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Happy Love Weekend!
If you take a moment to look beyond the expectations of a Patrick Swayze & Demi Moore pottery wheel of sexual tension or that lip-smacking, goose-bump-raising feeling of dried clay between your fingers, you may stumble upon a whole other hobby for that emerging post-Covid Bucket List. Whether you gather around with a group of friends or do a FaceTime date (maybe have one friend spearhead putting together a care package of materials to deliver to each other's places pre-FT call), there are countless fun & approachable projects you can create with clay!
If you’ve been interested in taking up ceramics but need a place to start or simply want to get your hands messy, air dry clay is a great touch-off point sans all the fancy gadgets and machinery. We’ve compiled a list of some great beginner-friendly clay projects that double as really forgiving, yet trendy, home decor pieces you can have fun with – on a budget!
KEY TOOLS
Although the most important tool for working with clay is your hands, here are a few others that could be helpful:
Air-Dry clay
Small rolling pin
Clay knife/butter knife
Bowl of water
Sandpaper (220)
Paint (acrylic)
Sealant/top coat (in preferred finish; i.e. glossy, flat)
Glue* (potentially to adhere different shapes together)
PAINT PALETTE + BRUSH REST
Artist friends, there are so many versions you can do of this palette and we came up with the design for ours after scrolling through a few dozen arrangements online. For example, some palettes have the optimal shape for painting standing up where the palette hooks onto your thumb; we made a simple version for watercolours.
On a clean surface we rolled out our desired shape for the palette, cutting out a piece for a lip around the edges so no water could escape. To create the paint divots we used a teaspoon to press/twist into the clay.
For the brush rest we used our tool handles (you could also use pens or markers) to crimp a strip of clay wide enough to fit our paint brushes.
Tip: Having water on standby is great for smoothing out any rough edges or areas that are cracking as the clay dries! Sometimes we do a second pass of water over the whole project after it has dried and been sanded to make the final look extra smooth!
CANDLE HOLDER
Again, there are so many options for this project because unique, organic shapes are very popular for the home at the minute. For our candle holder we combined a cube shape and glued a fingerprint-indented sphere on top for a modern feel.
Tip: Before the clay dries, try putting the base of the candle in your clay holder to make sure the fit is snug & tall enough that the candlestick won’t fall out once dried.
INCENSE VESSEL
A bit more on the time-consuming end of the projects mentioned in this post if only due to the added detail; this incense holder! This unassuming miniature house not only appears mystical when tucked into a bookshelf, but comes to life when you light an incense cone and smoke comes billowing out the chimney!
We rolled out a few strips of clay, folding them 3 times to connect the ends and create the hollow house foundation. Then we folded another strip in half to create the roof, making sure to wet the edges where the roof and base connect to adhere the clay better. We repeated a similar process for the chimney.
Tip: Make sure to leave access to/an open bottom (or removable roof) so that you can fit your cone inside easily!
RING CATCHALL
Is there anything cuter than a delicate ring catch-all? A small but sweet gift idea that will look good next to the sink, nightstand; or wherever you or your loved ones de-jewel.
Tip: To make the feet for this tiny bowl we positioned tiny wet clay beads beneath the flat edge, and then flipped it over, applying even pressure to the base of the bowl, slightly leveling the beads so that they sit flat/flush with the table. This just made the dish more sturdy!
BEADED GARLAND
The wooden bead decorative garland is popping up in many design magazines and Instagram posts alike. It may come as no surprise that shops like Crate & Barrel sell it for upwards of $40 but can be made for a fraction of the price at home. This project is great for any of the leftover bits of clay you have. Just string them together and add tassels. Bonus, this could also be used as a curtain tie!
Tip: To make perfectly symmetrical spheres try rolling the clay between your hand and a flat hard surface, making sure to poke your bead holes before the clay dries. More wobbly shapes come out when you roll the clay between your hands which is what we did for this version!
Once we’d made all of our shapes and they’d dried, we sanded each of them with a finer grit sandpaper (making sure not to use wet sandpaper because the clay won’t smooth the way we want). We then smoothed any areas with water and let that dry again before applying our paint layer(s) and finally our topcoat to make it durable.
Tip: To help fill in some cracks we thickened our acrylic paint with baking soda and then applied a second coat to even out the texture
2022 trends suggest that the love for texture, pattern and soft/warm neutrals is still going strong which makes these handmade decorative items perfect for styling the home or giving as gifts. How do you think we did? Would you make any of these or have ideas for some alternatives? Let us know in the comments!
Stay Creative,
TLA
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