Clay Floral Wreath How-To

Artist Yukiko Miyai creates a pretty floral wreath using paper-based clay.

Clay Floral Wreath

Create desired colors of clay by mixing small amounts of chosen primary colors with larger amounts of white clay. (Tip: Pull and knead clay like taffy to thoroughly incorporate color.)
To make a two-tone flower, choose two colors of clay and press a small ball of the first color into center of desired mold. Fill in rest of mold with other color, smoothing as you go and trimming any excess clay with scissors.
Carefully remove completed flower by gently pulling the edges of the mold while pushing up in the center. Set flower aside, under a fan, to air-dry for 2 to 3 hours.
Create base of wreath my mixing two 2-inch balls of green or brown clay and rolling each into a 26-inch long rope. (Tip: To roll out a rope of even thickness, use base of both palms and apply pressure from the center toward the ends as rolling.)
Twist ropes together and join ends by pressing clay together with fingers. Place on a firm surface and shape wreath as desired.
Attach flowers as desired using craft glue. (Tip: For overlapping effect, flowers can be cut and trimmed with scissors and glued underneath or beside whole flowers.)
Create embellishments by forming butterflies and birds from desired clay, affixing to 20-gauge wire and inserting into dry wreath as desired.
Set wreath aside, under a fan, and let dry completely for at least 24 hours before hanging.