· · · · · ·
· · · · · · · ·

Leaf Motifs for the Table and Salt Dough Cornucopia

Leaf Motifs for the Table

If you're searching for a fresh look for your Thanksgiving table, you need only peek outside for inspiration. Fallen leaves are abundant at this time of year, and their graceful silhouettes and tawny colors make them a natural theme for seasonal linens and decorations you craft yourself.

To get started, head outdoors and gather foliage to trace or draw freehand; you also can use Martha Stewart's template here.

Use the designs to create carved blocks for printing on linens, such as napkins or a runner, or on paper cups and napkins at a children's table. Add place cards decorated with mottled paper leaves for a charming display. One project uses real foliage to convey beautiful wax impressions on pillar candles. Each idea is attractive on its own or as part of a broader, harmonious scheme. Many of the items make delightful gifts. And you'll want to use some, such as the linens, year after year.

Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Salt Dough Cornucopia

Materials:

Salt Dough

Combine boiling water and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Slowly mix in 2 cups of flour. Place dough on work surface and wearing plastic gloves, knead it until smooth. If dough is sticky, continue adding small amounts of flour.

Make dough recipe (above). To color the dough, work small amounts of paint into the dough until desired color is achieved. You may have to work in a little flour when adding paint to keep the dough from being too sticky. The dough should be slightly sticky but easy to shape.

Create the following pieces:
1 cornucopia, 2 pumpkins, 2 crookneck squash, 2 bunches of grapes, 2 apples, 2 ears of corn, 5 carrots and 2 loaves of bread.

Cornucopia:
Using brown clay, mold a cone shape about 4 1/2-inches long and 2 1/4- inches in diameter at wide end. Mark lines 1/2-inch apart along sides from wide end to narrow end. Press in the wide end so the cone is slightly caved (see fig. 1) Roll 2 - 1/4 x 8 – inch snakes. Twist snakes together and attach around wide edge. Cut off excess. Bend slightly so the cone is C-shaped.

Pumpkin:
Using orange clay, form a 1 1/4-inch ball. Mark 8 lines with a butter knife from center top to center bottom of ball. Using the bottom end of the knife, press a dent in the center top of the ball. Make a ˝-inch cone shape with green clay. Stick the point of cone in the indent at the top of the pumpkin (stem). Roll a small snake with brown clay. Twist the snake slightly and stick one end into the indent with the stem.

Crookneck squash:
Using yellow clay, roll out a 1 1/4-inch oval making one end narrow and one end fat. Bend the narrow end slightly.

Grapes:
Using green clay, roll a 1-inch narrow snake. Twist into a spiral. Using purple clay roll approximately 20 3/16-inch balls. Shape balls into a triangle and stick the green spiral into the fat end of triangle.

Apple:
Using red clay, roll a ľ-inch ball. Using bottom end of butter knife, press a dent in the top of apple. Using brown roll a 5/16-inch triangle and stick the point into the dent in the apple. Using green form a small leaf and stick one end of the leaf into the dent in the apple.

Corn:
Using yellow clay, roll a 1 1/2 x 3/8-inch oval. Using a butter knife, mark lines lengthwise and widthwise in checkerboard fashion. Using green clay, shape 5-6 leaves of various lengths. Layer leaves around one end of the corn. Press bottom of leaves together to form a point.

Carrot:
Using orange clay, roll a 1 1/4-inch snake. Make one end into a point. Poke the other end with the tong of a fork to create a dent. Using green clay, create 3-4 very small snakes. Pinch these snakes at one end and poke the pinched end into the dent in the carrot.

Bread:
Using tan clay, roll a 2 1/2-inch oval. Make slanted slits across the top of the bread.

Finishing:
Bake figures in a 200° oven for 1/2-hour for every 1/4-inch thickness. Bake pieces until they are completely hard. Let cool.

Paint decoupage finish on each piece. Let dry.

Arrange pieces and glue together with a glue gun.

Courtesy of Crafters Community

		home · about us · richfield mall: business · news · weather · deals · calendar yesterday · food · recreation · internet · arts · movies · tv · books · homes © 2004-2007 Ideal Living Media. Ideal Living Media is based in Richfield, Utah. 435.201.9884. E-mail us. Read more about us.

Leaf Motifs for the Table and Salt Dough Cornucopia

arts & crafts archive