Is there anything more mysterious than the moon? Probably! But the moon is up there, literally!

We are kicking off the fall season and creating a celestial moon phases wall hanging! Here in NYC it can be hard to see the night sky clearly, so this way we can always see the moon!

In this post we will marble three different colors of clay together, make a moon templet, and give tips on how to cut out each moon with crisp clean edges.

Materials:

• Fiskars Easy Change Detail Knife
• Fiskars Original Orange-Handled Scissors
• Black Polymer Clay
• White Polymer Clay
• Silver Polymer Clay
• Thin Chain
• Embroidery Floss
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Tray
• Oven

How To:

Make a template for each moon:

Use the bottom of a round glass that is the same size of the moon you want to create. Trace the glass onto a piece of cardstock or cardboard three times (one for each moon). Create a the different phases of the moon by placing the glass slightly off of the traced circle and tracing the inner curve.  Once you’ve created your moons cut them out.

Marble the clay:

Pull a piece of clay off of each color and knead them separately. This will help soften the clay and will make it easier to work with. Roll each piece of of clay into into separate logs then press the logs together and roll into one large log. Fold the log in half and roll it out again. Repeat this process over and over to achieve a marbled look. The more you fold and roll the more marbled it will become. TIP: Don’t over mix the clay or the colors will blend too much and it will all come out one color. 

Roll out the clay:

Lay out a piece of parchment paper to protect your surface. Use a clay rolling pin or even a bottle of wine and roll out the clay until it is about a quarter inch thin. Try your best to keep the thickness as even as possible. TIP: Place two pencils under both sides of the rolling pin to ensure even thickness. Lift up the parchment paper with the clay and move it to a baking sheet. (We didn’t do this, but really wish we had, because when you try to transfer your cut moons onto the baking sheet their shape can easily warp.)

Cut out each moon:

Place each moon template onto the rolled out clay making sure there is enough clay for all of them. TIP: If there isn’t enough clay for all the moons, cut out the moons that fit and then re-roll out the scraps. Hold the craft knife like a pencil and drag it around the moon templates to cut them out with the smoothest edge. You don’t need to add a lot of pressure while cutting because of the sharpness of the blade. If the clay starts to drag with the craft knife, wipe the blade clean with a paper towel. Continue to cut each moon and peel away the scraps.

Add holes and bake:

Press the flat end of a skewer about a quarter of an inch from the top and bottom edge of each moon to create holes where the chain will thread through. Follow the instructions on the polymer clay package and bake.

Make a tassel and hang:

Once cool, remove each piece from the baking sheet and thread the chain through the backside of each moon. Make a quick and easy tassel by keeping the embroidery floss in it’s loop that it’s packaged in and cutting it about two inches down from the loop. Cut one strand off of the left over floss and tie it about half an inch down from the loop. Attach it to the bottom of the chain for some extra flair! Hang and enjoy!

What we love about this project is how customizable it is. Change the color of the polymer clay or use a chain that will fit your aesthetic perfectly, no matter what season it may be!

Here’s the live class we did with Michaels! Watch for the full tutorial!

Happy fall, witches!