How to Make an Air Dry Clay Christmas Gnome

Cut away just over a third of the block of clay, and wrap the rest back in the packaging or a plastic bag to keep it moist.

Roll the clay into a ball, then squeeze the top to form a wide pear shape.

Tip: Keep the clay damp at all times from now on by wetting the surface every now and again, and rubbing with your hands. This is necessary to keep your sculpture smooth and to keep it sticky for joining new pieces. You can also use a wide paintbrush dipped in water to smooth the surface of your clay.

Cut away another third of of the remaining piece of clay to make the hat.

Form it into a cone shape that is wide enough to cover the top of the body. Squeeze and then roll the clay to get an even shape.

Press an indentation into the base of the cone, then widen at the sides. The hat needs to be a little longer at each side.

Next make some clay glue, to help join the pieces together. To do this, take a small chunk of clay, wet the surface, then squish together until the water mixes in and the clay feels smooth. Repeat until you have a very sticky paste-like consistency.

Now add a blob of the clay glue to the top of the head and push the hat on, twisting around slightly.

Once it feels firmly attached, use the tip of your finger or your knife to create a neat edge along the underside of the hat, then add a little water and rub with your finger to smooth the surface.

If the body has gotten a little compressed, hold it between your palms and gently squeeze to bring back the round shape.

Next, bend the tip of the hat and then use your knife to add a couple of creases.

To make the legs, start by making two balls of clay approximately 2cm in diameter. Roll them into a tube, then shape one end into a point and flatten slightly. Bend the pointed end to make the foot and press the other end flat. Make sure the surface of the body still feels sticky, if not add some water and rub until it does.

Now add some clay glue to the end of the leg, then press and twist the leg onto the body. Position it a little out to the side so the legs are splayed.

Spread the clay at the edges of the legs into the body and smooth the surface.

Tip: The edge of your knife is useful for spreading the edges of the clay, and the flat part is great for smoothing out any bumps from the surface.

The arms are made from two 1.5cm balls of clay. Just like the legs you will need to roll these into tube shapes, pinch one end to flatten it out, add a little clay glue to the underside of this part, then attach to the body just over the leg. Remember to make sure the body is still nice and sticky.

Now make two small balls for the hands, add a bit of your glue, then stick them to the ends of the arms.

Once everything is attached, you can smooth the entire surface with your brush and some water.

For the beard, make a ball of clay around 3cm, form this into a heart shape and then squeeze along the edges to thin them out.

Add glue to the body, then attach the heart underneath the brim of the hat. Use your finger nail or your knife to give the edge some definition and then smooth the surface.

Poke a little hole in the top centre of the heart - this is where the nose will attach.

To add texture to the beard, use your knife to carve some wavy lines at irregular intervals down the beard, then smooth them out with your brush. To make these grooves a bit deeper you can use the tip of your smallest brush to widen them.

The nose is made from a 1.5cm ball of clay. Squash one end slightly to make a tear drop shape, add some glue to this end and then press into the hole you made at the top of the beard.

This little gnome is wearing an old fashioned onesie with a flap at the back. To make this, roll a small piece of clay flat with a rolling pin (if you don't have one you could use a cup or a glass). Then cut a small rectangle and stick it onto the gnome's back.

To make some buttons, make two tiny balls of clay and push them into the top of each corner of the flap. Add some detail to the buttons using a toothpick or the tip of a pencil.

Tip: When rolling out thin sections of clay, it will stick to your work surface. Try rolling a little at a time, peeling the clay up a few times as you go. Lift it away from the surface just before you cut a shape and it will be easier to pick up.

To make a cute holly accessory for the hat, roll out a thin piece of clay, then use your knife to cut out a holly leaf shape. The edges will look ragged so gently squeeze them into shape. Carve a few grooves to make the veins and then smooth it all out.

Attach two leaves to one side of the hat using your clay glue. Then roll some small balls to make the berries. Again, add a little of the glue and stick these onto the base of the leaves.

Tip: These small pieces can be a little fiddly. If your clay feels too soft to make these shapes, roll it out and then leave it to dry for a few minutes before cutting.

Once your gnome is fully assembled, leave it to dry for 4-5 days. The surface will turn bright white and be very hard once fully dry. If any cracks occur you can repair them by wetting the crack and pushing in some clay, then smoothing out the surface.

Once the gnome is fully dry, it is time to paint it!

Paint the body red. It's best to paint the bottom first, leave it to dry, then paint the rest. You will need 2-3 coats for an even finish.

Paint the hat green.

Mix a very small amount of red with some white to make a pink for the nose and hands. Alternatively you can paint these with another skin tone paint of your choice.

Paint the beard white. You may not see much difference between this and the colour of the clay, but it will give the beard the same finish as the rest of the gnome, and cover over any smudges of other paint or discoloured patches.

Mix a little white with some green for the holly leaves and the buttons on the back.

Paint the berries red.

Then add a row of white dots to the bottom of the arms and legs.

Lastly, once all your paint is dry you can coat with a craft varnish of your choice for durability and to add a shiny gloss or matt finish.

Leave the varnish to dry completely and then your Christmas gnome will be ready to put on display!