Women and Peace

This beautiful box, holding fresh floral scents, is accented with painted clay shapes. A gel stain is applied as the last coat to add a whitewashed effect. Fill to the brim with an aromatic potpourri to make this dainty box irresistible.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Crayola Model Magic Clay
• Rolling pin
• Small heart cookie cutter
• Butter knife
• Thick white crafts glue Round box with lid approximately 6 inches in diameter and 3 ? inches high.
• Acrylic paints in white, red, green, pale and bright yellow, and blue
• Fine point and small flat paintbrushes
• White gel stain
• Damp, soft cloth

WHAT TO DO:

1. Roll out clay to a thickness of approx. 3/16 inches. Cut out 4 small hearts with cookie cutter. Set aside to dry.
2. Shape leaves by forming a marble-size ball out of clay. Flatten it into an oval shape, and press a crease into the center with the blade of a knife.
3. Form 7 or 8 small balls to place in the center of the flower. TO make the blue flowers around the edge, form 5 balls of clay for each flower. Shape the tiny leaves out of clay. Let dry.
4. Glue clay shapes onto the lid and sides of the box.
5. Coil a piece of clay into a 1/8-inch thick rope to trim the edge of the lid. Place a thin line of glue around the edge and add the rope of clay around the edge, meeting at each flower. Let the clay dry on the box.
6. Paint the entire box, inside and out, using white. Let dry. Paint box pale yellow. Slightly overlap the paint onto the flowers and rope. Let dry. Paint the large flowers red, the leaves and rope green, the small flowers blue, and all the flower centers bright yellow. Let dry.
7. Coat the entire outside of the box and lid using a generous amount of white gel stain. Brush the gel stain into all of the crevices of the clay design.
8. Let the gel just begin to dry and gently wipe off with the damp cloth. Don’t overwipe; just wipe enough to take the top surface off, leaving the white stain in the crevices. Let dry.
9. Fill the box with your choice of Potpourri.