Girlfriends are the spice of life, right? Then add some flavor to your life and make this fun girlfriend hostess gift!

This polymer project keeps it simple with black and white salt and pepper shakers. I used three colors - white, black and translucent. (I used Fimo and found the white polymer a little stiff to work with so mixed it with the translucent.) Condition your clay. Probably the hardest part is keeping the white (mixed with translucent) - white! It seems to pick up any color remnants from your clay space/pasta roller so clean before using. Then prepare your black clay.

Apply a thin cover of polymer over your glass salt and pepper shakers. (You can get a package of several sets of these shakers at Wal-mart.) Make sure you cut around the opening so that the metal cap will fit back on. Then I made very simple canes - checkerboard and jellyroll* and applied them to the shakers. Flatten these elements (into the clay covering) or leave them dimensional. Bake per the clay guidelines then cool. You can either leave them like this or apply a glaze. Polymer glaze is available in a craft store or you can use floor wax before to add a shine and cover up any fingerprints.

Make a whole bunch of mix and match sets to have them on hand to give to your friends. Your girlfriends will love them and think of you each time they spice up their food!

* If you'd like to find out more, my creative girlfriend Donna Kato (she is a blast to hang out with!) wrote 'the book' on polymer clay - The Art of Polymer Clay AND her new book The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects - very cool!