Quick and Easy Air Dry Clay Arum Lilies

One of my favorite cut flowers is the arum lily. They always look stunning on their own or in a bunch. grouped together in an unusual vase. We have some beautiful cultivars in our garden ponds and they flower profusely for most of the Summer. Sadly, when Autumn rolls around my homegrown supply of fresh arums dwindles to nothingness, which is why I decided to make myself these clay arum lilies.

 

Now I can use them all year round and IMHO that curly wire spadix gives the flower such an unusual twist too.

 

Not only are they easy to make, but each arum only takes about 10 minutes to put together (excluding drying time).  Worth every second in my humble opinion.

 

Right, before I share how I made these clay arum lilies with a wire spadix, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

• Airdry clay
• Jewelry wire 14 – 18 gauge depending on the size of your flowers
• Galvanized wire
• Florist tape
• Wax paper
• An empty bottle or rolling pin
• Round tube. I used an effervescent tablet bottle
• Toothpick
• Sharp pencil or skewer
• Clear matt varnish or Paint

 

How to make clay arum lilies with wire spadix

Watch the action-packed video down below to see just how easy it is to make these beauties or scroll down for the step-by-step instructions and pics 😉

 

https://youtu.be/7KH_jCwtxt8

Grab a handful of airdry clay and knead it. Kneading removes air bubbles and makes it more pliable and easier to shape or join.

 

Place the clay on the wax paper and cover it with another piece of wax paper. Roll it out so it’s about 1/2 cm (¼”) thick.

 

Use a sharp craft knife to cut a teardrop shape in the clay. Remove the excess bits and smooth the cut edges.

 

Use your fingers to flatten the sides of the teardrop form.

 

Carefully bend the bottom edges together so they overlap a little.

 

Gently press the bottom edges together.

 

Use a toothpick to make a hole in the bottom. We’ll be adding the wire spadix here once the clay dries.

 

Bend and form the arum into shape, smoothing the clay with a little bit of water as you go.

 

Once you’re happy with the shape, drape the arum lily over an effervescent tablet bottle to cure overnight or however long it takes in your neck of the woods.

 

Seal the clay arum with one or two coats of clear matt varnish or craft paint.

 

Making the wire spadix and adding a stem

If you’ve seen the tattooed wall art we shared a few weeks back, you’ll know how much I enjoy combining wire and clay. The wire adds a quirky factor to the whole look, which I love. The clay arums are also ideal for using up any jewelry wire scraps you’ve saved. To make the spadix, cut a length of wire about 30 cm (12″) long. Wrap one end of the wire around a skewer or pencil and curl it down and around the skewer until it’s the right length.

 

Remove the curled wire from the skewer and pull it slightly apart. Twist the bottom of the wire spadix so it goes straight down.

 

You should end up with something like this.

 

Jewelry wire is really soft and won’t hold the weight of the arums on its own, so we need to strengthen the stems with some galvanized wire.

 

Measure how long you want the stem to be a cut a piece of galvanized wire. Insert the straight edge of the wire spadix in the arum lily hole.

 

Place the galvanized wire next to the spadix stalk and wrap the two wires together with florist tape.

 

Pop the clay arum lilies with wire spadix in a pretty vase.

 

Not bad for a few minutes of rolling clay and wire 😀

 

What do you think?

 

Do you like the addition of a wire spadix to the arum lily?

 

If you like the idea of creating making clay arums with wire spadix, don’t forget to pin it for later.

 

Sharing is caring 😀

 

Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉

Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.