Geometric clay finials

Geometric shapes are a big trend in decor at the moment, and I wanted to bring a geometric touch to my bedroom makeover. These quick and easy chunky funky finials are a perfect finishing touch to a curtain pole in any room, and can be made in varying colours, sizes or shapes.

I thought of making finials from wooden cubes, but I didn’t have any wood so I reached for the clay instead!

There are a lot of steps to this project, but it's really quite simple!

You'll need two or three normal-sized packs of polymer clay. I had a huge pack of doll-making Fimo, so I used some of that.

1. Take any colour of clay, and condition it well (squeeze and roll it around in your hands until it is uniform and non-crumbly).

2. Roll two large balls of clay of equal size, about the size that you would like the finials to be.

3. Use your hands to shape each ball into a rough cube shape.

4. Use a piece of perspex or other flat object to press each side of the cube against the tile or other flat surface you are working on. It’s helpful to use something clear so you can see what’s happening.

5. Continue rotating the cube so each of the sides is upwards, and pressing down. You’ll need to press a few times on each of the sides, and the corners of the cube will begin to fill out. The corners don't have to be perfect, as you will be cutting them off!

6. Form the hole using an object of the same diameter as the curtain pole or slightly larger. Gently press and rotate it so you don’t deform the cube shape. Make the hole slightly larger in diameter than it needs to be.

7. Chill the cubes in the fridge for half an hour to make the clay less squishy.

8. With a very sharp blade, cut the corners off the cubes. Start about halfway down an edge, and hold the blade at an angle as shown.

9. Bake the clay according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and leave to cool thoroughly.

10. Use wet and dry paper to wet sand any faces that are not smooth.

11. Put each finial on the end of a piece of dowel, pencil, or similar object, and spray paint it the colour you desire. Either match or contrast with your curtain pole. Leave to dry thoroughly.

12. Attach to the curtain pole. Use blu-tack if you want them to be easily removable, or hot glue to make them more secure.

I spray-painted mine with chrome effect paint to match the curtain poles at my bedroom window and on my wardrobe.

You can make different shapes depending on how much clay you cut off each corner, and you can make them regular shaped or a bit more irregular. You could use a similar technique to make candle holders, light pulls, or ornaments.