4 Leaf Clover Ornaments

         

I'm pretty good at finding 4 leaf clovers but have never known what to do with them. I came up with a Christmas ornament that utilizes a few of the clovers I found while we played in my mother's yard this summer. She passed away in August, so this was our last summer together. I am giving them to my family members for Christmas.

Supplies:

• Clover
• Wood slices with pre-drilled holes
  
• White glue
• Felt tip pen
• Paintbrush
• Twine
• Glue gun
• Ribbon

First, take the clover you collect from the yard and arrange them flat on a sheet of toilet paper. Lay a second sheet of toilet paper on top of the clover. Then, press it inside the pages of a large hardback book for a week or two (depending on humidity) until completely dry and brittle.

Then, use a paint brush to apply white glue to the entire back of the dried clover. This will make the clover a little more pliable. You can then press your clover onto your wood slice and gently move the leaves to the correct position. Then, squeeze white glue in a spiral pattern from the center of the wooden slice, out toward the edges. Then, use your finger to smooth it out. Start at the center and swipe the glue evenly out to the edges, rotating the slice as you go. Basically, you just want to gently smooth out the glue, ensuring to leave a layer with as few bubbles as possible, while not disturbing your clover.

After that layer of glue has dried clear and is no longer tacky, you want to add another layer of glue and smooth it out, covering the entire clover and face of the wooden slice again. Then let that dry completely. Repeat again....Altogether, I applied 6 layers of white glue.

Once you have multiple layers of glue that have dried, and you can no longer feel a raise between where the clover is and the wood is, you can use a felt tip pen to write a saying on the back. I used an old Irish blessing for the new year ahead. 

Next add your twine. Cut a piece of twine about 10 inches long. Fold it in half and stick the folded point into the hole from the side with the clover. Pull through enough of the twine to stick the cut ends of the twine over the top of the disk and through the loop made by the folded middle point. Pull the ends securing the twine to the disk. Then make a knot at the cut end of the twine securing the ends together. You should now have a loop with which to hang the ornament. Lastly, hot glue a ribbon bow to your twine near the wooden disk.

Ta da! You have a completed ornament. It is not a craft that can be start to finish in a day. It takes time to find your clovers, press and dry them, and add layer after layer of glue.  

Tip: The greener your clovers dry, the better. I had a few clover that I had stuck in my phone case to dry instead of in the toilet paper and they turned a bit more yellow. When I put the glue on them, the yellow leached a bit into the glue, casting a yellow glow around the clover. Not something you want if you are going for perfection.

Tip 2: I did not use ModgePodge but you probably could. I used the generic large container of white glue from the Dollar Tree. It was pretty thin to begin with and dried very clear. If you have Elmers or another thick white glue, just be sure to check that you can smooth it well and that it dries hard and clear. 

Tip 3: Maybe start with one as a sample run. You do not want to make ten at once just to realize something went horribly wrong and you wasted your special 4 leaf clovers. 

Happy crafting!!