Half Moon DIY Clay Hangers

If you’re a fan of air dry clay, you’ll love today’s tutorial. I’m sharing how to make these Half Moon DIY Clay Hangers, two ways. Use them as you would a dowel to hang up your yarn wall hangings, weavings, macrame pieces or any other handmade creation!

 

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MATERIALS & SET UP

• Air dry clay (Das brand or any other of your choice)
• Silicone mat work surface to prevent clay from sticking, like this one (or wax paper)
• 2 dowels (1/4 inch thick, like these ones), taped lengthwise along mat; OR if you have square dowels like these ones, you won’t need to tape them down
• Bowl of water (or Sculpey brand clay softener)
• Rolling pin (not shown)
• Plastic knife (not shown)
• Protractor & pencil (not shown) OR any round cup or glass (not shown)
• Fine grit sandpaper
• Acrylic paint (not shown)
• Matte varnish (not shown)
• Sponge and paint brush (not shown)
• Plastic straw (not shown)

HOW TO MAKE HALF MOON DIY CLAY HANGERS

Step 1:  Roll Out Clay

Roll out your clay to whatever thickness you like. I rolled mine to ¼ inch. 

Tip: If you don’t have a rolling pin with spacers, you can still control how even the clay is using a pair of dowels, as I’ve done here. Tape them down and simply place the ends of the rolling pin on the dowels and roll out the clay.

Step 2: Cut Out Half Moons

If you don’t have a glass jar that’s just the right size to create your circle, draw one on the clay using a protractor.

Then, cut along the circle and cut the circle in half. This will create your two half moons.

To smooth out the edges, dab some water on your finger and lightly drag your finger against the clay.

Step 3: Cut Out Holes or Openings for Your Wall Hanging

In order to hang your weaving, macrame, or other unique creation, you’ll need to cut an opening from which to hang your piece.

For the first half moon, I used a plastic straw to create holes along the bottom edge.

For the second half moon, I used a plastic knife to cut a rectangular opening.

Smooth out the edges by dabbing your finger into water once again and drag along edge gently.

Don’t forget to use your straw to cut out a hole at the top of each half moon so you can hang them up later on.

Step 4: Let Dry

While your half moons are drying, they will still be fragile and flexible. So be careful handling them. 

Let dry according to the instructions on your air dry clay package (about 2 days), carefully turning the clay over at the halfway point, when they have started to harden.

Step 5: Sand

Once fully dry, sand down any jagged edges.

Step 6: Paint & Varnish

After sanding, you have the option of leaving the clay as is or painting. I painted one of the half moons using a wash of acrylic paints.

Taking a sponge, dip into water and then into your paint. Then, drag your sponge across your clay and fully cover. Add a layer or two of watered down paint. This will create a “washed out” effect.

After waiting about 10 minutes, take a paint brush and begin dry brushing using short strokes. I used a combination of darker grey and tan coloured acrylic paints.

Let dry completely.

Once dry, add a matte varnish to both pieces. The varnish will prevent moisture from absorbing into the clay and also seals in the paint.

Let dry according to instructions on bottle.  Don’t forget to seal both sides.

Now you’re ready to attach your wall hangings onto those half moon DIY clay hangers!

I hope these cute half moon diy clay hangers have you excited about the possibilities of air dry clay! I so love this medium and hope to create more!

**If you are new to weaving or macrame and would like some tips on attaching weavings to dowels, sticks, driftwood or clay hangings, let me know! I’d be happy to dedicate more space to that (as I did here). Otherwise, there are loads of ‘how to attach a weaving to a dowel’ tutorials on Google and YouTube.**

 

 

 

 

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