When it comes to basic crafting supplies, one of our very favourite things to work with ever since we were kids has always been clay. Of course, now we try to make things that are a little more decorative and maybe even useful than the animal statues we mostly created then, but the joy we feel when we mould something from scratch is the same! Lately, we’ve been feeling the urge to make clay dishes, so we’ve had our eyes peeled for all kinds of suggestions and tutorials to get us started.
Check out this list featuring 15 of the very best ideas, designs, and tutorials we’ve come across so far in our search!
1. Marbled clay ring dishes
Whether you’ve made things fro clay before or not, here’s an awesomely colourful technique that beginners and experienced clay lovers alike will basically always get a kick out of! Take a better look at A Beautiful Mess to see how they created these lovely little ring dishes with a marbled effect by swirling several different colours of clay together and then painting the rims gold.
2. Polka dotted clay dishes
Do you love the idea of making little clay ring dishes, maybe even with gold rims like you saw above, but you’re just not sure you’re ready for clay marbling even though you still want to add colour? Then we think you might get along a little better with this tutorial from Jenna Goodrich that suggests painting and polka dotting the insides of the bowls instead
3. Dry painted clay bowl
Perhaps you’ve already made a simple, neat clay bowl for holding your accessories and now you’re just trying to figure out how you’d like to decorate it? Well, just in case you’d prefer a look that’s a little more stylishly weathered than polka dots, here’s another method of painting your dried clay. Homey Oh My suggests dabbing some of the paint off of your brush before you put it to the bowl so that the bristles leave their texture across the surface.
4. DIY watercolour clay bowl
Just in case you’re still loving the metallic edged ring bowl idea that you’ve seen so much of so far but you’re not convinced by any of the colour adding and painting techniques or visual effects yet, here’s another alternative for your consideration! We adore the way Craftberry Bush used their watercolour painting techniques to add a beautiful wash of shades to the inner surface.
5. Spiralled clay ring dish
Smoothed clay surfaces aren’t the only kind you can make when it comes to creating clay dishes! Just in case you’re looking for something a little more handmade or rustic in its aesthetic, here’s a great tutorial from Bliss Makes that shows you how to make bowls using a spiralling technique instead, letting the lines of where the clay meets itself show like a pattern.
6. DIY tropical leaf clay bowl
Perhaps you’d rather play with shapes rather than with colours because you’ve always been more of a clay moulding fan than a hand painting fan? In that case, we have a feeling this lovely leaf shaped dishes that require a bit of tracing and cutting might be a little more up your alley. Get the full details for making them on Cool DIY Decor.
7. Hand moulded, air dried bowls with painted insides
Are you actually quite new to the game when it comes to making things from clay but you’re still very intrigued by the idea of making yourself a simple ring or accessories dish? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a better look at the way Alice & Lois made this much simpler version with a singular colour painted on the inside of each bowl.
8. DIY stamped pattern clay bowls
Rather than just adding visual texture to your bowl, would you much rather add an actual texture to your bowl in some way, like so many professionally made clay pieces have? In that case, we think you’ll get a real kick out of the way Gathering Beauty did some textured ink stamping on flattened clay and then moulded it into a bowl so the texture appears on the inside surface.
9. Scallop edged clay jewelry dishes
Perhaps you really like the idea of adding texture to your bowls but you’re also a love of aesthetics that are slightly more minimalist than an all-over pattern really gives you? Then maybe these little dishes that only feature texture around the rim will appeal to you a little more! Check out how Hello Glow added a scalloped edge like a frill and then painted it gold.
10. Quote painted heart shaped clay dishes
Maybe you’re kind of loving the idea of both hand painting your dish and giving its edge some shape but you’re having trouble choosing which route you’d like to go? Well, who ever said you have to choose? We really appreciate the way Dream Designs DIY made their little ring dishes in the shape of a heart and painting them with background shades and gold details or patterns.
11. DIY clay fruit bowls from scratch
If you’re going to go to the trouble of not only making a clay dish from scratch but also painting it, would you much rather add some colour into the mix? Well, if you’ve ever loved how cheerful fruit themed things can be, then we think these adorable hand painted clay fruit bowls outlined step by simple step on Makoccino might be rather appealing to you!
12. Texture stamped and rough edged clay bowls
Just in case you’re still thinking about the idea of stamped texture but you’d also interested in a slightly rougher, more intentionally handmade look, here’s a tutorial that might suit you a little better! Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails shows you how to press different shapes into your clay and how to make a stylishly roughened edge. We actually made these bowls with our kids and they had a total blast moulding, pressing, and painting them.
13. Child’s handprint clay dish
Now that we’ve mentioned the idea of getting your kids involved in the crafting process when it comes to moulding clay dishes, are you intrigued enough to wonder what else they might make with you in that department? Then we think you’re going to love the Simple As That had their kids trace their hands onto flattened clay, cut the shape out, and curved it up like the new clay hand is holding the jewelry they put inside once it dried!
14. Leaf imprint bowls
Has your favourite suggestion on the whole list so far actually been the idea of making a clay leaf bowl but you’d much prefer to mimic the shape of a real leaf rather than just drawing, printing, or tracing one? Then Urban Comfort has just the tutorial for you! They show you how to trace the shape of an actual leaf perfectly and curve the resulting shape up into a dish.
15. Square, pinched corner trinket dish
We’ve shown you quite a number of shapes by now when it comes to moulding your dish but what if you were hoping for something a little less circular and tracing shapes doesn’t interest you much? Then we’d be willing to bet that you might get along a little better with this rectangular dish from Swoon-worthy that features a clay marbled colouring and pinched corners.
Have you made other kinds of awesomely shaped clay dishes before that you were very happy with indeed but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about what you created and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!
