This Mother’s Day, show your plant-loving mom a little extra love by handpainting some sweet DIY clay pins, plant stakes, or gift attachments. Finding inspiration is easy: Look no further than a Mother’s Day card. We fell in love with these gorgeous Good Mail cards and created templates you can follow…but we’ll also show you how to make your own for any card you choose. 

How to make DIY clay pin gift attachments

What you’ll need

• oven-bake clay (like Sculpey)

• card stock and free template download

• paintbrushes

• acrylic craft paint

• paint pens for accents

• rolling pin

• craft knife

• scissors

• toothpicks

• hot glue and glue gun

• 1″ brooch pin backs (for pins)

• wooden plant labels (for plant stakes)

• twine (to attach designs to…anything)

If you want card designs that match our templates, you can grab the Lucky Me ladybug card or the Blooms Around You plant-lady greeting.

Print the templates

Download and print our templates onto card stock and cut out the designs you want to use. To make your own, just trace or free-hand designs from any greeting card or illustration you like.

Pro tip

Want to paint your own plants? We’ve got tips from Hallmark Artist Jeanne R.

Play with the clay

Preheat the oven to the temperature suggested on the label of your clay.

Knead the clay as directed to get it ready, then roll it out on a clean surface to about 1/4″ thick.

Place your card stock designs on the clay to use as a template and cut them out with a craft knife. Discard the template.

Follow package instructions for baking the clay.

Pro tips

• It may be easier to cut out the design if you trace the template with a toothpick first, then remove the card stock.
• If you’re going to tie your designs with string, make holes with a toothpick before you bake it.

Paint your heart out

Let the clay designs cool completely.

We painted ours to match the greeting card designs, which is completely optional.

Pro tip

Use a fine-pointed gold paint pen for the little details.

How to make DIY clay pins

When the paint is dry, use hot glue to attach a pin back. To make a cute gift, we stuck our pins some craft paper envelopes filled with seeds.

Decorate a bouquet

Thread some bakers twine through the holes and tie your handpainted clay design around a bunch of flowers—or a wrapped gift.

Pro tip

You could also make your own flower arrangement and tie the attachment around the neck of a jar or vase.

Pretty up a plant

Use hot glue to attach your clay design to a wooden plant stake, then poke it in a houseplant.

Pro tip

Make that plant ever cuter by creating your own DIY planter wrap.

Show us what you did! Share your finished DIY clay pins and attachments and tag us on Instagram @think.make.share.

— Kelly C.