How to Make an Air Dry Clay Tray

Learn how to make an air dry clay tray with flowers from the garden. It's really easy and makes a nice statement in your home.

A long time ago I took a clay class with my older sister at The Penn View Art Center. The center was run by, Sr. Edith Nemeth from the neighboring Divine Redeemer motherhouse.

Sr. Edith was a wonderful person, always smiling and sharing her love of ceramics, painting, and other art forms. She received her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University and loved to share her knowledge with others. Sadly she passed away in 2013. I know those whose lives she touched will remember her always.

One of the projects we made in the clay class was a decorative tray or bowl. Today I'm sharing a similar idea in remembrance of Sr. Edith. Since I don't own a kiln (but that would be so fun,) or have access to one, I'm working with air dry clay. This is very similar to the trinket jewelry dish I made. However, it uses polymer clay.

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Making a Handmade Clay Tray

Step 1. The first thing you need to do is work the clay to distribute the moisture and soften the clay.

Step 2. Use a clay roller or an old rolling pin to roll out the clay on some wax paper. This one is rolled out about 1/4 inch thick. 

Step 3. Cut and smooth the edges to make a more perfect shape or leave it rough, as I did.

Step 4. Next, pick some flowers or branches from your garden. Wash and dry the plant material and gently press them into the clay.

This lavender left a beautiful imprint.

Step 5. Cover the clay with another piece of wax paper on top and then flip it over onto a bowl or basket as shown here.

Step 6. Allow the clay to dry. After a day or two, the tray should be dry enough to remove.

Step 7. Use craft paints or paint pens to fill in indentations from the blossoms and leaves.

Note: If you want to remove the texture and rough spots use some sandpaper to sand them away before you paint the piece.

Step 8. Let the paint dry and then apply a coat of polyacrylic for protection and a nice glaze finish. I used one with a satin finish but you can also use a matte or gloss finish.

We currently are using this clay dish as a place to toss keys, mail, and loose change. It is very rustic. The edges are rough and the sides could have been more even but you get the idea.

Use your own creative sense to make it as perfect or as rough as you like.

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