DIY Fall clay dishes

Have you pulled out all your fall decor yet and started decorating? I know I have 🙋🏻‍♀️, but with a looooot of new additions, some handmade and some store-bought! What are your plans?

For starters, here are two simple autumn-themed clay dishes to make. You could use them as trinket dishes to hold your little jewelry or as tea light candle holders (how cute!!). I made two, one in the shape of a maple leaf and another one, a pumpkin! What screams Fall than these two? Autumn leaves and pumpkin spice! Am I right? I printed out a template to make the maple leaf dish and freehanded the pumpkin. You can get creative and make them in any shape you like, any size! These would also make great autumn gifts!

What we need:

Polymer clay – Sculpey
Clay rolling pin
X-Acto knife / regular knife
Parchment/baking paper
Acrylic colors
Maple leaf template. I used this.
Pumpkin template
A real leaf with veins (optional)
Sculpey Glaze (optional)

Let’s do it:

Roll out the clay until soft on a piece of parchment paper about half a cm thick.
Place your leaf template or a real leaf on it and roll out on the template with a little pressure.
Cut around the outside the template; thank me later for this ASMR moment.
Next, place the real (cleaned) leaf over the clay, vein side down, and press on the veins. This process imprints the clay with the veins to give it a realistic look. This step is optional.
For a dish/bowl shape – place the cut leaf along with parchment paper on another bowl – it will bend a little.

Bake the clay according to the instructions on the clay packaging.
Once baked, let it cool.
If there are any rough edges or surfaces, sand them with sandpaper.
Repeat the same process for the pumpkin.
Paint the dishes!! I mixed a mustard color for the maple leaf and orange for the pumpkin.

Once the paint is dry, add the glaze to seal the dish and the paint. It also adds a shine to the dish.
If you want to hang them on the wall, add a hoop with a thread and hot glue

They are the perfect size to hold your rings, studs, and bracelets by your bedside or on the vanity! Let me know what shape you plan to make and share the ideas with me