Hor d'oeuvres Picks

I don't have much time these days for crafting but I did manage to get one more quickie project in that I needed for the big family Christmas Eve dinner I'm hosting:

Here's what you need if you really want to impress your dinner guests with the handmade touch:

Materials:
-polymer clay
-wooden tooth picks or skewers
-sharp craft knife
-optional: clay molds, clay cutters, etc.

Steps:
1) Condition your clay by rolling it between your hands.  It should be nice and soft.

2) Press your clay into your mold.  If you don't have any molds (they're super easy to make though), you can roll out your clay and cut it into shapes with a knife or small clay/cookie cutters.

3) I like to over fill my mold a bit and then cut off the excess with a knife.  That way I know the clay has gotten into the very edges of the shape.

4) You'll need two of the same shape for every pick.

This is actually a button mold that I made, but  I thought
for this project they looked a lot like snowflakes~

5) Make a sandwich with one clay piece facing out, a tooth pick or skewer, and then another clay piece also facing out.  Gently press the clay together, trying not to distort the shape.

6) Line a tray, place all of your pieces on it and get it ready to bake.  Don't worry about them touching the bottom of the tray, they shouldn't stick.

7) Follow the baking directions on the package of your clay.  Every brand and formula is different but I usually bake mine at around 175 degrees for 17 minutes.  Normally I would double bake them, but these will probably get thrown out after I use them so there's no need to go all out with them.

Once they're finished baking, just let them cool down and they're ready to use!

You can go all out and make each one special and use them as stir sticks for drinks so that everyone knows which glass is theirs!

Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Are you ready for Christmas yet?!?!?!  I'm still making gifts!  Yikes!