Introduction: Tealight Bell Place Card Holder

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About: I am an artist, author, and collector of smiling frogs.

This bell-shaped place card holder will add a light (pun intended) and festive touch to your holiday table!

Supplies

Premo! polymer clay - silver (about 2 1/2 oz. for each bell)

Premo! polymer clay - red and green

Sculpey clay machine

Sculpey gloss glaze

1 tealight candle for each bell

metal paper clip

1 plain piece of paper

12" ruler

pencil

black marker

small paintbrush

glass baking dish (for clay use only)

cookie rack (for clay use only)

oven mitt (for clay use only)

a large piece of acrylic or a smooth working surface

clay tools: needle end pointer, triangular blade, acrylic roller, flat blade

silver metallic acrylic craft paint (place card)

piece of cardstock (place card)

decorative scissors - paper edgers (place card)

red marker (place card)

regular pair of scissors

Step 1: Making Bell Pattern

Draw a 6" circle on a plain piece of paper.

Fold and cut the circle in half.

Use the half circle as the bell pattern.

Step 2: Prepare Polymer Clay

Set the Sculpey clay machine on #1 (thickest setting) and put approximately 2 1/2 ounces of Premo! silver clay into the machine.

Roll clay through machine until the piece of clay is smooth. It will be approximately 1/8" thick. (If you don't have a machine, roll clay out by hand using an acrylic roller.)

Step 3: Cut Out Pattern

Place bell pattern on top of the flat clay piece.

Using a flat or triangular blade, cut around the pattern.

Step 4: Creating Bell

Fold curved sides together to form a cone shape.

Using fingers, smooth the seam together.

Flatten point to form the top of bell.

Step 5: Shape Bell

With fingers inside the bell, gently push sides out to create a more rounded shape as shown. The bell will be approximately 2 1/2" tall and 2 3/4" wide.)

Check to make sure that the tealight fits comfortably under the bell.

Step 6: Adding Light Holes

Using a needle end pointer, pierce the clay and make circular motions until a clean hole is created (about 1/8 " in diameter.) Tip: To check for neat holes, occasionally place a lighted tealight candle under the bell.

Make a ring of holes around the bell and then continue making another row of holes, moving toward the top of the bell as shown.

Step 7: Add Paper Clip

Using the triangular blade, make a small slit in the top of the bell.

Gently push a paper clip through the top as shown.

Step 8: Make Holly Leaves

Roll out green clay and using the triangular blade, draw holly leaves (about 1 1/4" long).

Cut out holly leaves.

Make the veins of the holly leaves using the needle end pointer as shown.

Step 9: Adding Holly and Berries

Place the holly leaves on top of the bell.

Roll out small red balls for the berries and arrange as shown.

Step 10: Baking the Bell

Place the bell on a glass baking dish (used for clay only).

Bake at 275 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

Using a oven mitt, remove the glass dish and set on a cookie rack to cool.

Step 11: Glazing

Using a paintbrush, glaze the entire bell with Sculpey gloss glaze for a shiny finish.

Step 12: Making the Place Card

With the ruler and pencil, make a 3" x 2" rectangle for the place card. Cut out using decorative scissors.

Paint around the borders of the place card with silver metallic acrylic paint.

Use a red marker to write a name on the place card.

Step 13: Ready!

Turn on a tealight candle and put the bell in front of each place setting. Your guests will appreciate the personalized, welcoming touch.

These bells can also be used as ornaments. Just slip a thin red ribbon through the paper clip and hang. The lights from the Christmas tree will glimmer through the bell.