DIY Home Decor | Phases of the Moon Art

| WHAT YOU NEED |

Clay / Cutter / Sandpaper / Paint / Frame / Glue Gun

| HOW YOU MAKE THEM |

There is a little time dedicated to this DIY - mainly 'waiting to dry' time, but the actual making part is completed in a couple of hours.  I staggered this make across a week as a WIP to complete in sections.

The first stage is cutting your clay 'moons'.  I rolled out some white air dry clay to 0.5cm thickness and cut 8 circles using a jar lid.  Remove the excess, transfer your clay to a sunny spot and leave to dry for at least 24 hours - remember to turn the clay at fairly regular intervals to prevent any warping or curling at the edges.

When completely dry, smooth the edges and sides with fine grain sandpaper.  You can smooth the surface too, but I loved the bobbly finish the clay gave, all adding to the moon appearance:

I decided on a [rather unsurprising] colour palette of white, grey, silver and gold for my moons - white for the phase, grey and silver for the sky and gold for the moon detail.  I googled some images and used them as my phase guide to paint the relevant sections of each circle to show the moon and sky with a couple of coats and then left to dry completely:

I then added some detail to the sky, making as much mess as I could by adding some silver paint to a dry brush, removing the excess and then quickly using my finger to flick the paint over the grey paint.  Vary the distance away from the clay to create smaller and larger speckled stars:

To create a similar effect for the moon, trace the moon/sky lines with pencil and paper to create paper covers and protect the already painted sections.  I then used gold paint to create a speckled surface:

To create a little depth and consistency, I then marked the full moon with some larger details, made with the handle of the brush, and then created the same details on the two corresponding moon faces:

When complete and dry, you can protect and seal your moons with a coat of clear varnish [I use a spray for a fine, even coat.  Then you can display your moon phases.  I opted for a simple linear design, but you could arrange your phases in a circle, or even display as a hanging.
My frame is from IKEA, and I removed the glass to create a box frame effect, simply arranging and securing my moon phases in place with a glue gun:

Ready to display!

You can easily match the colours of this DIY to your space and decor.  I'm not completely sure I will leave this as it is - I think a thin border in colour and maybe a 'phases de la lune' in handwriting would lift it a little......

see you next time x

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