Air dry clay is a fun and easy medium to work with! You can create so many creative items including this air dry clay strawberry trinket dish. It makes a sweet gift and home accent for keys, earrings and other trinkets. A quick tip: air dry clay is not food safe and cannot be immersed in water even after sealing, it’s for decorative use only. To make this trinket tray, just gather a few supplies and some air dry clay to begin creating the air dry clay strawberry trinket dish.
Supplies to Create an Air Dry Clay Trinket Dish
-Clay tools (or various plastic forks, spoons and knives, wood popsicle sticks and other items)
-Air dry clay
-Parchment paper
-A dish or tray to mold around
-Water
-Rolling pin
-Craft paints in pink, green, yellow and white
-A sealer such as Mod Podge
-Paint brushes of various size
-Sponge
Roll the Clay Flat
Place a roughly baseball size piece of air dry clay between two sheets of parchment paper and use the rolling pin to roll flat. Roll the clay until it is an approximate thickness of 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch.
Cut Out the Clay Strawberry Shapes
Once the clay is rolled out to the right thickness, remove the top piece of parchment paper and cut the Strawberry shape out.
It’s a rough triangle with a curved top or an avocado or bottom heavy egg shape. Strawberries aren’t perfect and your shape doesn’t have to be either! Use water to smooth the surface.
Cut out the top of the strawberry by cutting and oval and then notching out the bottom part to resemble the green top.
Fuse the Two Parts Together using Cross-Hatching and Slurry
Use a wire brush (or plastic fork!) to create cross-hatching on the top part of the strawberry and underside of the stem piece. Add water and keep cross-hatching until the top layer of clay becomes soft and a little gloopy. This “gloopy” material is called slurry and acts like glue in coordination with the rough surfacing of the cross-hatching to create a place the clay can bond together. Press the two pieces together firmly.
Use a popsicle stick or clay tool to press the edges of the pieces together. Use water if needed to help smooth the clay.
Add small rolled tear drop size pieces to create the strawberry “seeds” on the surface. Smooth all of the edges together and smooth the top of the strawberry when completed. You can also add a little stem if desired.
Use a Sponge to Create Texture
Dip a sponge in water and squeeze out excess. Use a light pouncing motion to create a texture on top of the strawberry,
Create a Shape in the Dish Using Another Dish
Place the air dry clay strawberry on it’s parchment paper inside of a dish or bowl for curved edges. Press the clay lightly into the dish, smoothing any marks with water. Once pressed in, let the clay dry completely in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. This usually can take anywhere from 24-35 hours depending on the water. If the clay dries too quickly it can crack (Don’t worry if your clay cracks! Just use a little wet clay to spread into the cracks and let dry before painting.).
Paint the Strawberry Air Dry Clay Tray
Now is the fun part where you get to add color! Start by painting the entire clay tray in a pink color of choice, making sure to coat the front and the back.
Once the pink paint dries, use a green paint to paint the strawberry top and stem.
After the green paint is dry, use a yellow craft paint to paint in the strawberry seeds and use white paint to add little highlights on the tops of the seeds,
Let the paint dry the seal to protect it from daily use.
Seal the Air Dry Clay Trinket Tray
Once the craft paint is completely dry, use a soft brush to seal the tray, front and back. A regular air dry clay appropriate sealer can be used, or a product like Mod Podge. A second coat may be needed. Let dry completely before using.
Once it’s dry, enjoy the tray! Then you can have fun styling and using or gifting the handmade tray! They are perfect for non-wet, non-food applications for things like earrings, keys or paperclips. Or before it’s dry, place a hole in the top and hang it for wall decor.
If you loved this air dry clay project, try making this clay wall hanging with birds!
