Stenciled Air Dry Clay Valentine Hearts
We’re sharing simple Stenciled Air-Dry Clay Valentine Hearts today!
While we were at the cabin in late December, I started working on my Cultivate What Matters Goal Planner.
In it, we were asked to evaluate everything from our work life to our home life to our relationships to how much time we were spending on hobbies and recreation.
This exercise was helpful and also eye-opening.
While blogging allows me to be creative on a regular basis, I’ve never really stopped to ask myself if I was intentionally carving out time to craft the projects that have been sitting on my Pinterest boards a while or to try out new techniques or even sit down and learn a skill I’d been wanting to learn for months like cross-stitching.
Have you?
Well, one day I was going through my craft closet trying to find something pretty but simple to put on our Valentine’s Day tablescape when I realized I had air-dry clay leftover from other projects that needed to be used.
Not wanting to waste the remaining clay or an opportunity to settle in and craft on a cold rainy day, I decided to make stenciled air-dry clay Valentine hearts.
Even though we plan to use these hearts for our Valentine’s Day celebration, they’re actually pretty neutral and can be used in multiple ways and all over the house throughout the year!
You can also use them to decorate special packages, hang them from your Valentine’s or Christmas tree, a door handle, or use them as part of a festive tablescape.
Here’s a look at how to create Stenciled Air-Dry Clay Valentine Hearts…
Stenciled Air-Dry Clay Valentine Heart Supplies:
(Amazon affiliate links found in this post have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
- Air-Dry Clay (we used Crayola Air-Dry Clay in White)
- Stencil (we used a wall stencil we already had on hand, but you can use any stencil you like just make sure it will leave an impression on the clay)
- Craft Mat or Pastry Mat, similar here
- Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter, similar here
- Rolling Pin
- Paper or Plastic Drinking Straw
- Ribbon, optional (we used this Ribbon in Vanilla)
- Wax Paper
- Fine Grit Sanding Block or Sandpaper
- Baking Sheet, similar here
- Cooking Rack, similar here
- Small Water Dish
- Gloves and Apron (to protect hands and clothes, optional)
- Hand Wipes
Stenciled Air-Dry Clay Valentine Heart Steps:
Prep your work surface area by gathering your supplies and laying your craft or pastry mat on a flat surface.
Then lay a piece of wax paper down over the mat. I totally forgot to do this step in the beginning and realized later it would have saved me so much time. Air clay can get messy!
Take the lump of clay out of the packaging and knead it several times until it warms up in your hand. The amount of clay you’ll need will depend on the size of your heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Begin to smooth out the piece of clay with a rolling pin like you would roll out pastry or sugar cookie dough. Make sure to roll the clay out evenly, leaving it slightly thicker than the consistency of a sugar cookie.
Cutting the Heart Shapes:
Next use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a heart-shaped piece of air-dry clay.
Remove any excess clay by gently pulling it away from the sides of the air-dry clay Valentine heart. If you have any cracks in your clay, dip your finger into a bowl of water to smooth out the imperfections.
Creating a Stencil Pattern:
Lay a stencil directly on top of the air-dry clay.
My Mom found this wall stencil on sale at Hobby Lobby over the holiday break. She originally thought we might be able to use them as placemats or to hang as bunting. The pattern is really pretty, so I decided to make a stencil out of it for this air-dry clay Valentine heart.
Carefully, roll over the stencil with a rolling pin several times.
Once you’re finished, gently remove the stencil from the piece of clay revealing the imprint of the stencil on the air-dry clay Valentine heart.
Use a straw to create a hole in the top for ribbon, jute, or string if you like.
Drying Stenciled Clay Valentine Hearts:
Carefully place the air-dry clay hearts on a wax paper-covered cooling rack or baking sheet. You’ll definitely want them to be laying as flat as possible.
Flip the air-dry clay Valentine hearts over every 30 minutes to allow each side to dry evenly. Air-dry clay pieces like this should dry a minimum of 24 hours and can take even longer depending on their thickness.
I took these photos after they had dried 24 hours….
only to realize later they were slowly turning lighter by the day. Here is how they look 3 days later…
Things to Keep in Mind When Making Stenciled Air-Dry Clay Valentine Hearts…
- These stenciled air-dry clay Valentine hearts are vintage inspired and far from perfect. They have a few cracks and imperfections but that’s part of their charm.
- If you mess up, no worries, just mold the clay back into a ball and roll it out again. You can even reuse the clay you’ve pulled off from the sides of your air-dry clay hearts.
- These hearts can be easily customized with stencils, pieces of fabric like crochet or lace, and stamps.
- You can use a nail file or fine grit sanding block to gently smooth down the edges of the air-clay Valentines hearts once they are dry.
- Make sure your hearts are completely dry before you handle or try to paint them.
It totally blows our minds Valentine’s Day is just a few days away!
We’re bound and determined to enjoy every ounce of festive cheer we possibly can this year. Even if that means doing a few things at the last minute like creating a DIY Valentine’s Day Mailbox.
So, while we’re appreciating the chilly and cozy days of this season and planning for next, we’re also excited to make time to be creative along the way.
We hope you’ll carve out some time to enjoy the things you love most this season too.
Let us know how you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day and how you’re making time to craft things you love!
Other Air-Dry Clay Projects We’ve Made:
Stenciled Air Dry Clay Bee Dish
Vintage Inspired Air Dry Clay Ornaments
Many blessings,
CoCo
I think these hearts look so pretty, will maybe make some for the table, thanks for sharing.xx
Thank you bunches, Janette! They were super easy and would definitely be fun to make at a friends and family Valentine’s Day party too. I can hardly believe we’re almost halfway through February already. Hope your Valentine’s week is filled with all good things, CoCo
I adore this project!! Fantastic tutorial and these are beautiful.
.
Thanks for inspiring
Pinned!
Thanks so much, Cindy, I really appreciate it! Hope your Valentine’s week is filled with all good thing, CoCo
This project looks like fun! I have used oven bake clay but not air-dry clay. Looks like I need to give it a try – and I have some stencils on hand that would work! Thanks, CoCo! Pinned 🙂
You would love it, Cindy! Plus you can use almost any kind of stencil to help customize whatever you’re making from dishes to vases to monogrammed items too. I wish we lived closer all the time I’d have all of us over for an air-dry clay crafting party. Hope your Valentine’s Week is so much fun, CoCo
Your hearts are so pretty! The pink ribbon adds the perfect touch! I have never used air dry clay before, but I’m seeing so many interesting projects made with it, I think I need to give it a try! Here’s to a Happy Valentine’s Day, Donna
Thank you so much, Donna! Air-dry clay is super easy to use and you can make all sorts of fabulous things with it too from ornaments to bookmarks to vases and so many things in between. It’s one of those lazy days, take your time, kinds of projects which are always fun to dive into. Hope you have the best Valentine’s Week, CoCo
What a pretty project!! I LOVE how you used the stencil to give the hearts that beautiful, lace-y effect. They look lovely!
I really appreciate it, Rachel, thank you so much! They were lots of fun to create and super easy too. I swear you can customize them with just about anything that has a pretty pattern. Hope your Valentines week is filled with all good things, CoCo
Super cute and I love that stencil! Hope your Valentine’s Day is magical. Big hugs
Thank you, Cindy! They were definitely fun to make. I am totally forcing myself to slow down and be creative again. It’s my Valentine’s gift to myself this year 🙌 Sending you tons of hugs for a Happy Valentine’s Week, CoCo
What a pretty idea for Valentine’s Day CoCo.
I really appreciate it, Kim, thank you! Hope your celebrations are peaceful, relaxing, and filled with all your favorite things this weekend. Big hugs, CoCo
I love this — such a pretty Valentine’s craft that you can use year round! Thanks for the detailed instructions!
You are welcome, Kim! I’m always thankful when quick and easy projects like this help to make celebrations like Valentine’s Day extra special. Hope your weekend is filled with all good things, CoCo
Beautiful clay hearts, thanks for showing us how to make them!
You are so welcome, Judy, they were super easy and such a fun way to celebrate the season. Hope your weekend is a special one, CoCo
My son and I made air-dry clay hearts last year but they were nowhere near this pretty ha ha. Love the rustic elegant look!
Thank you, Marie! Air-dry clay is so much fun to play with. I swear you can make all sorts of goodies. Big hugs for a happy Valentine’s weekend, CoCo PS: There’s no way your air-dry clay hearts didn’t turn out amazing. You are too talented for that to even happen 😍
I absolutely adore your clay hearts, CoCo! That pretty stencil adds so much, as does the pink ribbon. I have never done any projects with clay but now I truly MUST! Thank you for sharing such an awesome tutorial. Wishing you and yours a fabulous Valentine’s Day!
So excited you like these Christine! They were super easy and I love how you can customize them so many different ways for all the different seasons too. Sending you hugs for a Happy Valentine’s Day, CoCo
Coco, you are so right! These stenciled clay hearts can be used through-out the year in so many different ways! I’m thinking they will be perfect for spring decor! Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About! I’m excited to be featuring you at tomorrow’s party! Pinned!
So sweet of you to feature these stenciled hearts, Julie, thanks so much – I really appreciate it! Hope all is well and your day is filled with only good things, CoCo
SO beautiful CoCo! I just love your white, white, & texture asthetic – it makes my little neutral-loving heart sigh! 🙂 Thanks for the beautiful inspiration and tips too! Hope you had a lovely Valentines Day!
Thank you so much, Barb, I really appreciate it. We had a great time celebrating Valentine’s Day and I hope you guys did too. Hugs for a happy weekend, CoCo