift stores or dollar stores)
leaves (optional)
string

Here is what we did:
*Everyone got about 2 oz clay, 2 small squares waxed paper, a paper plate and a medium-sized hard cover book. 
*Each student conditioned their clay (fold, roll and squish until supple) while I showed examples and talked about the process we would use.
*Roll clay into a ball and placed on a piece of the waxed paper. Squish with heel of hand to partially flatten. Cover with other piece of waxed paper and top with flat of book and press to flatten evenly to about a 1/4 inch thickness.
*Decorate clay with pointillism using the end of a ball point pen or a not-too-sharp pencil point. We found that toothpicks made holes that were too small to accept the paint properly. I also offered crocheted doilies that could be placed on the clay disc, re-covered with the top waxed paper and pressed with the book into the disc. These made really neat patterns.
*Be sure each piece has a hole for hanging. A ball point pen with the ink cartridge and tail end piece removed makes a nice tool to punch small and medium holes with.
*Bake clay according to package directions.
*When cool, acrylic paint is brushed on over the front of the disc, taking care to fill all holes and depressions of the pattern. Immediately wipe across the top of the disc with a moist rag or paper towel to remove the paint from the flat surface, leaving paint in the depressions.
*Let dry and tie on string.

This was a fun and creative project with great results. Some of my students tried even more variations. (below) A few students made smaller discs with scrap clay to use as charms or earrings.

Clay tips:

*It is best to wash hands before and after using clay.
*Working on waxed paper or a paper plate will keep your clay and work surface clean.
*Waxed paper is flexible, so it is easier to pick it up and peel the clay off without distorting your finished piece.
*Follow all package directions when working with polymer clay.