Cheerful Lobster to Celebrate Christmas!

I made this ornament out of polymer clay in a bright red. Some sharp tools to cut out the shape and a stamp helped decorate the body.

I also made a tiny buoy for this ornament. I used a foam ear plug and small dowel for this. I've included a link to the directions on my blog. .

To start, I drew a simple lobster outline to use as a stencil. You're welcome to use this drawing to make your own. I printed out this image to be about 3 1/2 inches tall.

I rolled out my clay to be a little more than 1/8 of an inch thick. Don't roll your clay too thin or your lobster's claws might be too delicate.

Using a sharp tool, I cut the outline of my lobster from my clay. Then I used my finger to smooth the edges of my outline.

Next, I stamped my lobster body with a decorative stamp. This is optional, but adds some texture. You can stamp your clay with buttons or the ends of pens if you don't have any stamps.

Also optional, I used the tip of an old pen to cut a hole in one of the claws to hang a small nautical embellishment from. Be careful not to put your hole too close to the edge of your claw.

I put a little metal eye pin in the center of my lobster head to add a hanger later.

Then I used a pen cap to make a little smiley face on my lobster. Two little balls of white and black clay created eyes for this cute guy.

When my lobster was complete, I transferred him to some foil for baking. I followed the manufacturer's directions for baking my clay.

When my lobster was cool, I coated him with some polymer clay glaze. This is optional, but helps bring out the detail.

To complete my ornament, I wanted to add a little nautical detail, so I made a small buoy to hang from my lobster's claw. I made this out of a foam ear plug and small dowel, and you can find the tutorial for making this buoy on my blog.

You could also use a small jewelry charm like a seashell or boat. You can find a variety of charms in the jewelry section of most craft stores.

I hung my buoy from the lobster claw using some macrame thread. Then I strung some ribbon from the center loop for hanging.

I hope you like my little Christmas lobster!