DIY Clay Hearts

I don’t decorate much for Valentine’s Day but I thought it would be fun to make a heart garland out of clay hearts. I wanted the hearts to look antiqued and I love the way they turned out! I used air dry modeling clay. I had never used this clay before but I was very pleased with how easy it was to use and the end result! These were so easy to make. Here are the simple steps that I used…(and don’t mind my “non-manicured nails”)

First I covered a cutting board with foil so that I would have a flat surface to work on. I used a rolling pin to roll the clay out a little, but made sure the clay stayed a little thick for the next step.

I then pulled the clay apart to make it look aged/cracked. I wanted it to have texture to make it look even more antiqued after I used the antiquing gel at the end.

A cookie cutter is not necessary but I wanted mine somewhat uniform. They could also be shaped without a cutter. I also bent my cookie cutter different ways to make different shaped hearts. I like that they all have original character.

I used bobby pins for the hooks. I knew I wanted to hang them as a garland or ornaments and these worked perfect. I just slid them down the center until just the top hoop was showing.

No need to worry if the pin comes through the back. When that happened, I just took some extra clay and molded it around the area on the back side.

Next, I put them on a foil covered cookie sheet and put them in the oven for an hour on 200 degrees. This helped so much to speed up the drying process! My first batch also sat out overnight before I antiqued them. On the second batch that I did, I flipped them over in the oven after the first hour and baked them on the same degrees for another 30-45 minutes, to make sure the centers were dry too.

After they cooled, I used antiquing gel to give them an aged look. I wiped it on with a paper towel and then just wiped it right back off, making sure to get it into the grooves on the heart. I love how they look crackled and aged!

This was seriously one of the easiest projects that I have done…so quick and simple! I have more in the oven as I write this. I love these things so much!! I found this cute hemp cording that I used to string them up. It worked perfect for the look I was going for.

I would love to see your hearts if you make some of your own and would love to hear what you think, in the comments below. Please tag me on IG if you make some @vintageporch.

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