Fragrant Clay Hearts

We love playing with clay in our house.  Our clay of choice is air-dried because it's easy to use and doesn't require any baking.  The kids have made many a clay ornament in the past and I've made myself a few pretty little bowls for rings, hair-ties etc.  

This weekend we decided to try something a bit different.  We made little clay hearts (and other shapes) and added a few drops of essential oil to the back so it becomes a scented clay heart - perfect for hanging in the wardrobe, in the car or anywhere you'd like to add a subtle fragrance.  We thought these would be a perfect gift for Mother's Day.

All you need is:

Air-dried Clay (or salt dough but I've never made it so stuck with clay)
Rolling Pin 
Cookie Cutter (or just free-style)
Acrylic Paint & Brushes
Ribbon
Essential Oil

Roll out your clay to the desired thickness (we made a variety of thicknesses so it doesn't really matter - just don't make them too thin otherwise they may break). Use your cookie cutter to cut out a shape (or just free-style a design).  Smooth out any edges if you want to.  Get a toothpick or the end of a thin paint brush and poke a hole in the clay for the ribbon to hang. 

Wait for the clay to dry - we left ours overnight - and then paint the next day.  

Make sure you leave an unpainted patch at the back of the tag for the essential oil to seep in.  

Once the paint is dry add a few drops (or 10!) of essential oil to the back and thread through your ribbon.  

And that's it.  A beautifully scented, home-made, hand-made air freshener for the kids to gift to you, their Nanny, their teacher, a friend, or even just make for themselves.