365 Designs: DIY donut ornaments - A fun craft for the whole family this holiday season. >

DIY donut ornaments - A fun craft for the whole family this holiday season.

  Hi Design readers! Can you believe how close we are to Christmas. I find that at this time of year everyone is divided into 2 categories. You are either in group a) finished all of your Christmas shopping or in group b) haven't even started yet. So if you are reading this, and you are part of category b), close the laptop, turn off the tablet, put down the phone... and  start shopping!!  If you are the few and far between who are the type A, over achieving, non-procrastinating person I yearn to be, continue reading. You're gonna love this easy craft and you might find it's almost as delicious as the real thing.

 

  Condition your clay until soft and pliable.   Combine equal parts white and ecru until desired donut color is achieved. Use a pasta machine dedicated to clay or a rolling pin. Roll out flat to about 1/8" thickness. Press clay into bottom of a donut baking pan.
 



For this next step you want to use aluminum foil to "bulk out" the clay. You're basically using the aluminum foil as a filling. Polymer clay cures best when it's no more than 1/4 inch thick.

 
Use another piece of clay rolled to 1/8" as the back of the donut.


Before baking you may want to engrave the date or a name into the clay. The easiest way to do this is using a toothpick. Instead of dragging it along the clay, as you would a pencil, you're going to poke and make dots. Gradually you'll be able to connect the dots to form words or numbers. This will give the cleanest image once the clay is cured.
 

To make a hook you can use a simple paper clip inserted into the donut before baking.


To partially cure the clay you want to bake it at 275ºF for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. At this point the clay is partially cured and firm enough to handle.


Using a fine/medium grit sandpaper smooth any imperfections. You're going to want to set aside the donut and roll out pink clay for the donut icing. I used equal parts white and hot pink. Adjust to your preference. 


Use bugle beads for sprinkles. Attach the icing and beads using the Translucent Liquid Sculpey. Finish baking in the oven for 25 minutes at 275ºF


To finish the donut use chalk pastels in shades of yellow and brown. Brush on sides to achieve a 'baked' look. You can also use a clear gloss medium such as Triple Thick on the icing to make it slightly shiny.

I hope you enjoyed this fun, easy ornament.
Try making all types of donuts from glazed to jelly!
Please feel free to post your own creations or tips 
in the comment section below.

Be sure to check out other handmade ornaments on
Good Housekeeping!

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