Make an indoor herb garden complete with herb stamped air dry clay pendants!

Materials needed:

Plus air dry clay in white

ACTÍVA Product’s Clay Roller kit or rolling pin and two paint sticks

Wax paper

Small cup of water

Wooden skewer or needle tool

Different fresh herbs to press in clay

Three small colored jars (Michael’s $1.50 each)

ModPodge or clear nail polish

Paint brush

Acrylic paint in a darker color such as raw sienna or burnt umber

Twine

Aleene’s tacky glue

Step 1: Prepare the Clay

Cut off a piece of Plus clay about the size of a pecan. In your hands, roll clay to a narrow cylinder about an inch and a half long. Place wax paper over your work area, and begin using rolling pin to roll out clay. The clay should be about 3/16” thick. If the clay is thicker, it will take longer to dry. With your fingers, take water and smooth out the edges if there are any cracked edges.

Step 2: Imprint the Clay With Your Herbs

Take the herb you would like to press in and arrange it the way you would like it to look. With rolling pin, roll herb into the clay. Carefully remove the herb without disturbing the clay.

With wooden skewer or needle tool, poke a hole in the top to thread twine through.

Let this dry.

To speed up drying, put on cookie sheet in oven on 175 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about an hour depending on the thickness.

Step 3: Paint the Clay

When dry, water down the dark acrylic paint and make a wash for the pendant.
Paint the wash over it and then wipe it off with a clean tissue.

Let dry.

Brush ModPodge or clear nail polish to seal it.

With black marker you might want to label the type of herb. These pendants are for decorative use only, so keep them away from water.

Step 4: Add the Twine and Pendants

To assemble jars, cut two pieces of twine about 18” long for each jar. Wrap one strand of the twine around the neck of the jar and glue the ends down. Thread twine through the hole in the pendant and tie this at the pendant. Wrap the extra twine at the end of the pendant around the back and then front and then tie at back of the jar. Glue the ends of the twine down.

Place fresh herbs in your jar with water and sit on a window sill. Enjoy the fragrance of fresh herbs!!!

Photography and Artwork created by Karen Lowrey