Trinket Tins

Adorned with cheerful clay flowers, polka dots, and decorative banding, these little tins are just the right size for organizing in the kitchen or office.

From the book, Handmade Birthday

What You Need:

Cool designs make sure these gifts
are a hit at any birthday.

Small tins (available in crafts stores or as spice tins in discount stores)
Oven-bake clay, such as Sculpey
Cookie sheet
Paper clip
Large seed beads
Rolling pin
Ruler; crafts knife
Scallop-edge scissors
Strong clear adhesive, such as Liquid Nails

Instructions:

1. For each tin, form a small clay flower to fit the lid. Roll small balls or ovals as petals, or roll a long rope and coil it. Add a desired center to each flower. Place flowers on a cookie sheet.

2. To make leaves, roll a small ball. Flatten it slightly and shape into a leaf. Flatten again if necessary. Add to clay flower.

3. To add indentations, use a paper clip. Use the rounded end to add vein lines or the tip of a paper clip to add small holes.

4. To add polka dots to the tin base, make pea-size balls from clay. Place on cookie sheet. Press a seed bead in the center of each piece of clay.

5. To add a dotted band to the tin base, roll out a piece of clay until it is approximately 1/8-inch thick. Use a ruler and a crafts knife to cut one straight edge. Carefully lift clay up and cut a scalloped edge 1/2-inch from the straight edge. Place around tin base, positioning low enough to avoid interfering with the placement of the lid. Press a seed bead into the clay by every other scallop.

6. To add a twisted rope trim to the tin base, choose two colors of clay. Roll each into thin ropes. Twist the ropes together. Place twisted rope around the tin base as desired. Cut away excess clay. Press seed beads into clay where desired.

7. Bake the clay pieces in the oven according to the manufacturer's instructions. Let cool.

8. Glue the clay pieces on the tins. Let the glue dry.