How to Make Clay Christmas Bag Charms (Gingerbread, Peppermint, and a Mini Wreath)

Clay charms are a small, satisfying way to add a handmade touch to a bag, a set of keys, or a gift tag. This guide walks through three simple Christmas designs: a gingerbread person, a peppermint swirl, and a mini holly wreath. Each one starts with a few colors of polymer clay and ends with a charm that clips on in seconds.

You do not need sculpting skills to make these. Basic shapes, a cookie cutter, and a few tiny details are enough, and the finished pieces are light enough to hang from a zipper pull or a purse strap. I’ll also show you how to stack the three together into one charm.

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What You Will Need

• Polymer clay in holiday colors: a FIMO Soft clay set of 12 colors that includes white, Indian red, tropical green, and caramel for the gingerbread.
• Acrylic clay roller: a clear acrylic roller for rolling the clay to an even thickness.
• Mini Christmas cookie cutters: this 15-piece cutter set includes a small gingerbread person.
• Clay tool set: a 27-piece tool kit with dotting stylus tools and a metal needle tool for holes and details.
• Eye pins: gold eye pins to set into each charm before baking so it can hang.
• Jump rings: 6mm gold jump rings to connect each charm to the next one.
• Lobster clasp keychain hardware: gold swivel clasps with key rings, the part that clips onto a bag or keys.
• Small pliers: a jewelry pliers set for opening jump rings and trimming pins.
• Parchment paper: parchment sheets to bake the charms on.
• Water-based gloss glaze: Sculpey Gloss Glaze for a shiny finish on the peppermint and the wreath berries.

Before You Start

Wash your hands and wipe your work surface so light colors stay clean. Warm each piece of clay in your hands and knead it until it is soft and bends without cracking. Work with white and light colors first, and wipe your hands between colors.

Baking times and temperatures vary by brand, so follow the directions printed on your clay package. Bake in a well-ventilated space and use a dedicated oven tray or a tile that you do not use for food.

Charm 1: Gingerbread Person

1. Roll the caramel clay to about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Press the gingerbread cutter straight down, then lift it away and ease the clay out gently so the shape holds.
3. Smooth any rough edges with a fingertip.
4. Roll tiny balls of white clay for the buttons and a thin snake for the icing smile and the cuffs. Press them on lightly. A tiny red bow tie adds a festive finishing touch.
5. Push an eye pin into the top of the head until only the loop shows.

Charm 2: Peppermint Swirl

1. Roll one thin snake of red clay and one of white clay, both the same length and thickness.
2. Lay them side by side and twist them together, then roll the twisted rope gently to smooth it.
3. Coil the rope into a flat spiral, starting from the center, and press the layers lightly together.
4. Roll the spiral flat with your roller, just once, so the red and white stripes show clearly.
5. Trim the edge with a round cutter if you want a clean circle, then set an eye pin at the top.

Charm 3: Mini Holly Wreath

1. Roll a green snake about the thickness of a pencil and join the ends to make a small ring.
2. Pinch small balls of green clay into flat teardrop leaves and mark a center vein on each one with the needle tool.
3. Press the leaves around the ring, overlapping them slightly so no ring shows through.
4. Roll three tiny red balls and press them together at the bottom of the wreath for the berries.
5. Set an eye pin into the top of the wreath.

Bake and Finish

1. Place all three charms on parchment paper on a baking tray.
2. Bake following your clay package directions, then let the charms cool completely before touching them.
3. Brush a thin coat of water-based gloss glaze over the peppermint and the berries. Let it dry fully.

Assemble the Charm Stack

Use the pliers to open a jump ring, slide on the eye pin loop of one charm, and close the ring. Link the three charms in a row with jump rings, then attach the top charm to the lobster clasp.

For a balanced look, put the largest charm, the gingerbread person, at the bottom and let the lighter peppermint hang above it. Clip the finished stack to a tote handle, a zipper pull, or a set of keys.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Fingerprints: smooth the surface with a fingertip dipped lightly in baby oil or hand lotion before baking.
• Cracks after baking: this usually means the clay was not conditioned enough. Knead longer next time.
• Charm feels too heavy: roll the clay a little thinner or make a smaller version of the shape.
• Colors look dull: a coat of gloss glaze brings the red and green back.

Give Them as Gifts

Clip a single charm onto a gift bag handle or loop it through ribbon on a wrapped present. Three charms on a keychain also make a sweet small gift for teachers, coworkers, or a friend. If you enjoy making charms, you might also like these Christmas beaded bag charms, and if you want to try another clay project, polymer clay earrings use many of the same techniques.