This mini clay star garland is so easy to make with homemade clay made using ingredients that you already have in your pantry. This is a standard and common recipe that uses a 2:1 ratio of baking soda to cornstarch. It can be easily adjusted as needed. We made around 140 mini stars using the below recipe. The trick to making this is to make that you stir constantly and do not overcook it. The clay can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container. It’s lovely for creating other things, such as ornaments and can be used as an alternative in place of salt dough if you’d prefer a dough with a smoother finish.
Materials:
– 2c baking soda
– 1c cornstarch
– 1.5c water
– mini star cookie cutter
– large needle and twine
Instructions to make mini clay star garlands
Step 1: How to make DIY cornstarch clay
Combine baking soda, cornstarch and water in a small sauce pan and whisk until completely combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (very important!) until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take anywhere from 3-6 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the mixture. Remove from heat one the mixture is dough-like, similar in consistency to mashed potatoes and transfer to a dish or container to allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: How to cut out the stars
Dust your surface with cornstarch and knead the dough until it is smooth and combined. Roll your dough out to 1/4” thick and cut out mini star shapes with a cookie cutter. Use a chopstick or toothpick to add two holes for stringing them up
Step 3: How to dry your cornstarch clay
Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in your oven on the lowest setting (usually 170-200 degrees F) until dry. It should takes a couple of hours. Alternately you can air dry your creations but it will take several days. Use a large needle and twine to string the stars together into a garland.
@woodlarkblog mini clay star garland ⭐ easy homemade clay made using just baking soda and cornstarch make the clay: Combine 2c baking soda, 1c cornstarch and 1.5c water in a sauce pan. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (important) until mixture thickens. It will take anywhere from 3-6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Knead until smooth. Roll out your dough and cut shapes out. to bake: Bake on a cookie sheet line with parchment paper in your oven on the lowest setting (usually 170-200 degrees F) until dry. It usually takes a couple hours #diychristmasdecor #diygarland #treegarland #garland #christmasdecor #cottagecore #cottagecorechristmas #cozytok #fyp #foryou
♬ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas – Michael Bublé
Laura says
Love this idea, thanks for sharing! How do you string the garland so the stars don’t all slide together? Do you put knots behind each star?
Thanks!
Woodlark says
Hi Laura,
I do add knots. The stars should stay put because of the way they’re strung up with two holes like a button. Enjoy!
– Ashley
Laura says
Thanks Ashley!
Aimee says
I’m curious what type (size) of twine do you use? I bought some, but it’s too thick for toothpick holes… and do you prefer waxed twine? Thank you so much!
Woodlark says
Hi Aimee,
I have a huge stash of twine that I’ve accumulated over the years so I’m unsure off the size but generally yes– waxed twine is great!
– Ashley
Brenda Navarro says
This is so cute! I’d assume we can paint them once they’re baked. I bet they’d be so cute in gold and wrapped around a branch hanging from the ceiling!
Woodlark says
Hi Brenda,
Yes! Once they are dry they can be painted with your paint of choice. Enjoy!
– Ashley
Isabelle Lebire says
Hi! Can you make it with regular clay? Or will it be too heavy? Also, can you put the twine before cooking/drying?
Thank you! Love all your ideas 🙂
Woodlark says
Hi Isabelle,
Yes, you can make them with regular clay! You can put the twine in if you are air drying but I would not recommend putting twine into the oven since it may catch on fire. Enjoy!
– Ashley
Sara Gravelle says
Is there a way to allow my dough to dry faster like the fridge?
Woodlark says
Hi Sara,
The fridge will actually cause them to dry slower– you can place them somewhere warm with good ventilation to speed up the process.
– Ashley
Amanda says
So sweet! Do you know an estimate for how many stars might be needed to make a garland for a 5-6’ tree?
Woodlark says
Hi Amanda,
I’m not exactly sure, but each foot of garland you’ll need 9-10 stars so I’d multiply that by the total length of garland that you need.
– Ashley
Autumn says
Hi there! I sent this to my sister as a fun idea to do with the kids and she got to it before I have. She ran into the problem after they were baked that several are cracking/breaking in half. She didn’t make mini stars out of it, but used this instead of salt dough for hand prints and other larger ornaments. Do you know why this might be happening before I try?
Woodlark says
Hi Autumn,
Do you know what the consistency of her dough was like? Some factors that can lead to cracking would be if the ratio of wet to dry ingredients was off, if the dough was undercooked, if it wasn’t rolled out to a proper/consistent thickness or if it wasn’t baked at the correct temperature. I’ve used this dough several times for large ornaments and hand prints (as well as seen loads of others do the same) with great success 🙂 Good luck!
– Ashley
Autumn says
Thanks for all the info! I’m not sure about the factors you mentioned for her but I’ll be sure to keep this in mind when I make this recipe this week!
Woodlark says
Best of luck! Feel free to reach out if you need any help.
– Ashley
Gracie says
Used this recipe to try to make handprint ornaments for with my kids and nephews. I left them out overnight but they started cracking. Idk what I did wrong. Other than that the kids loved playing with the dough.
Woodlark says
Hi Gracie,
Some factors that can lead to cracking would be if the ratio of wet to dry ingredients was off, if the dough was undercooked, if it wasn’t rolled out to a proper/consistent thickness or if it wasn’t baked at the correct temperature. I’ve used this dough several times for large ornaments and hand prints (as well as seen loads of others do the same) with great success 🙂 Glad the kids liked the dough!
– Ashley
Hailey Christianson says
I made all the little stars but have found now that I am stringing them they seem so heavy and do not stay upright. Have you run into this? Thanks!
Woodlark says
Hi Hailey,
I have heard of this happening and find that it can be remedied by making sure that the stars are rolled out thinly and by placing the holes slightly towards the top of the star. Good luck!
– Ashley
Diane Okubo-Fong says
I had the same problem even though I placed the holes higher up. My stars tilt forwards regardless of the stars’ thickness. This garland is a cute project. I’ll play with a second batch.
Lisa Ann Donahue says
So Cute. Do these last a couple of seasons? Is there a special way to store them? I have a cute dachshund cookie cutter I might try.
Woodlark says
Hi Lisa Ann,
Yes they will last a very long time as long as you store them in a cool and dry place away from moisture. My oldest creations are about 10 years old and they look exactly the same.
– Ashley
Eric says
Would adding essential oils or flavors to give it a nice smell cause issues with the mixture? Please advise, and thank you.
Woodlark says
Hi Eric,
Yes you can add essential oil– I would add them to the finished piece after it has dried and allow it to absorb. You can try adding it into the mixture but I have a feeling that the scent would dissipate
– Ashley
Amelia J says
What a perfect garland! Last year I tried doing a dried orange garland but it ended up being way more effort than I anticipated. I’m excited to try this one out, thanks for sharing.
Cailley says
Love this! Will the dough stay soft if kept in an air tight container?
Micaela says
can you add a gloss glaze to them for a shiny look?
Olivia Unwin says
Hi there!
Can I add essential oil to the dough when kneading? I was thinking of adding cinnamon / cinnamon powder to the mix to have them slightly scented!