These 4 Calling Birds Ornaments are a beautiful Christmas holiday craft project. As warm cider simmers or as carols play in the background, you can create them using the free patterns and instructions in this post. Customize them with your favorite paint colors and fill them with your favorite glittery sparkly stuff! They are sure to add a little holiday magic when you hang them on your tree.
Whether you create them as a gift set for your true love on the 4th day of Christmas, or display them as additions to your own holiday decor, these 4 Calling Birds Ornaments are fun and festive.
You can add them to Christmas wreaths or garland–
Or use them as a stunning way to top off a gift.
Keep reading to find FREE printable patterns and instructions to make all four!
Enjoy & be merry!
gather these supplies to make your 4 Calling Birds
- 16 ounce package of Creative Paperclay or other good quality paper clay
- cutting tool (a clay “clean up” tool*, craft knife, or an old X-acto knife will all work well)
- rolling pin or thick wood dowel
- dish of water, towel and cotton swabs
- metallic paint and primer (I used Rustoleum spray primer)
- filler items (glass beads, gems, glitter, rhinestones, buttons, shells, etc.)
- clear strong craft glue
* A clay “clean up” tool can be found at most craft & hobby stores in the section with clay supplies, or find one online as part of an inexpensive clay tool set like this one.
step 1: download the free bird ornament patterns
Click on the links below to download each of the FREE 4 Calling Birds ornament patterns. You can adjust your printer settings to print the patterns at any size, making them larger or smaller than the examples shown on this page. Print on normal copy paper.
Use scissors to cut out the patterns.
You can also use the free bird patterns in this other post to make more bird Christmas ornaments in additional poses.
step 2: arrange your work space
Set up your work area with a non-stick surface for rolling and cutting the paper clay—a silicone mat, sheet of plastic or vinyl, or non-stick paper such as parchment paper will all work well.
Place the paper clay, rolling pin, cutting tool, water dish, and cotton swabs where you can reach them easily.
step 3: cut the bird ornaments from clay
Open the package of paper clay and divide it into two equal sections.
Place on your non-stick work surface.
Use the rolling pin or thick wood dowel to roll each section into a “slab” about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
Watch the video below to see the process for cutting and smoothing the bird and wing shapes from paper clay.
Keep any unused clay sealed inside an airtight container or resealable bag so that you can use it later for other paper clay projects.
step 4: dry your bird ornaments
After cutting the bird and wing shapes from clay, let them air dry until you can lift them off your work surface without their losing shape (usually the next day). Then flip them over so that the underside of each shape can dry. Placing the shapes on a wire rack (the kind used for cooling cookies) is a great way to allow air to circulate around the clay for more even, faster air drying.
You can also oven dry the clay bird and wing for even speedier drying. Place on a baking sheet in a low temperature oven (about 170 F) and check every hour, flipping as needed, until dry.
If the bird and wing begin to curl or warp during drying, you can add weight (such as a stack of books or a glass pan) to keep the clay shapes flat and level. Make sure the clay has dried to the point that adding weight will not damage or crush the bird or wing.
If there are any rough areas after drying, use a fine (220 grit) sandpaper to smooth.
step 5: paint & decorate
You can leave the clay unpainted, with its natural off-white hue, or you can paint the bird and wing with your favorite metallic color. If you plan to use metallic paint, for best results, apply a good primer first. A primer will help to seal the porous surface of the clay so the metallic paint will look shiny and glossy. Lightly sand with a very fine grade sand paper such as a 320 grit after applying primer and before applying metallic paint.
When the metallic paint is dry, give your birds some holiday glam. Use a clear craft glue to secure glass beads, sea glass, glitter, decorative stones, gems, buttons, etc. into each section of the bird body. Choose whatever coordinates best with your style. Then use additional glue to attach the wing.
step 6: add a ribbon hanger to your bird ornaments
Glue ribbon, metallic cord, or wire hooks to the back of your paper clay bird ornaments to make a hanger.
step 7: display and celebrate!
Your 4 Calling Bird Ornaments are now ready to add some hand-made charm to your Christmas tree or some artistic panache to a wrapped gift.
When all the holiday festivities are over and the new year rolls around, you can still enjoy your beautiful ornaments—–as wall art!
Simply remove the hanger loop from the back of each bird, and display your bird ornaments in frames with a simple branch. You can find several branch patterns to use or modify in this other paper clay bird art post along with the bird pose shown below.
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