Groovy Clay Votive Holder

By: Syndee Holt for Polyform Clay

Set the mood for your next outdoor party with this Groovy Clay Votive Holder from Polyform Products. Clay crafts like this are also great hostess gifts and stocking stuffers. These unique votive candle holders will add lots of color to your decor!

Materials:

2 Blocks Premo! Accents: Blue Translucent - 2 oz
2 Blocks Premo! Accents: Green Translucent - 2 oz
Clay Extruder
Sculpey® Style & Detail Tools, Set of 3
Glass Votive

Instructions:

Put the medium sized round dye into the extruder and extrude six 10-12 inch lengths of each color. I prefer to set up a TV tray next to my work table and cover it with either baking parchment or unlined computer paper. Then as I extrude my clay, I can lay the lengths on the paper side by side (not touching!). This way once I start my pattern, I don't have to stop often and extrude clay. I create my coils on a flat sheet of paper and then carefully transfer them to the glass surface.
Start with a double coil of clay with one edge at the top of the votive. Press gently into place (I wear surgical gloves to prevent fingerprints). To add the next color, cut the end of the second color at an angle and wedge it next to the coil. I often try different cuts to find the one that fits the snuggest. Trim the top and bottom edges even with the glassware.
Use the small ball tool in the Style and Details set to add a dotted pattern to some of the coil lengths.
When the pattern covers about 1/3 of the votive, you can elect to bake it. This way, once the votive is baked and cooled, you can safely hold onto the votive without spoiling the coils.
Small balls of clay can be added to fill in any gaps or spaces you may encounter. They also add an interesting texture when you use the small ball tool on them.
Continue to add your patterns and bake as often as you feel comfortable until you are able to close your patterns, filling the outside of the votive completely. NOTE: Glass retains the heat from the oven for quite a long time, so be cautious when picking up an item baked on glass. It may be warmer than you think!