DIY Pumpkin Napkin Rings

Directions

1. If the orange clay appears too vibrant, incorporate white clay into it until it lightens to your liking. Do the same with green clay if needed.
2. Form a large ball of orange clay approximately 3/4 inch in diameter for the center pumpkin.
3. Roll two smaller balls of orange clay, each about 1/2 inch wide, for the side pumpkins.
4. Press the tip of a pencil or a similar object into the top of each ball to create an indentation for the stem.
5. Using a toothpick, carve 5 to 6 vertical lines around the edge of each pumpkin ball to form ridges.
6. Gently pinch the top and bottom of each ball with your fingers to give the pumpkins a squat, flattened shape.
7. Shape a tiny piece of green clay into a stem that is narrow at one end and wider at the other. Insert the pointed end into the indentation of the large pumpkin.
8. Optionally, roll a thin strand of green clay for a curly vine and attach one end to the pumpkin’s indentation. Add a leaf to the free end.
9. Cut leaves from green clay using a leaf plunger cutter: place the clay inside the cutter and press the plunger to release the leaf shape. Gently curl the leaf with a wave and sharpen the tip.
10. For the napkin ring base, flatten a quarter of a clay block into a long strip. Wrap it around a spice bottle or cylinder to form a ring, press the ends together to seal, and place it on a silpat or aluminum foil on a metal cookie sheet.
11. Bake the clay ring according to the manufacturer’s instructions (for Sculpey, bake at 275°F for 15 minutes).
12. Assemble the napkin ring: use E6000 glue to attach a green leaf, then a small pumpkin, the middle pumpkin, and finally the right leaf and right pumpkin around the baked ring.