Christmas pudding craft

1. Clay pudding

-    Cut the clay block in half and shape the clay into a ball

-    Flatten a sheet of clay about 5mm thick

-    Lay the sheet over the ball and cut around the edges with a hobby knife to create a glaze effect

-    Smooth the edges with a wet finger

2. Carving air dry clay

-    Carefully cut the pudding in half using a wire clay cutter

-    Use a loop tool to hollow out each half of the ball

-    Reattach the two halves and blend the seam

3. Pudding details

-    Roll small clay balls to create "raisins" and press them onto the surface

-    Roll a thin sheet of clay and cut out holly leaves with a hobby knife

-    Add spiked edges to each leaf for a realistic look

-    Press the leaves onto the top of the pudding and refine their edges

-    Roll a tube of clay, cut it into equal parts, and roll into small balls for holly berries

-    Press the berries into position around the leaves

4. How to air dry clay

-    Leave the dish to dry overnight until it reaches the leather stage (very nearly dry!)

-    Use a hairdryer if the clay retains moisture and needs to speed dry

5. Pudding painting

-    Squeeze Lamp Black and Burnt Umber onto a palette

-    Roughly mix the colours directly on the dish to create a textured look

-    Glaze the dish with a watered-down layer of Sienna for warmth

6. Final touches

-    Mix Titanium White with a touch of Burnt Umber to create a slightly tinted icing/glaze colour

-    Paint the glaze onto the appropriate areas of the pudding

-    Paint the holly leaves with Sap Green and the berries with a couple of coats of Brilliant Red

-    Once all the paint is dry, your festive Christmas pudding trinket dish is ready to use or display!

This tasty-looking trinket tray makes a great decoration for around the house, as well as handmade festive gift. Have a go at home and show us what you make by tagging us @montmarteart or using the hashtag #montmarteart on socials.