Craft a Lighted Clay House Wreath for the Holidays

Editorial, photos and video by Skaie Knox, HomeJelly

One of the most welcoming ways to greet your holiday guests is by donning your front door with a festive decorative touch. Today’s how-to project is one you can use all season long: a lighted metal hoop wreath for the holidays.

This Scandi-simple design is easily customized and can be crafted in just a few hours. You’ll love putting this door decor piece together, which can then be placed inside or out, on walls, over mantels and even on bedroom doors. This sweet ‘n seasonal wreath can also be a wonderful hostess and holiday gift – a homey homemade gesture from the heart.

Supplies:

• 14” metal hoop
• modeling clay
• rolling pin or water bottle
• wax and parchment paper
• baking tray
• exacto knife or paring knife
• brush
• Sculpey glaze – 1 oz.
• thin floral wire
• wire cutter
• faux greenery
• wooden stars
• small bells
• hot glue gun
• ribbon or twine for hanging
• wooden ball with hole
• LED fairy lights

Instructions:

How to make a clay house:

1. Roll out modeling clay to about ¼” thick. Tape down some wax paper, then roll out your clay into a 6” x 8” rectangle.
2. Cut out house shape. Place template onto clay. Using an exacto knife or paring knife cut out shape.

*Extra Special Enhancement: Before baking your house, add curled up wire to the BACK of the chimney to mimic smoke for an added extra effect. You can later glue stars to the wire tips…fun!

3. Place clay onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray, then bake using the directions on your clay package. The clay here was baked at 275°F/130°C for 15 minutes for every 1/4″ thick piece. Remove from oven, then allow to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Sand windows and edges smooth. Use a nail file or emery board to smoothen the edges of your house.
5. Brush a layer of glaze onto your house for a glossy finish. Allow to dry for 15 mins.

How to make your clay house wreath:

1. Attach greenery with floral wire. Place greenery along the bottom of your wire ring and attach by wrapping floral wire around the stems onto the ring.
2. Hot glue wooden stars to ring. Be creative and add stars wherever you’d like.
3. Add bells with floral wire. You can add little bells wherever you wish…even on the chimney smoke!
4. Hang clay house onto top of ring with ribbon or twine. Double your twine/ribbon, thread the folded end through the hanging hole, then thread the loose ends through to secure (see video). Secure to ring (see video).
5. Wrap lights around metal ring. Attach the on-off switch with floral wire to the back of the ring where the greenery will hide it. Then simply wrap lights around the entire ring.

*Extra special enhancement: if you can, hot glue the wire to the back of the house, so the windows light up…fun, again!