Truly wonderful, a handmade gift of a child is.
Making Mom a handmade, one-of-a-kind gift for Mother’s Day is practically a rite of passage. So why not make her something that she’ll love as a Star Wars fan, and also honors a Jedi Master who’s a one-of-a-kind himself? Use a Yoda cookie cutter or pancake mold with air dry clay and paint to craft a trinket dish that stands out from all the roses.
Don’t have a Yoda cookie cutter? Any Star Wars character cutter or mold will do, especially if it’s the favorite character of the mother figure in your life.
What You’ll Need*
- Air-dry clay
- Clay roller
- Star Wars Yoda cookie cutter or pancake mold
- Light green acrylic paint
- Gold acrylic paint
- Clear acrylic spray
- Sandpaper or emery board nail file
- Clean, empty cup or small bowl
- Water
- Paint brush
*The activities in this article should only be done with adult supervision.
Get Started!
Step 1: Begin by kneading the air-dry clay to soften it. (You can also add a small amount of water.) Roll it out on the table with the clay roller until it’s no thicker than a centimeter.
Step 2: Press the pancake mold or cookie cutter into the clay firmly around the edges. Remove the excess clay.
Step 3: If you’d like to remove any facial features, wipe them away with a dab of water on your finger until the face is smooth.
Step 4: Gently peel the shape from the table. Place it in the empty cup or small bowl so that it begins to take a curved shape; don’t let it fall in or get wedged. Shape the clay around the edges until it is rounded.
Step 5: Remove the clay from the cup or bowl and place it concave side down on the table to dry. Let dry 24 hours.
Step 6: Using fine sandpaper or an emery board nail file, softly smooth the edges of the clay. Take care to remove any rough lumps or cracks on the edges.
Step 7: Place a small amount of water in your light green acrylic paint; this will lessen or remove the appearance of brush strokes on the clay, but will require more than one coat. Paint the entire dish green except for the edges.
Step 8: Use the gold acrylic paint to paint the edges all around the dish.
Step 9: Let all acrylic paint dry completely. Once the green and gold paint is dry, take the dish to a well-ventilated area and spray it with a clear acrylic varnish or sealant. Let dry completely. Flip the dish over and spray the other side, and let dry.
Your Yoda trinket dish is complete! Don’t worry if it’s wobbly. A handmade gift doesn’t have to be perfect -- moms will find messy paint, fingerprints in the clay, and cracks just as endearing as the gift itself. Trust us. We are wise in the ways of the moms.
