diy graphic napkin rings

I currently can't get enough of black and white graphic prints that have that hand drawn look. I love how they're perfectly imperfect, which makes them easy to achieve by hand! I tend to have a hard time deciding on a pattern to commit to and so that's why these napkin rings are great - you can do a different pattern for each and still they will look cohesive! I made these with air-dry clay but I think moving forward with clay projects, I'll switch to oven-bake - so much quicker! Feel free to use either though :)



DIY Graphic Napkin Rings

Supplies:
modelling clay (either air-dry or oven-bake)
knife
ruler
rolling pin or glass bottle
toilet paper roll
fine sandpaper
white and black acrylic paint
paintbrushes
gloss varnish

Instructions:
1. Roll a piece of clay into a ball, about the size of a circle if you were to put your thumb and pointer finger together. Then, using your hands roll the ball into a log
2. Using a rolling pin or glass bottle, flatten out the log until it's 1/8" thick.
3. Using a knife and ruler, cut out a rectangle that is 6 1/2" long and 1 1/2" wide (don't worry about being exact).
4. Wrap the clay around a toilet paper roll and smooth out the clay at the seam.
5. Remove the clay from the roll and let dry (about 24 hours). If you are using oven-bale clay, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Once completely dry, take the sandpaper and smooth out any rough edges and bumps.
7. Paint the rings with white acrylic paint (you may need two coats). If you are using oven-bake clay you may not need to paint them white. I find the air-dry clay doesn't dry completely white but more of a beige.
8. Next, using a smaller paint brush and the black paint, start painting your pattern!
9. Once the black paint is dry, apply a coat of the gloss varnish. This is optional if you want to keep a completely matte look.