Hanukkah Votive

Materials:

Premo Sculpey polymer clay
- Translucent #5310
- Cobalt Blue #5063
- Cadmium Yellow # 5572
- White #5001
small glass votive candleholder
two-inch and 2-1/4-inch circle cookie cutters or card stock templates
aluminum foil
eight-inch square (or larger) smooth ceramic tiles for work/baking surface
pasta machine or 12-inch length of acrylic rod or PVC pipe
craft knife
knitting needle
tea light candle

All clay must be conditioned. To do this, hand-knead for a minute or two, or cut clay block into thin slices and run through the pasta machine several times before use.

Steps:

1. Mix a 3/8-inch ball of blue clay with a half block of translucent clay until completely blended. This will make a light blue-tinted clay.

2. Roll out tinted clay on sixth largest setting of pasta machine to approximately 1/16 inch thick. Cut a 2-1/4-inch circle from clay sheet with cookie cutter, or place a template over clay and cut around the edge with craft knife.

3. Press the clay circle onto the votive, centering it top to bottom. Press out any air bubbles with fingers. Smooth the opening back together with our fingertip (figure A).

4. Combine leftover light blue clay with one-sixteenth of a block of blue clay. Mix clay together with hands or pasta machine but don't mix until completely blended. Allow streaks of color to remain in mixed clay to create the illusion of art glass.

5. Roll mixed clay into a three-inch long snake. Flatten snake with fingers and roll through pasta machine on fifth largest setting to approximately 1/16 inch thick. Cut a two-inch circle out of middle of clay sheet (figure B).

Wrap the sheet around votive, fitting the circle opening over light blue tinted clay circle (figure C). Trim away the excess clay and blend seams together with fingertip (figure D).

6. Roll one-eighth blocks of white and blue clays into 10-inch long (1/8-inch diameter) snakes.

Twist the snakes together. Working one-inch sections at a time, gingerly press the snake around the outside perimeter of light blue clay circle and trim. Cut a 1/2-inch section from leftover white/blue clay twist and set aside for next step (figure E).

7. Roll 2-3/8-inch balls of blue clay. Roll the first ball into a 3/4-inch snake. Slightly flatten against work surface and cut off ends with craft knife. Press horizontally, onto the center bottom of light blue tinted circle to form a menorah base. Position the 1/2-inch section of white/blue clay twist vertically, over the center of the menorah base. Roll second 3/8-inch ball into a 1-1/4-inch long snake. Position it horizontally, over top of clay twist. Roll a tiny ball of blue clay for "shamash" (the "helper" candle holder) and press over the top center of 1-1/4-inch snake (figure F).

8. Roll white clay into a five-inch long, by 1/16-inch diameter snake. Cut nine, 3/8-inch sections for candles. Press one candle over the raised center of the menorah. Place the remaining eight candles (four on each side) above the 1-1/4-inch blue clay snake.

9. Roll small pinches of yellow clay into tiny teardrop shapes and press over the top of candles to form flames (figure G).

10. Crumple a sheet of aluminum foil into a ball. Press foil into dark blue tinted clay to texture.

11. Roll an eighth of a block of yellow clay into an eight-inch (1/4-inch diameter ) snake. Gingerly press the yellow snake (one inch at a time) around outside edge of votive (figure H) without wrapping the yellow over the top of white/blue clay twist.

Make diagonal lines into the yellow clay at 1/4-inch intervals using the tip of a knitting needle (figure I).

12. Bake the votive for 30 minutes at 270-degrees Fahrenheit. Once the votive has cooled completely, it is ready to illuminate. Use only tea light candles.