This year I am determined to try myriad new crafting mediums. Sculpey clay has always been on my short version of this list.
Sure, I have played with it before when I hosted TV, but that was in short increments between a segment on soap making and dog bowl painting so none of it sunk in. I wanted to revisit this medium and actually spend some time with it.
The clay comes in so many colors I am always drawn to it at the craft store. With Mardi Gras on the horizon, I have had purple, gold and green on my mind lately. I have also been thinking about King Cake.
Since I’m on a diet and can’t eat cake, I made one with clay instead./p>
If you are thinking to yourself: “What the hell is King Cake,” let me explain. This is a braided breaded cake popular in Louisiana during Mardi Gras season. There is typically icing on top with you guessed it - purple, gold and green sprinkles.
The other thing the cake is known for is the tiny plastic baby baked inside. Yup, a tiny plastic baby. Word on the street this year is that the babies might get banned due to choking hazards.
I’m the queen of neurotic moms, so I’m all for the FDA going all Kinder Egg on these cakes. However, they can take the cake off the baby but they can’t take my baby off my clay cake. Yah, fist pump, power to the crafty people.
Okay, sorry, I’m back now. Let’s talk crafts.
Since this clay cake will be braided you will need three equal portions of clay. I rolled mine into balls to condition the clay (make it softer) and also to gauge the amounts I had.
Next, I rolled my clay into snakes. Pinch the three ends together slightly, loosely braid your clay. When you get to end, form your braid into a circle. Looks like a King Cake, huh?
Next, even though the package swore this clay was non-toxic and oven-safe, I didn’t even need a dedicated oven or anything - remember when I said I was a neurotic mom? I heated the oven and then wussed out and used my embossing gun to dry the clay.
Those suckers were hard as rocks when I was done, and I could bake my kids additive-ridden nuggets with peace of mind.
Once the wreaths were hard and dry, I wanted to add a sparkly top coat. As mentioned, traditional King Cake has chunky sugar granules on top. I went the glitter route.
I used spray glitter and then added regular glitter on top of that. Sparkletastic.
Time for the wee plastic baby and heck, why not a pompom or two while we're at it?
Use your favorite craft glue to adhere your baby and balls to the clay ornament.
Display your King Cake on a string around your rearview mirror, hang it from a strand of beads to toss at topless women, or (if you're me), arrange it on your Mardi Gras tree. They make delightful ornaments.