Clay Advent Spiral
An advent spiral is a wonderful way to count down to Christmas. You may choose to do 24 places and a candle in place for the 25th day, to light for Christmas or perhaps a candle space for each Sunday counting down. You can use any objects you like to place your marks - we chose gemstones.
Please be careful if you have young children,tumbled gemstones are not recommended for under 3yrs as they are a choking hazard. Always use supervised.
Gather
- Air dry clay
- Paint (optional - I used green and gold), brush and sponge
- Tumbled crystals
- Rolling pin
- Baking paper
- Grimms candle holder or similar
- Beeswax candle or similar
- Water
- Varnish to seal (optional)
Method
Roll your air dry clay inbetween your hands evenly until you have a long piece of clay.
Next lay down your clay on a sheet of baking paper, carefully around in a spiral.
Lay another sheet of baking paper on top of your clay and gently roll it to flattern a little. Keep it thick enough to be sturdy and allow the grooves. If you have a rolling pin that the clay won't stick to, you won't need the second sheet of baking paper.
Next grab a tumbled crystal and push down gently into the clay while turning the crystal, to create a smooth groove. Repeat this 24 times leaving a gap inbetween each one. In the center push your candle holder in gently and remove.
Dip your finger in a little water and smooth out your spiral where needed.
Put the clay spiral in a warm spot to dry.
Once your spiral is dry you can paint it if you wish with your chosen colours. I painted mine a dark green and used a sponge to lightly add gold painted 'glitter' along the edges and flat surfaces of the top, to give it some Australian Christmas vibes.
If you choose to paint your spiral, I recommend sealing it for protection.
