gifted · your materials list

everything you need for all four gifts

one page, every item, with links next to each one. tick things off as you go - it remembers for you.

the honest number: around £50 if your cupboard is completely empty, and a fair bit less if you've already got paint and brushes. that's not £50 you use up - the gifts use a fraction of it, and clay comes in big blocks. you're really buying a little craft cupboard, and most of it will still be on the shelf in december.

buy as you go if you like. week one only needs the clay, the paints, the brushes, the mod podge and the magnets. nothing needs ordering months ahead - just have each week's things in the house by the monday.

already got it? skip it. a kitchen rolling pin is a rolling pin. a butter knife is a clay knife. the "from around the house" list at the bottom is the stuff nobody needs to buy.

every week week 1 · air dry clay week 2 · sewing week 3 · polymer clay week 4 · embossing around the house

hobbycraft amazon uk us from home

used every week

buy once

paints, brushes and mod podge

these three do all four gifts. if you own any acrylics, a couple of brushes and a pot of pva, you're already done.

acrylic paint seta basic set is all you need - twelve colours is plenty. nothing fancy, it's going on clay, not canvas. the ones linked come with brushes, so you may not need the next item at all. hobbycraft amazon uk us
paint brushesa cheap set with one flat and one small round in it is all you need. skip it if your paint set came with brushes. hobbycraft amazon uk us
mod podge gloss, 236mlseals the week one frame, glues the napkins down in week three and does the bonus makes. one pot goes on for years. if you want the fanciest finish, decoart triple thick gloss is lovely - and pva works fine too, it's not that deep. hobbycraft amazon uk us
optional: decoart triple thick gloss glazethe glass-like upgrade for the frame. completely optional - mod podge does the job. amazon uk us

week 1 · from 19 october

air dry clay

diy photo frames

the sentimental opener. we make the frames on the monday, let them dry, and paint them together in the live q&a once they're ready.

white air dry clay, 1kgdas is the one. one block does the frame with loads to spare. hobbycraft amazon uk us
a rolling pin, a butter knife and a cocktail stickthat's the whole toolkit. baking paper underneath so it doesn't stick to the table. from home
a photo that means somethingfor the person you're making it for. printed, so it's ready to go in. from home
self-adhesive magnetsthe frame lives on the fridge. sticky-backed magnetic dots, or a sticky magnetic sheet you snip into little squares - you'll use three or four per frame, so one pack does the whole household. hobbycraft amazon uk us
the frame templatea printable shape to trace, so there's nothing to measure. it's in your week one email - print it at 100% and cut it out. from us

week 2 · from 26 october

sewing

hand sewn fabric coasters

soft, padded flower coasters they'll actually use every day. sewn inside out and turned, so the seam hides and the edge comes out neat. hand sewing only - if you can tie a knot, you're in.

cotton fabric - a small fat quarter bundlea fat quarter is a ready-cut piece about the size of a tea towel. we make two coasters in the tutorial, so two or three pieces is plenty - or raid the scrap bag. old shirts and pillowcases are perfect. hobbycraft amazon uk us
thread, needles and small scissorsa little sewing kit covers all three. the seam hides inside the coaster, so any thread works. if you fancy a stitched edge to finish, a bit of embroidery thread in a contrast colour looks lovely - optional. hobbycraft amazon uk us
iron-on waddinga fusible fleece that irons onto the back of the fabric and gives the coaster its squish. half a metre does a whole set with plenty spare. hobbycraft amazon uk us
scissors, a pencil, an iron and something pointysharp scissors for snipping between the petals - the small ones in the sewing kit are ideal. the iron fuses the wadding and presses the finished flower flat. a chopstick or knitting needle pokes the petals out once it's turned. from home
the flower templatea printable shape to trace, so every petal matches. it's in your week two email - print it at 100% and cut it out. from us

week 3 · from 2 november

polymer clay

polymer clay egg tray

baked in your normal oven, then finished with a pattern from a paper napkin and a glossy seal - it comes out looking like it's from a shop. no kiln, no special anything.

white polymer clay - one big blockwhite only - the napkin does the colour. one big block of fimo soft (the 454g / 1lb one) does the tray with plenty left for the bonus makes. any brand that says "oven-bake" will do - in the us, sculpey is the one you'll see everywhere. hobbycraft amazon uk us
decorative paper napkinsthis is the pattern. any printed napkin you love - florals, gingham, a bit of christmas. one pack does several trays, and the supermarket ones are fine. amazon uk us or the supermarket
an egg cartonthe supermarket kind. it's the mould for the egg cups - the clay gets shaped over it, so save one from this week's shop. from home
a rolling pin, a knife, a baking tray and baking paperit bakes at a normal oven temperature. the paper stops it sticking and going shiny on the bottom. the mod podge from the top of the page glues the napkin on and seals it. from home

week 4 · from 9 november

embossing

metal match box case

the showstopper. an embossed metal sleeve for a box of matches - far easier than it has any right to look, and the cheapest week by a mile.

aluminium foil food traysyes, the takeaway kind. the flat base is exactly the right thickness to emboss - we cut it out and use it as our metal sheet. a pack does a whole set of cases. amazon uk us or the supermarket
optional: real embossing sheetsif you'd rather buy the craft version - thin aluminium sheets made for this, in silver or gold. nicer to work with, and they cost a bit more. amazon uk us
something to emboss withthe end of a pen or a pencil. that's it. a ballpoint that's run out is the dream tool. from home
a box of matchesstandard household size - the case is made to fit it, and the matches are part of the gift. any shop
something soft to press on, and an old pair of scissorsa mouse mat, a folded tea towel or a magazine underneath, or the design won't show. metal blunts scissors, so not your good ones. from home

bonus makes · unlock at the end of week four

polymer clay

polaroid holders + christmas wine stoppers

a little well done for finishing - they land after week four and they're yours to keep. both use your week three clay and mod podge, and anything extra will be in the email when they unlock. nothing to buy now.

from around the house

none of this needs buying. have it to hand on the day and you're sorted.

a rolling pin (or a bottle)
a butter knife and a cocktail stick
baking paper and a baking tray
a small bowl of water and an old cloth
scissors, and an old pair for metal
a ruler and a pencil
a pen that's run out
a mouse mat or folded tea towel
a box of matches
a jam jar for brush water
a nail file, for tidying clay edges
an egg carton
an iron
a chopstick or knitting needle, for turning
a mug of tea, obviously

not sure about something? bring it to the week one q&a or pop it in the group chat - someone will have the answer, and it's usually "yes, that'll work". and if you're outside the uk and the us, search the item name on your usual site - there's nothing exotic here.

some links may be affiliate links. if you buy through one we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. it never changes what we recommend - we only link to things kit actually uses. back to gifted · terms