Claus Finial Ornament

The classic holiday couple become a pair of fashionable ornaments with this fun project. Crackle texture is added to an inexpensive base for beautiful results.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Balls, one each: 4"; 2-1/2"
• Unfinished wooden or gold metal finial, 1" x 2-1/4"
• Painting supplies:
  • Acrylic paints: metallic gold; red, black; white; blue; flesh tone
  • Artist gesso
  • Crackle medium
  • Satin spray varnish
  • Paintbrushes: liner; medium flat; stiff bristle
  • Disposable palette
  • Water basin
  • Paper towels
  • Fine-grit sandpaper
  • Tack cloth
• Polymer clay supplies (clay-dedicated tools only; do not use again for baking):
  • Soft, light-colored polymer clay, 1/2 oz.
  • Face mold (designer used AMACO® What a Character® Jolly Old Nick #10)
  • Cutting blade or sharp knife
  • Talcum powder
  • Powdered cosmetic blush
  • Oven with foil-lined baking sheet
• Red velour fabric, 45" wide, 1/4 yd.
• Fiberfill stuffing, small amount
• White curly wool doll hair, 10" length
• Fine, gold metallic cord, 1/3 yd.
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Wooden items: skewers; toothpicks
• Rubber bands, two
• Scissors
• Large-eye tapestry needle
• Extra-long straight pins
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue
• Santa:
  • White synthetic fur, 1/8 yd.
  • White pompom, 1"
  • Metallic gold single-loop trim, 1/4" x 1/6 yd.
  • Concave gold metal filigrees, 1-1/4", two
• Mrs. Claus:
  • Animal-print felt, 9" x 12" sheet
  • Metallic gold single-loop trim, 1/4" x 1/2 yd.
  • Concave gold metal filigrees, 12mm, three
  • Gold beading wire, 20-gauge, 6" length
  • Compass
  • Sewing needle
  • Red thread
  • White pearl-head corsage pins, 4mm, five
  • Wire cutters
  • Anti-fray solution (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut 2-1/2" foam ball into two pieces, making one side slightly larger (head); reserve smaller side for future project. With flat side down, cut small slice from one side of head.
    
2. Place rubber bands around 4" foam ball (body), dividing ball into equal quarters. Insert toothpicks halfway into ball where rubber bands intersect, marking head and finial placement. Remove rubber bands. Replace one toothpick with wooden skewer.
    
3. Holding body by skewer, use bristle brush to apply thick coat gesso to foam surface. Place skewer in heavy glass or jar to dry overnight. Lightly sand surface smooth; wipe dust with tack cloth. Apply second coat gesso; let dry. Sand again; remove dust.
    
4. Replace toothpick with wooden finial; spot glue to secure. Note: If using metal finial, remove toothpick but wait to insert finial until after body is varnished.
    
5. Paint body and wooden finial metallic gold; let dry. Apply crackle medium to body only; let dry until "tacky" to touch. Apply second coat red paint to body, being careful not to overlap brushstrokes. Crackling will begin immediately; gold basecoat will be visible in cracks. Let dry completely. Spray body with varnish; let dry. If using metal finial, glue finial into body.
    
6. Follow manufacturer's instructions to condition clay. Dust mold with talcum powder. Knead 1/2 oz. clay until very pliable. Roll into ball, rolling one side to fine point (nose). Push point into nose area and remaining clay firmly into face area until flush with mold. Cut away excess clay. Carefully remove face from mold; trim edges and smooth with fingers. Bake clay as directed; let cool completely.
    
7. Glue face to flat side of head 1/4" above cut neck edge. Note: Glue face flush with neck edge for Mrs. Claus. Cut 4" length from skewer; insert 1-1/2" into bottom of head, 1/4" behind face/head seam.
    
8. Sand foam at sides of head to change shape from round to 2-1/4"-wide oval (measured across bridge of nose). Paint face as follows: skin flesh tone; eyes white; irises blue; pupils and eyelid folds black. Note: For Mrs. Claus, mix small amounts white and red paint to make pink; paint lips. Spray with varnish; let dry. Use fingertip to blush cheeks, nose tip, and eyelids. Spray with varnish; let dry.

For Santa:

1. Cut following lengths from doll hair: bangs, 1-1/4"; beard, 1-1/2"; sideburns, two 3"; back, one 3"; mustache, small curled section resembling wavy "m".
    
2. Loosen and spread fibers of each hair section before gluing to face and head. Using photo as guide, glue bangs across width of face. Beginning at top of head, glue sideburns to each side of face; hair should conceal foam at neck. Let hair hang freely below neck. Repeat for back of head, being sure hair is same length around head. Glue beard across width of face, covering lips. Glue mustache to face. Apply small amount glue to eyebrow areas; use toothpick to position tiny hair wisps in glue.
    
3. Cut pattern from fabric as indicated. With curved edge left open at bottom and wrong side of fabric facing up, roll sides of hat toward each other, forming cone; glue edge to secure, overlapping 1" at base of hat and tapering to 1/2" overlap at tip.
    
4. Cut 1-1/4" x 12" strip from fur, cutting through backing only. Gently remove loose fur along edges. Beginning and ending at seam, glue fur around bottom of hat, aligning bottom of fur with edge of fabric; trim excess as needed.
    
5. Lightly stuff tip of hat with fiberfill. Continue stuffing hat, adding slightly more fiberfill near opening.
    
6. Pin hat to head as shown, slightly cocked to one side, with seam toward side; tip should cover seam when folded over. Add more stuffing if needed to ensure good fit. Glue hat to head to secure; remove pins. Fold over and glue tip to fur. Glue pompom to hat tip.
    
7. Remove skewer from body; glue head skewer into hole. Adjust hair and beard as needed to cover neck and top of body; spot glue as needed.
    
8. Glue trim around finial where it meets body. Glue second strip around bottom of finial if desired. Glue filigrees to body as shown.
    
9. Insert cord into tapestry needle; take stitch through top of hat. Hold ornament up by cord to be sure it hangs straight. Knot ends to secure.

For Mrs. Claus:

1. Loosen and spread hair fibers. Beginning and ending at chin and stretching hair slightly, glue hair around face. Hair should just conceal clay edges at sides and should extend slightly onto forehead for bangs. Trim excess hair length. In same way, glue two more rows of hair behind first. Fill in bare spots at back with small pieces of hair. Apply small amount glue to eyebrow areas; use toothpick to position tiny hair wisps in glue.
    
2. Cut pattern from felt as indicated. Cut one 8" circle from red fabric for cap. If fabric tends to fray, apply anti-fray solution; let dry. Lightly trace 6" circle in center of wrong side of cap. Sew gathering stitch around 6" circle. Pull stitches to gather cap so it fits head; do not clip thread yet. Lightly stuff hat with fiberfill.
    
3. Pin cap to head. Adjust fit as needed; knot and clip thread. Insert one corsage pin into top center of hat, pushing pin firmly into foam head. Gently lift gathered edge of cap; spot glue cap to hair.
    
4. Beginning and ending at back, place trim around hat, hiding gathering thread. Pull trim tightly to shape hat; overlap and spot glue ends. Insert corsage pin where ends overlap.
    
5. Refer to diagram to bend wire into glasses, forming lenses around paintbrush handle. Leaving 1-1/4"-long earpieces, shape glasses to fall near end of nose. Glue earpieces into hair; let dry.
    
6. Remove skewer from body; glue head skewer into hole. Adjust hair as needed to cover neck; spot glue as needed. Glue collar around neckline, leaving outer edge of collar free.
    
7. Glue trim around finial where it meets body. Glue second strip around bottom of finial if desired. Glue filigrees to body as shown. Insert corsage pin through each filigree.
    
8. Insert cord into tapestry needle; take stitch through top of hat. Hold ornament up by cord to be sure it hangs straight. Knot ends to secure.

Note:

• Utensils used with polymer clay should not be used again for cooking. Follow manufacturer's instructions throughout.