So today, I’m gonna make a ghostie with air dry clay that can be used as a home decoration for your house this Halloween season.

This project takes a completely different approach than my previous ones because it isn’t a tray or dish. It’s a piece of home decor without a base.

Today, I’m trying to make something new in a different shape with air dry clay as an experiment as a beginner, testing my limits after mastering trinket trays and dishes. Let’s see how it goes.

You can follow this guide with me because I’m also a beginner like you and I’m gonna share every step I took, every mistake I made and how I fixed them with easy tips and tricks. So stay with me till the end. 

There are no complex steps here because I’m just like you, someone who hates complex and expensive methods.

Let’s start making! ✨

Why I used air dry clay? 🎨

Air dry clay is considered the best beginner friendly clay type for the following reasons,

• No kiln or baking needed. 🚫🔥
• 2x or 3x cheaper than polymer clay. 💰
• Dries in the air (No oven needed). 💨
• Easy to shape and bend. 🖐️
• Easy to smooth. ✨
• This project is not a miniature one and need a lot of clay. 🧱

For all the pros and cons of air dry clay, read The Pros and Cons of Air Dry Clay: A Complete Beginner’s Guide.

Since it is not expensive, we can have fun with it as much as we want to learn new things, experiment with it and we have enough room to make mistakes and learn from them. If air dry clay is expensive, we always have to worry about our budget and we won’t try new things and we won’t learn along the journey.

Plus, this air dry clay ghost is a little bit big, so you can’t use an expensive clay type like polymer clay. Since the ghost comes in white air dry clay is the best option you should go with.

Yes, air dry clay is prone to crack and warp as it dries. But you can handle, control and avoid them by following simple tips and tricks. Don’t worry, I’ll teach them as well during this article.

If you want to know almost and everything about air dry clay, read Air Dry Clay for Beginners: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide.

Ok! Now you know why air dry clay is suitable for this ghostie. Let’s dig in! ⛏️

Supplies you’ll need 🛠️

• Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay) 
• Acrylic rolling pin 
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface) 🧘
• Small container or glass 🥛
• Aluminum foil or plastic wrap 🧻
• Clay crafting tools 🛠️
• Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife) 🔪
• Cup of water or spray bottle 💧
• Flower shape cutter or mold 🌸
• Acrylic paints (white and black) 🎨
• Gloss varnish ✨
• Paintbrushes 🖌️
• Paper towels 🧻
• A pair of scissors ✂️
• Scotch tape 🩹
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

If you can’t find any of the above tools or materials, check your kitchen drawers. You’ll find a handful of items that can be used instead of the clay tools that I mentioned above. Toothpicks, small knives, and cutting boards all are great alternatives. So use them wisely. Air dry clay needs to be budget friendly.

Air dry clay ghost tutorial video 

I have recorded everything from start to finish while making this air dry clay ghost so you can watch it and get a good idea about the flow and if you missed anything during the video, you can read them on this written tutorial as well.

Feel free to watch and make a fine Halloween ghost! 📺

Finished watching the video? Let’s have a look at the detailed written step-by-step guide.

Step by step tutorial for your air dry clay ghost 

Before you start making it, make sure to open all the windows in your room for good air circulation or shift to a well ventilated area. Air dry clay contains fine dust particles that can make you cough. I don’t want to see my people coughing during the process. Hehe.

Step 1: Conditioning and kneading the clay 

First of all take a fresh piece of clay from the package and condition it by tapping drops of water on to the clay surface.

Next knead the clay so well using pull, push and press techniques like a pizza dough.

Kneading is a must before you start anything with air dry clay because it helps to spread the moisture evenly across all the layers of the clay and releases the trapped air inside. 

Skipping the kneading step causes uneven evaporation of water and form micro cracks due to the uneven shrinkage and air pockets inside.

Knead the clay well for about 2-3 minutes until become soft enough for shaping.

Due to the warmth of our hands, the moisture we apply and the pressure we put in, the clay will become soft and comfy, which is great for making shapes and for bending.

Step 2: Rolling the clay 

Place the kneaded clay piece on your mat and start rolling to an even thickness of about ¼ inch.

Use a non stick and non porous rolling pin and mat for rolling, because when you’re rolling, the moisture inside the clay comes out and creates a vacuum like seal between the clay and the mat.

The clay sticks so well to the mat because of this seal that when you try to lift the clay up after rolling, it’ll get stuck and mostly tear apart with cracks and splits.

Therefore, when you’re choosing a mat, go for a silicone or PVC mat, which are non stick and easy to clean up.

For the rolling pin, go for an acrylic one because clay does not stick to it while you’re rolling.

If you don’t have those mats or rolling pins and are about to use wooden ones, make sure to place parchment paper between the clay and the wooden surface, and another sheet of parchment paper between the clay and the rolling pin. Basically, you have to place the clay like a sandwich while rolling to avoid it from sticking.

Avoid rolling your clay slab thinner than ¼ inch or thicker than ½ inch. Keeping the thickness strictly within this range guarantees the best results.

Why you should not roll too thin (< ¼ inch)

Rolling the clay too thin loses its structural stability. The edges of the clay slab tend to curl upward like a potato chip as the clay dries. This scenario is known as the warping of air dry clay. Here’s how to fix that!

Why you should not roll too thick (> ½ inch)

If the slab is too thick, it may take several days or even weeks to dry out fully. The outer layer dries significantly faster than the inner layers, which can cause uneven shrinkage and often leads to surface cracks.

After rolling the clay slab, smooth it out by dipping your index finger in a cup of water and gliding gently on the surface repeatedly until tiny bumps, micro cracks and tiny imperfections vanish.

Don’t forget to follow this smoothing procedure after each step from now onwards.

Step 3: Cut the shape 

I cut the shape so randomly using my X-acto knife so the edges of the ghost will be sharp. It’s not hard. You just have to cut the shape like a circle. No need to be a perfect circle.

When you’re cutting, make sure not to drag the knife horizontally across the surface because that can form torn up and split edges with cracks.

Lift the knife frequently as you cut and clean the attached small clay pieces and then start cutting again following the up and down motion.

Once you cut the shape completely, remove the excess carefully and smooth out the clay slab. 

Step 4: Detail the clay slab 

I have a flower shape mold/cutter I bought recently, so I used it to decorate the clay slab I cut with flowers.

If you don’t have a mold or cutter, try to cut those shapes manually using the X-acto knife.

Make sure to space these flower cutouts randomly across the clay slab so the light will shine through later if you use a tealight or candle.

Step 5: Drape and shape the ghost 

Next, take the small plastic container or glass and turn it upside down. Then roll the plastic wrap or aluminum foil into a ball, place it over the top, and secure it well to the container or glass using duct tape or scotch tape.

Consider this as the temporary body of our ghost. We will remove it once the clay has fully dried.

After setting that up, drape the clay slab gently over the glass and plastic form.

Next, adjust the folds at the bottom so it looks like a floating sheet.

Step 6: Detail the ghost 

Take a needle, a toothpick or a clay sculpting tool and carve out the clay from your ghost structure to make the eyes and mouth. 

Do this carefully without damaging the clay. You can soften the jagged edges using a paintbrush after dipping it in water.

Awesome friends! We have successfully crafted the air dry clay ghost. Now let it dry fully before painting.

Step 7: Allow the clay to dry 

Now let the air dry clay ghost you made dry fully for 48-72 hours in a well ventilated area.

Drying time of air dry clay depends on the thickness of your clay slab and the humidity in your area. When the humidity is high, it will take more days to dry fully because the water evaporation speed is too slow.

Never ever rush the drying process by placing it under direct sunlight, outside, or blowing out your hairdryer because that can trigger uneven shrinkage, which can result in surface cracks. Let it dry slowly.

Once the outer layer of air dry clay feels completely dry after 24 hours, you can remove the glass form to let the inner side dry properly. 

Actually, I forgot to take mine off while it was drying, but thankfully the inside still dried out fully. Lucky me! 

I think leaving the piece to dry for the complete three days likely made all the difference.

You can notice whether the clay dried fully by the color change. Wet air dry clay has a grey, off-white color, while bone dry air dry clay has a bright, pure white color.

Now it’s time to start painting our ghost.

Step 8: Paint the air dry clay ghost 

I used acrylic paint for this project because acrylics are considered the best paint for air dry clay.

Acrylic paint dries quickly within 2 hours, no need for water for mixing and preparation and makes a water resistant coating over your air dry clay project.

Apply 1-2 thin and even coats of acrylic over your air dry clay ghost in one direction and let each coat of acrylic dry for 2 hours before applying another.

I painted the whole ghost body with white and detailed the eyes and mouth with black.

After the final coat, let it dry fully for 2 hours before sealing.

Step 9: Seal the clay 

You can use Mod Podge, gloss varnish, UV resin, polyurethane varnish or epoxy resin for sealing this project. All offer water resistant or waterproofing coatings that protect your air dry clay ghost from harsh weather conditions and splashes.

Moisture weakens the clay and causes surface cracks. Therefore, sealing is essential before you keep it as home decor during this Halloween season.

I used gloss varnish for my project and it came out so good. Apply 2-3 thin and even coats and let each coat dry for 24 hours before applying another.

Gloss varnish offers a glossy ceramic look with a water resistant coating. But I made sure not to place my air dry clay ghost outside because air dry clay is not built for harsh weather elements outside even after sealing it with a top quality sealer.

Congratulations, my crafters! We have successfully made our Halloween ghost with air dry clay. Now it’s time for you to make one even better. 🎉

Final thoughts

I have described every step, tip and trick I used to achieve this spooky clay ghost in detail. You can place it on your Halloween table or gift it to someone special. 

Unique crafts like this are rare because many try to gift things that are purchased online. This is handmade with love.

If you encounter any issues while making this air dry clay ghost, don’t hesitate to mention them in the comment section or contact me through contact@clayandme.com. I’ll answer them all.

Also, if you’ve found better ways to do the above steps, please mention them as well in the comments section for the support of our clay community.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your air dry clay ghost project. I sure love to see them when you do. I’ll see you next time with another awesome project! Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Air Dry Clay Halloween Ghost Guide

Warsha

Looking for a quick, beginner-friendly summary of this project? Here is a fast breakdown of the materials, key steps, and essential details to craft your spooktacular ghostie! 👻✨

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface) 🧘

Small container or glass 🥛

Aluminum foil or plastic wrap 🧻

Clay crafting tools 🛠️

Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife) 🔪

Cup of water or spray bottle 💧

Flower shape cutter or mold 🌸

Acrylic paints (white and black) 🎨

Gloss varnish ✨

Paintbrushes 🖌️

Paper towels 🧻

A pair of scissors ✂️

Scotch tape 🩹

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

1. Condition & Knead

• Tap a few drops of water on fresh clay and knead thoroughly for 2–3 minutes to release air bubbles and prevent cracking. 🖐️

2. Roll it Out

• Roll the clay on a non-stick mat to ¼-inch thickness. Rotate and flip frequently so it doesn’t stick! 🥐

3. Cut the Circle

• Use an X-acto knife in an up-and-down motion to cut out a rough circle slab. Lift the blade to clean attached clay pieces as you cut. 🔪

4. Detail the Slab

• Press flower cutouts or patterns into the clay slab with a mold or cutter so light can shine through later. 🌸

5. Drape & Shape

• Tape a foil or plastic wrap dome to an upside-down glass. Gently drape the clay slab over it and adjust bottom folds to create floating sheet ruffles. 🥛

6. Carve Face Details

• Carve out eyes and a mouth using a needle tool or toothpick. Smooth rough edges with a wet paintbrush. 👁️

7. Slow Dry

• Let dry naturally in a well-ventilated area for 48–72 hours until bright white. Remove the inner glass form after 24 hours to help the inside dry. 💨

8. Paint & Seal

• Apply 1–2 coats of white acrylic paint on the body and black for the eyes and mouth. Once dry, seal with 2–3 coats of gloss varnish to protect against moisture! ✨🎨

In this article, you’ll learn why keeping a good thickness is important when making anything with air dry clay.

I misplanned the thickness of my Halloween bat decor tray and it was cracked so badly as the clay dried. But luckily I was able to make some adjustments and change that into a Halloween cat decor tray.

So, I’m gonna deeply explain what went wrong and why you should not be like me when it comes to planning the thickness of your clay craft, especially when you plan to hollow out the clay.

You won’t find this type of article from experts, because they rarely make mistakes, and even if they do, they won’t publish them on the internet. Since I’m a beginner, this is also a part of my journey to become a good clay artist. So, here I am for a confession.

Let’s dig in!

What went wrong in this project ❌

As I told you earlier, I misplanned the thickness of this project when rolling the clay slab. Generally, a ¼-inch thickness is ideal for an air dry clay project to prevent the clay from warping and cracking as it dries.

But in this project, even though I rolled the clay slab to a ¼-inch thickness, I hollowed the clay out to give it a tray shape by making the tray base and the tray rim.

That’s exactly where I made the mistake. If you plan to hollow or carve out the clay during the process, make the clay slab at least ½-inch thick, not ¼-inch. When you’re hollowing out the clay, the thickness reduces and the final thickness will be ⅛-inch, which is too thin and can cause cracks as the clay dries due to shrinkage.

This is a highly important factor, especially when you’re making a tray as I did, because you can either attach the tray rim separately to the ¼-inch thick tray base, or you should make the tray base ½-inch thick and carve out the tray base until it reaches a ¼-inch thickness to make the tray rim.

Keep that in mind to prevent your clay tray from cracking like mine. If I had rolled the tray base ½-inch thick instead of ¼-inch, my tray wouldn’t have cracked and been ruined as the clay dried. Or I should have attached the tray rim separately to the ¼-inch thick tray base. Simple as that!

Everything else went smoothly with no mistakes.

Now let me show you the complete process of how I made the Halloween bat tray and how I turned it into a Halloween cat tray. 🦇🐱

Supplies you’ll need 🛠️

• Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)
• Clay crafting tools
• Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)
• Cup of water or spray bottle
• Acrylic paints
• Gloss varnish
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• A pair of scissors
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

If you couldn’t find any of the above items, please check your kitchen drawers. There are many tools that can be used as clay sculpting tools instead of purchasing clay sculpting tool sets when you’re starting out.

An air dry clay crafting hobby needs to be budget-friendly and should not drain your wallet. 💡

Turn a broken air dry clay bat tray into cute Halloween cat decor tutorial video

I have recorded everything starting from fresh clay, sculpting the Halloween bat tray, how it cracked as the clay dried, and how I wisely turned that into Halloween cat decor.

Feel free to watch, avoid the mistake I made, and make a fine Halloween bat tray! 📺

Finished watching the video? Let’s have a look at the detailed written step-by-step guide. 📝

Sculpting the Halloween bat tray (The original plan) 🎨

Before starting the project, make sure to go to a well-ventilated area or open all the windows in your workspace because air dry clay contains fine dust that can cause breathing issues. Or wear a mask while working with the clay.

Step 1: Conditioning and kneading the clay

1. Unbox the package and cut a big chunk of a fresh piece of clay.
2. Tap the clay surface with a little bit of water for conditioning the clay.
3. Knead the clay well by pushing, pulling and pressing the clay like you’re making a pizza dough.
4. Knead for 3-5 minutes with a little bit of water until the clay becomes soft enough for shaping.

Air-dry clay already consists of a lot of moisture and air bubbles inside. But they have spread randomly, and as the clay dries, the water starts to evaporate unevenly.

Air-dry clay shrinks as it dries and it is uncontrollable. But we can control whether it shrinks evenly or unevenly because uneven shrinkage causes surface cracks.

When you knead the clay well, moisture spreads evenly across all the layers of the air dry clay, which avoids uneven shrinkage as the clay dries. This helps the clay not to crack as it dries.

So, kneading is a must before you start making any project with air dry clay.

When you keep kneading, your palms will feel it getting softer and softer. When it reaches a certain level of softness, you can move on to the rolling step.

Step 2: Rolling the clay

This is where I misplanned. I didn’t think I needed to hollow out the clay in a later step and plan the thickness of the clay slab accordingly.

I rolled my clay slab to a ¼-inch thickness, which was not enough because I was about to hollow out the clay to make the tray rim in a later step.

So, if you plan to make the tray rim by hollowing or carving the clay out from the rolled clay slab, make sure to roll the clay slab to at least a ½-inch thickness. Then you can carve ¼-inch from it and the remaining ¼-inch tray base is enough to remain stable against warping and the shrinkage of the clay with no cracks.

But if you’re willing to attach the tray rim as an attachment to the tray base by making it separately, roll the clay slab to an even ¼ inch thickness as I did.

Don’t be like me friends. Plan ahead to avoid your piece from getting ruined.

So, if you plan to hollow out the clay as I gonna do here, follow below steps when rolling,

1. Roll the clay to an even thickness of ½ inch.
2. Roll the whole clay slab evenly.
3. Smooth out the clay slab.

Use a non-stick rolling pin and a non-stick mat for rolling your clay slab.

I recommend an acrylic rolling pin and a silicone or PVC mat to prevent your clay from sticking as you roll.

Also, make sure to turn, flip, and rotate the clay slab while you’re rolling to prevent it from sticking, even if you use non-stick materials, because as we roll, the moisture inside the clay is released and forms a high amount of a tiny vacuum-like seal between the clay slab and your mat. When you try to lift the clay slab, it may tear apart due to the grip between the mat and the clay.

When you continually change the clay position while rolling, it gets no chance to create a vacuum-like seal with the surface, and you’ll get a nice and smooth surface with no tears.

Here’s how you should smooth out the clay slab,

1. Dip your index finger in a cup of water.
2. Gently glide your wet index finger over the clay slab repeatedly.
3. Repeat the gliding until small bumps, micro-cracks, and tiny imperfections vanish.

Follow this smoothing procedure after each step to result in a nice and clean surface.

Step 3: Making the paper template

I used the paper template method to get the exact shape of a bat because freehand cutting can result in many errors.

1. First, Google “Halloween bat 2D outline shape”.
2. Select an image.
3. Take a black-and-white printout of it on an A4 paper.
4. Cut along the outlines carefully, and your paper template is done.

If you already have a bat-shaped mold or cutter, use that instead of this paper template method.

Step 4: Tracing and cutting the bat shape on the clay slab

1. Place the bat paper template on your rolled clay slab.
2. Trace along the outline carefully with a clay tracing tool or toothpick.
3. Remove the paper template.
4. Cut along the traced lines using the X-acto knife to get the bat tray base as the result.
5. Smooth out the bat-shaped clay slab following the procedure I taught earlier.

If you don’t have an X-Acto knife, use a pocket knife.

Lift the knife while you cut and clean the attached clay particles regularly to get nice, smooth, and sharp edges.

Awesome, friend! You have successfully made the tray base. 🎉

Step 5: Hollowing out the clay slab to make the tray rim

1. Mark and map the areas you need to carve in the bat wings using a toothpick or clay tracing tool.
2. Carve and hollow out the clay evenly everywhere using the clay carving tool to about ¼-inch deep.
3. Smooth out the hollowed out spaces.

Make sure not to scoop too deep, because you might accidentally hit the bottom and damage the tray. Plus, if the bottom is too thin, it might crack and tear when you try to lift the tray up or when drying due to shrinkage.

Finally, smooth the inside of the carved wells using your fingers to give them a more polished look with no damp air dry clay particles inside.

Now we have successfully sculpted the tray base and the tray rim of the bat tray.

Identifying the fail 🧐

Step 6: Letting it dry

Now let the bat tray dry for 48–72 hours in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area.

Let the project dry slowly to avoid rapid water evaporation and uneven shrinkage of the clay, which can cause surface cracking.

As I mentioned earlier, this was the step where I identified my failure. Since I didn’t make the tray base ½-inch thick, it lost its stability as I was hollowing out the clay to make the tray rim.

As a result of that, the clay started to crack as it dried due to shrinkage.

I should not have gone with the ¼-inch thickness for the tray base.

Since you planned for a ½-inch thick base, you have nothing to worry about even when the clay dries after you hollow out the clay to make the tray rim.

After letting your project dry completely, check for any grey patches. Grey patches mean the air dry clay is still wet, and you need to let it dry more until it becomes pure white, which is the significant color of a fully dried air dry clay project.

My hours of work were ruined because I didn’t get the thickness right. I was thinking for a few minutes and came up with an idea.

Turning a broken Halloween bat into a Halloween cat 🐈‍⬛

Step 7: Spotting the cat silhouette

I had an “aha!” moment looking at the cracked bat shape. The body of the bat was not damaged or cracked. 💡

Have you ever noticed that the body of a bat is similar to a cat? I have noticed that. The shape was almost the same.

So basically, bats are like cats with wings, lol. 🦇🐱

Bat’s ears perfectly mimic cat ears, and the round body serves as a great base for a sitting cat.

I didn’t think twice, started to treat it as a cat and worked on it.

“Every cloud has a silver lining”

Step 8: Sanding for a smooth edge

I didn’t have sandpaper, so I used a clay tool and sanded the cracked edge of the bat body to make it sharp and smooth.

I sanded the jagged, broken edges where the wings used to be well to make the shape look more like a cat’s body.

If you’ve got sandpaper (if you, too, faced a sad situation like me), use a fine-grit one to avoid damaging the piece.

Sand along one direction and clean the surface after you’re done to get rid of fine air dry clay dust.

Step 9: Painting the Halloween cat 🖌️

I used acrylic paint because it is one of the best paints for air dry clay projects.

Acrylics come in vivid colors, dry quickly, require no water for mixing, provide a glossy finish, and create a water-resistant coating over air dry clay, which helps to protect your clay projects from outside moisture.

Apply 2–3 even coats in one direction and let each coat dry for 2 hours before applying another.

First, I painted the whole cat body with a black color because it is a Halloween craft. 🖤

Next, I detailed the eyes, ears, mouth, and legs with a white color.

Finally, let the project dry for 2 hours before sealing.

Step 10: Sealing the cat

I used gloss varnish for sealing because it offers a glossy, ceramic-like finish and, most importantly, makes a water-resistant coating that protects air dry clay projects from moisture and weather elements.

Or you can use polyurethane varnish, UV resin, or epoxy resin for a glass-like finish.

Apply 2–3 thin and even coats in one direction to avoid forming tacky spots and a mushy core.

After the final coat, let the sealer dry for 24 hours to dry and cure. ⏳

Congratulations, crafters! We have successfully completed the Halloween bat—sorry, Halloween cat decor. 👏

Final thoughts 💭

Even though I had to be satisfied with the Halloween clay cat, I desperately need you to succeed in making the Halloween bat with the procedure given, right?

Make sure to plan the project ahead and get the ideal thickness as I said.

In this Halloween season, you can display it in your home as decor and gift it to someone to make them happy. 🎁

If you find out any further tips, tricks, and mistakes you made and learned how to fix, make sure to comment them down below, because as a community, sharing is caring.

Now it’s time to start making yours!

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your Halloween bat or cat. I’d love to see your Halloween project. I’ll see ya with another awesome project. Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Halloween Black Cat Craft with Air Dry Clay 🐾

Warsha

If you're in a rush or just want a quick refresher without re-reading the whole story, don't worry! I've put together a handy summary card below with all the key steps and supplies you need to bring your spooky little cat craft to life. 🐱✨

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)

Clay crafting tools

Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)

Cup of water or spray bottle

Acrylic paints

Gloss varnish

Paintbrushes

Paper towels

A pair of scissors

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

1. Knead & Roll 🍕

• Condition your air dry clay with a little water and roll it out evenly.

2. Trace & Cut ✂️

• Place your bat paper template on the slab, trace the outlines, and cut out the shape.

3. Spot the Cat 🐈‍⬛

• If the tray wings crack or break while drying, smooth or sand down the broken edges of the central body—the bat body and ears double perfectly as a sitting cat silhouette!

4. Paint 🖌️

• Apply 2–3 coats of black acrylic paint as the base. Add cute eyes, ears, nose, and leg details using white paint.

5. Seal & Protect 🦭

• Finish with 2–3 thin coats of gloss varnish for a sleek, ceramic-like finish. Let dry for 24 hours to cure! ✨

Video

You can use this trinket tray to place candy (sweets and lollies) you collect during this festive season. Actually, I made it quite bigger than my previous trinket trays to use it for more occasions to hold more items. 🍬

You can gift this to your loved ones, which is such a unique gift, and most importantly, it was not purchased from a store. You’re gonna handmade it with love. 🎁

In this tutorial, I’m gonna tell you each and every step I followed to make this spooky tray. Don’t worry, I don’t provide expert and complex tips which are hard for beginners. As a beginner myself, I’d love to follow a guide with simple steps because they are easy to follow. So, you’re at the right place. 👍

Ok, enough talking! Let’s start making! ✨

Supplies you’ll need

• Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)
• Clay crafting tools
• Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)
• Cup of water or spray bottle
• Acrylic paints
• Gloss varnish
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

If you couldn’t find any of the above tools, simply check your kitchen drawers. You’ll find a handful of items that can be used as clay crafting tools. Toothpicks, a small knife, and wooden cutting boards are such. 🍴

Read: The Pros and Cons of Air Dry Clay: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Easy DIY Halloween pumpkin tray tutorial video 🎥

To make it easier for you, I made a video tutorial as well and embedded it here. You can use it too with this written tutorial to never miss anything and achieve a better result than mine, adding your creativity as well. 🎬

Feel free to watch and try it out! 📺

Finished watching the video? Let’s have a look at the detailed written step by step guide.

Step by step guide to making your air dry clay pumpkin

Before you start making, I highly advise you to go to a well ventilated area or open all the windows in your working area. Tiny air dry clay particles can make you cough during the process, and good air circulation stops them from going into your nose. 🪟

Step 1: Conditioning and kneading the clay

Even though this step seems small, trust me it is one of the most important, because if you skip this, your hours of work will be gone due to cracks. ⚠️

First of all, take a fresh piece of clay from the package. If you want to make the tray look bigger, you’ll probably have to take around 1.1 lbs (500g) of air dry clay, which is quite a big chunk of a piece. 🧱

Then tap the clay surfaces with a little bit of water to condition the clay.

Conditioning before kneading is a must to remove the stiffness and make the clay flexible enough for kneading. 💧

Next, start kneading the clay with force using the pull and push technique just like when you’re making a pizza dough. Add a little bit of water while you’re kneading to make it easier, and keep kneading until the clay becomes soft enough for shaping. 🍕

You’ll feel when to stop kneading the clay and move into the next step.

Let me tell you the importance of kneading air dry clay before you start any project with it: 📌

• Makes the clay soft enough for shaping.
• Stops clay from cracking as it dries.
• Spreads the moisture evenly.
• Avoids uneven shrinkage as the clay dries.
• Releases the trapped air bubbles.

Air dry clay is a highly porous material with lots of moisture and air bubbles inside. They are spread randomly across different layers of air dry clay. When you’re kneading, the moisture inside will spread evenly across all the layers, and trapped air bubbles will release.

This is a good thing because air dry clay shrinks as it dries, and having unorganized moisture amounts leads to uneven shrinkage, which can cause surface cracking. ⚡

Due to the uneven shrinkage, the tension buildup between the inner and outer layers of air dry clay becomes higher, forming microcracks on the surface. These cracks will become bigger and wider as the clay dries.

Basically, it means that if you skip kneading the clay before shaping your project, there is a high chance of surface cracks occurring as it dries. So, kneading is a must.

Step 2: Rolling the clay

Now roll your kneaded air dry clay piece to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. 🪵

Make sure to use a non stick rolling pin and mat for rolling your air dry clay.

I use an acrylic rolling pin, and my mat is made of PVC, which makes both non stick. Or you can use a silicone mat as well.

If you’re planning to use a wooden cutting board as your rolling surface, make sure to place parchment paper above it before placing the clay to avoid it from sticking to the surface. Because wood absorbs the moisture of the clay quickly and makes a vacuum like seal, which makes it harder to roll and lift the clay up after rolling. 📜

Same if you’re using a wooden rolling pin. Place parchment paper between the rolling pin and your clay while rolling to avoid the mess.

Even though you use non stick materials for the rolling surface and pin, you should not keep the clay piece in the same position while rolling, which can create adhesion between the surface and the clay.

Don’t roll your clay piece too thin because thin pieces have a high tendency to warp as the clay dries due to the shrinkage. The weight of the clay needs to be high enough so it can bear the tension that forces towards the middle as the clay dries, because outer areas of the tray dry and shrink quicker than the clay inside due to the higher air circulation.

Also, make sure not to make the clay piece too thick because it may take weeks to dry fully. 1/4 inch thickness is ideal as the tray base, or you can make it 1/2 inch if you plan to hollow out the clay just like I did while making the orange trinket tray. 🍊

After rolling the clay slab, smooth it out by dipping your index finger in the cup of water and gliding across the clay slab to remove tiny bumps, cracks, and imperfections. Smoothing after each step is a must to get a nice and clean look, but only with a little amount of water. 💧

Step 3: Making the paper template

As you know, usually I do freehand tracing before cutting, and I admire it because freehand drawing without using cookie cutters, molds, or templates improves your drawing ability and makes your piece unique. 🎨

Honestly, I’m so bad at drawing, and I make at least 5-6 errors while tracing the clay slab because my right hand doesn’t behave as my brain wants. 😂 But still, I do freehand tracing because I want to get improved.

Except for this project.

In this project I planned to use the paper template method because the tray is big and I need to get the exact jack-o’-lantern face with no mistakes.

1. Here are the steps I followed to make the paper template as easily as possible: 📝
2. Googled “halloween pumpkin 2d online” images. 🔍
3. Selected the one I liked the most with a jack-o’-lantern face. 🎃
4. Took a black and white printout of it on an A4 size paper. 🖨️
5. Cut around the outline to get my paper template. ✂️

If you already have a jack-o’-lantern face pumpkin mold, I highly recommend you use that because it is much easier and you don’t need to carve it, which I do in later sections to emphasize the details of the face.

Step 4: Tracing and cutting the pumpkin shape

Now place the paper template you made in the middle of your rolled air dry clay slab and trace around it using your clay tracing tool or toothpick. ✏️

Do this patiently because we don’t want to mess up the face. After tracing the outline of the pumpkin, map the eyes, nose, and mouth with the same tool by placing nearby dotted lines. This will help you get the exact shape of the face while cutting.

Next, cut along your traced lines patiently using the X-acto knife or a small knife. 🔪

Lift the blade while you’re cutting the outline constantly, clean the stuck tiny clay pieces, and start cutting again. This up and down cutting motion will help you get sharp, nice, and smooth edges with no cracks.

Be careful when cutting the bottom of the pumpkin shape because there is a wiggly area which can easily go wrong.

After cutting the jack-o’-lantern face pumpkin, remove the paper template and remove the excess clay.

Finally, smooth out the edges and top of the clay slab with a little bit of water.

Step 5: Making and attaching the tray rim

Since the tray is big, I’m not going to attach the tray rim outside as a separate section around the base. Instead, I’m going to place it over the base around the edge. This way I can guarantee it won’t separate as the clay dries due to shrinkage, because I have the advantage of gravitational force as well. Don’t worry, you’ll eventually understand what I meant. Keep reading…

First of all, I took a fresh piece of clay and kneaded it well to make it soft. Then I rolled it to an even thickness like a snake. 🐍

Trust me, it was so long and rolling kept getting challenging because you’ll have to keep the same thickness (same diameter) everywhere to get the perfect rim shape.

After rolling the clay you need to follow the score and slip method to attach it to the tray base.

Let me tell you what this score and slip method is in brief. 💡

You cannot attach two air dry clay pieces together just by pressing them because they separate as the clay dries due to the shrinkage.

So you need to score the surfaces you’re willing to attach first using the scoring tool or a toothpick. Next, apply a paste called “slip” over the scored area, which works as an adhesive glue for air dry clay. 🧪

If you don’t have the slip, I suggest you make one, or you have another option which is “water”. 💧

Let me tell you how,

First, I scored around the edges of the tray base and then scored along the tray rim I made. Then I tapped the scored areas with a little bit of water using my fingertips. Trust me, water works just as good as the slip I talked about earlier. Slip is the professional method while water is the shortcut. But still, I recommend you make the slip for this one or for your future projects because it is the industry standard.

Water also works as adhesive glue because it mixes with the scored tiny clay pieces and helps to attach two air dry clay pieces well, which won’t separate as the clay dries.

Next I carefully placed and attached the tray rim around the pumpkin tray base.

Cut the edges of the tray rim at an angle and attach carefully using a little bit of water without making a bump where two ends meet.

Now smooth out along the tray rim and the tray base middle to make the combo look nice, clean, and smooth.

Step 6: Carve the eyes, nose and mouth a little

To make the jack-o’-lantern face more realistic, I carved the eyes, nose, and mouth areas of the pumpkin a little with my carving tools. This is an optional step. It was a little experiment of mine. 🛠️

Make sure not to damage the tray base or hit the bottom while you’re hollowing out the clay. That’s why I told you to carve only a little. We are trying here to make it look beautiful only, and there is no use in carving deeper. Remember that!

After carving is done, smooth out the hollowed areas with a little bit of water to make the spaces nice and clean.

I have stamped “HAPPY HALLOWEEN” on the tray base.

Awesome friend! You have made the Halloween pumpkin tray. But it is still, you know, now it’s time to let it dry and start the finishing part. Oh!!! WAIT WAIT!!! I ALMOST FORGOT! We need to add the stem before letting it dry. I’m sorry. 😅

Step 7: Adding the pumpkin stem

First knead a fresh, small piece of air dry clay and bend it to make the pumpkin stem shape.

Then shape the stem body and shape the bottom with a wider and flat design, which helps to make a better grip with the tray.

Next score the bottom of the stem and the top small area of the tray rim. Apply the slip or tap the scored areas with a little bit of water and attach the stem to the tray rim.

Smooth out the joint to vanish the seam, and detail the texture of the stem using a toothpick or clay scoring tool to give a realistic look.

That’s it. Now it’s time to let the project dry.

Step 8: Letting it dry

Let the Halloween pumpkin clay tray dry for 72 hours (3 days) in a cool, well ventilated area. Usually, I let my projects dry for 24-48 hours, but not this one because it is too big and it needs more drying time due to the high clay amount. ⏳

Slow drying is a must to avoid clay from cracking.

Drying time can change due to the thickness of your air dry clay and the humidity in your area. High humidity means a slow water evaporation speed and the drying time will be longer. 🌧️

High air circulation dries the outer area of the tray faster than the tray base middle, building up tension between the layers. As the tension exceeds over a certain limit, the clay will start to crack and there is no going back from there. 🛑

Your hours of work will be completely gone because cracks loosen up the clay and ruin your work. This is why I keep telling you to let your project dry slow. Slow drying won’t trigger uneven shrinkage and no surface cracks.

Air dry clay has a grey color when it is wet. So after drying for 3 days, check if there are any grey patches on the surface and the bottom. If there are some, you need to let it dry for another 24 hours. 🕵️‍♂️

Once the project is fully dried, it will display in pure white form and that’s when you’re good to move into the painting and finishing step. ⚪

Read: Can You Paint Air Dry Clay Before It Dries? (And What Happens If You Do)

Step 9: Painting the pumpkin tray

I used acrylic paints for my air dry clay projects because they come in vivid colors, need no water for mixing or dissolving, dry quickly within 2 hours, make a water resistant coating over the clay, and provide a glossy and shiny finish. 🎨

If you use any other kind of paint, make sure not to use too much water for mixing or dissolving, because water weakens the clay inside, loosens joints, and causes cracks to occur. ⚠️

I mixed orange with white acrylic to make the color I wanted for the tray base. I started painting from the tray base because then I can spin and rotate the piece as I want while painting without worrying about touching the paint. 🖌️

Then I painted the clay-carved eyes, nose, and mouth of the pumpkin with black color. 🖤

After painting the tray base I painted the rim with a dark orange color to emphasize it even more.

Finally, I painted the stem area with green color acrylic. 💚

For the detailing part I used white and dark red acrylics. Do as you like to get the finish you want.

Make sure to apply thin and even coats of paint in one direction for a nice finish. Apply 2-3 coats of acrylic and let each coat dry for 2 hours before applying another.

After the final coat let it dry for 2 hours before you start the sealing.

Step 10: Sealing the tray

You can use gloss varnish, polyurethane varnish, UV resin, or epoxy resin for sealing your air dry clay projects. 🛡️

I used gloss varnish because it makes a water resistant coating over air dry clay, offers long term protection, and most importantly provides a ceramic, glossy like finish. ✨

If you want a water like, more glass like finish, go with epoxy resin, but avoid forming bubbles as you finish.

Apply a thin and even coat of gloss varnish along one direction to avoid forming tacky spots and a mushy core.

Apply 2-3 coats and let each coat dry for 24 hours. 🕒

Sealing air dry clay is a must before using it or placing it as home decor, because outside moisture weakens the clay and causes surface cracks. 🏠

I highly recommend you not to place your air dry clay projects outside, even after sealing them with the best sealer in the world, because harsh weather conditions eventually damage the sealer coating, find a way to get inside of the clay, and damage it. So, always place your air dry clay projects inside. Remember that!

After sealing the pumpkin tray completely, let it dry and cure for 24 hours. That’s it!

Congratulations my friends! We did it! We made a unique handmade spooky pumpkin air dry clay tray for this Halloween season and the process is worth remembering. 🎃🥳

Final thoughts

I tried my best to provide you all the things I did to achieve this beautiful piece as simple as possible. Once you have read the entire tutorial, please mention any additional questions in the comments section.

I’ll answer all of them asap. 💬

Also, if you found better ways of doing things than I did, please mention them too in the comments section. We need to share the things we know with the community, which is wonderful. 🤝

Now it’s time for you to start your own spooky pumpkin tray with air dry clay. Use it to place the chocolates such as Snickers, Twix, Kit Kat, Milky Way, M&M’s and Gummy Bears during this festive season. Or you can gift it to someone you love to refresh your bond with them.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your pumpkin clay tray project. I sure love to see them when you do. I’ll see you next time with another cool project! Cheers! 🤟🏾

Halloween Pumpkin Tray with Air Dry Clay

Warsha

Ready to bring your spooky Halloween creation to life? Here is a quick summary guide of the full step-by-step process so you can follow along easily while crafting your adorable air dry clay pumpkin tray! 🎃✨

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (DAS, Mont Marte, Jovi, or any reputed brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)

Clay crafting tools

Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)

Cup of water or spray bottle

Acrylic paints

Gloss varnish

Paintbrushes

Paper towels

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

Step 1: Knead and condition the clay 💧

• Take about 1.1 lbs (500g) of air dry clay, sprinkle with a little water, and knead well using a pull-and-push technique until soft to prevent future cracking.

Step 2: Roll out the slab 🪵

• Roll the clay to an even 1/4-inch thickness on a non-stick mat, turning it frequently to avoid sticking, then smooth out bumps with a wet finger.

Step 3: Prepare your template ✂️

• Print a 2D jack-o’-lantern design on A4 paper and cut out the outline to create a paper stencil.

Step 4: Trace and cut the pumpkin shape 🔪

• Place the stencil on the clay, trace around it with a toothpick, map out facial features, and carefully cut the outline using an up-and-down motion with a craft knife.

Step 5: Carve facial features 🛠️

• Gently carve shallow indentations for the eyes, nose, and mouth to add texture, taking care not to cut through the base, then smooth with a little water.

Step 6: Attach the tray rim 🐍

• Roll a long coil of clay with uniform thickness. Score the base edges and coil, apply clay slip or water, and attach the coil on top along the perimeter.

Step 7: Add the stem 🪵

• Shape a small clay piece into a curved stem with a flat base. Score, moisten, and press it onto the top rim, then smooth the joint and carve texture lines.

Step 8: Dry slowly ⏳

• Leave the tray to dry in a cool, well-ventilated area for 72 hours away from direct heat or sunlight until all grey patches turn completely white.

Step 9: Paint the tray 🎨

• Apply 2–3 thin coats of acrylic paint (orange for base, dark orange for rim, black for face details, green for stem), letting each coat dry for 2 hours.

Step 10: Seal and cure 🛡️

• Apply 2–3 coats of gloss varnish, drying 24 hours between coats, to protect the tray with a water-resistant glossy finish.

Video

I use a special hollow-out clay method to make the tray base and fill it with seeds. Coloring is important to get that deep wine-red for the seeds.

Don’t worry, I’m not an expert. I’m also a beginner like you who is still learning to work with clay.

So, I provide you with simple and easy steps to achieve results better than mine and I also share all the mistakes I made and how I fixed them during the project as well. They don’t include those things in expert, complex tutorials. Just from me. Hehe.

Ok. Enough talking. Let’s get started! 🎨

Why did I use air-dry clay?

• Air dry clay is easy to shape.
• Cheap.
• Dries in the air.
• Able to fix bumps, small scratches and mistakes by gliding a wet finger over wet clay.

As beginners, we do make lots of mistakes while making projects. If air dry clay is expensive like polymer clay, the room for doing experiments with it is quite low. 

In order to learn new techniques and tips with clay, we need to do experiments and clay is wasted during those experiments. So, air dry clay is best for that because it is not as expensive as others.

You can easily erase the scratch marks, unevenness and bumps on air dry clay by gliding your fingers.

It is easy to shape by kneading and rolling for a few minutes.

You don’t need to fire or bake or apply any other heat source to dry your air dry clay projects. It simply dries in the air.

Yes, it is messy. But for beginners air dry clay is the best.

Materials needed

If you couldn’t find any of the materials I mentioned below except the air dry clay, you’re free to replace that with a similar one. Most of the clay tools we use have good alternatives in your kitchen drawers. So, please check it out before running to a store.

• Air dry clay (any reputed brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)
• Clay crafting tools
• Ribbon sculpting tool or a small spoon
• Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)
• Cup of water or spray bottle
• Acrylic paint (crimson, white, yellow)
• Gloss varnish
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Easy diy pomegranate trinket tray tutorial video

Below I’ve attached the full tutorial video with all the steps I have taken, tips and techniques I used, mistakes I made, and how I fixed them when making this DIY beautiful fruit inspired tray with air dry clay.

Feel free to watch and try it out! 📺

Finished watching the video? Let’s look at the detailed written step by step guide.

Step by step pomegranate trinket tray tutorial

Before starting the project, move to a well ventilated room or open all the windows. I don’t want you to cough during the project due to fine air dry clay dust.

Step 1: Identify the parts of a pomegranate fruit

Today, we are sculpting 4 main structural parts of a pomegranate fruit, which are:

1. Outer shell
2. Membrane area
3. Chambers (cavities inside)
4. Seeds

Now you have basic knowledge of what a pomegranate consists of. So, let’s start making.

Step 2: Knead the clay

1. Take a fresh piece of clay from the package. 
2. Condition it by tapping a little bit of water on the surface.
3. Knead the clay well using the press-and-pull technique until the clay becomes soft.

Air dry clay is a highly porous material with lots of moisture and air pockets inside.

But the moisture inside has spread in an unorganized manner. Due to that, when you let the project dry, water evaporates unevenly from the clay and starts forming cracks on the air dry clay surface due to the uneven shrinkage between the layers. Yes, the clay shrinks as it dries because water evaporates and clay binders tighten by closing the air pocket gaps.

We cannot stop the water evaporation of air dry clay. Instead, we can control it by letting the moisture evaporate more evenly.

Knead the clay well by pulling and pressing the clay piece with force. Kneading helps to spread out the moisture evenly across all the layers of air dry clay and releases the air bubbles out.

When moisture is spread evenly, it evaporates at the same rate when drying, causing no uneven shrinkage. This builds up no extra tension between the layers and does not form cracks.

Plus, when kneading, the clay becomes soft due to the temperature of your palms.

So do the kneading until it becomes soft enough for shaping before moving into the next step.

Step 3: Roll the clay

1. Place the kneaded clay slab on your mat.
2. Set the silicone or rubber rings or place wooden slats either side of the clay slab and set to ½ inch thickness.
3. Roll the clay slab to an even thickness with the flip, turn and rotate technique.

I use an acrylic rolling pin to make my clay slab an even thickness. You can use a wooden one in the kitchen as well, but make sure to wrap it up with parchment paper before use to avoid the clay from sticking to it.

Make sure to flip, turn and rotate the clay slab 90 degrees while rolling to avoid your clay slab from sticking to your mat. I use a PVC mat which is recommended for air dry clay but still the clay sticks to it if I don’t flip, turn or change the position of the clay while rolling.

A silicone mat is also a preferred choice. 

Try to aim for ½ inch thickness because we are going to hollow out clay in the middle for making the chambers of the pomegranate.

If we make the clay slab too thin, you’ll probably hit the bottom or damage the bottom while hollowing out the clay. If it is too thick, you’ll have a hard time when drying the clay because cracks may occur due to uneven and different evaporation rates of the outside layers and inside. Plus, it may take so many days to dry completely.

After rolling the clay slab, smooth it out by putting your fingers in a cup of water and gliding over the wet clay slab until tiny scratches, bumps and micro cracks are removed.

Smoothing is a must after each step but with a little bit of water. More water means more cracks, I’ll show you that later.

Step 4: Tracing and cutting the tray base

1. Trace the pomegranate fruit shape on the smooth clay slab.
2. Trace the crown on top.
3. Cut along the traced line using an X-acto knife.

Tracing is important before cutting to avoid mistakes, especially when you’re bad at drawing like me.

Or you can simply use a circle shape mold, template or stencil to get the shape accurately. But I prefer freehand cutting because a pomegranate has an organic shape and they don’t always come in the same sizes or shapes. They can be a little bit different because they are organic. Nothing in nature is perfectly symmetrical. Not even our faces.

Errors you make during tracing can be fixed by gliding your wet finger over the clay until it vanishes.

After tracing the shape, cut the shape carefully using the X-acto knife or any other small knife.

Make sure to lift the knife while cutting the edges instead of dragging horizontally because edges may tear off and clay may be dragged off with the knife during horizontal cutting. 

Lift the knife from time to time when cutting and clean the blade to remove the attached tiny air dry clay pieces to get nice, clean and sharp edges around your pomegranate trinket tray.

Step 5: Make the chambers of the pomegranate

1. Trace the shape of the chambers of your clay tray base.
2. Hollow out the clay in the middle to make the chambers using the ribbon tool.
3. Shape the walls of the chambers and membrane.
4. Smooth out the chambers.

I planned to make 3 chambers in my pomegranate fruit. Yes, there are around 6 or more chambers, but I only sculpted 3 because my tray was too small for 6 or more.

I used the ribbon tool and other clay crafting tools to carve and hollow out the clay. Each chamber has the kidney-shaped look.

Make sure you’re not hitting the bottom of the tray base while hollowing out and carving the clay slab. That’s why I told you earlier to plan for ½ inch thickness instead of ¼ inch which is the best thickness for air dry clay slabs.

Since we have ½ inch thickness, we can make chambers ¼ inches deep. Still ¼ inch thickness left for the base.

After hollowing out the clay and making chambers, shape the outside walls to get a nice membrane around the chambers.

Finally, smooth out the inside of the chambers and outside membrane and remove excess clay pieces. We are going to use those excess clay pieces for making seeds.

Step 6: Make and attach the pomegranate seeds

1. Make tiny balls from small clay pieces.
2. Make 20-30 seeds.
3. Wet the chambers inside with a little bit of water.
4. Attach the seeds in a bunch inside the chambers.
5. Fill the whole chamber areas with seeds until they are full.
6. Gently press the bunch of seeds for a few seconds until they attach completely.

Make tear-drop shaped balls to use as pomegranate seeds. Make more seeds than you can because we need to fill all the chambers with seeds.

Wetting the chambers inside is important before attaching the seeds to avoid them from falling out when the project is dry. 

I forgot to score the chambers inside before attaching the seeds for better grip and ended up losing 2-3 seeds after drying the project.

Therefore, I highly advise you to score the chambers inside a little before filling the spaces with seeds for better grip. Otherwise, seeds may fall off because air dry clay does not attach together just by pressing.

Congratulations friends! You have successfully made the pomegranate trinket tray. But this is still wet. We need to let it dry, paint and seal.

Step 7: Let it dry

Now let the trinket tray dry for 48-72 hours before painting in a cool, well-ventilated area. After 72 hours, check if there is any grey patch on the surface. Grey patches mean the clay is still wet and you need to let it dry for another 24 hours.

The clay will display in pure white once it is bone-dry.

But let me tell you, slow drying is the best because rushing drying can cause uneven shrinkage.

I have noticed a small crack on my pomegranate trinket tray once it is fully dried.

I know why this occurs. I used too much water when kneading and smoothing the clay out. This is why I repeatedly told you not to use too much water. Water is the worst enemy of air dry clay.

Don’t be like me, friends. Do better. Use less water.

Step 8: Paint the tray

I use acrylic paint to paint my pomegranate trinket tray. Acrylic paint is considered as one of the best paints for air dry clay projects because it comes in vivid colors and you don’t need water to mix the paints like watercolors. Plus, they give a glossy look as well.

If you use water-dissolvable paints, the air dry clay sucks out the water as soon as paint contacts the clay. Water weakens the air dry clay inside and forms milky tack spots in the paint because the paint has no moisture left.

This won’t happen with acrylic paint. You can directly apply it easily, mix and make the color you want and most importantly, acrylic makes a water-resistant coating over your air dry clay project which is an additional protection.

Apply thin and 2-3 even coats in one direction to avoid leaving brush marks and tacky spots on the surface.

I started painting the outer shell with crimson.

Middle area (the membrane) with white and crimson mix to get a creamy white and reddish shade.

Painted the seeds with crimson and added black for a dark shade.

Simple as that.

After painting, let the trinket tray dry for 2 hours in a well-ventilated area before sealing.

Step 9: Seal the tray

I sealed my pomegranate trinket tray with gloss varnish. Or you can use UV resin, polyurethane varnish or epoxy resin for a glassy look.

Gloss varnish offers long-term water resistance and provides a ceramic-like glossy finish. It stops moisture from getting inside the clay and damaging it. But I never recommend keeping your air dry clay outside because no sealer in the world can protect it for a long time. Air dry clay is just not built for outside harsh conditions. So, never expose it to rain, winter or direct sunlight long-term.

Apply thin and even coats of gloss varnish. Apply 2-3 coats for the glossy look. After each coat, let it dry and cure for 24 hours.

After the final coat, let it dry and cure for 24 hours before using it. 

Tadaaaa!!!! We did it, guys and gals! I really love the final look of my pomegranate trinket tray.

Now it’s time for you.

Final thoughts

I think I have told you everything I did, every mistake I made and how I fixed them while making this beautiful pomegranate trinket tray.

Yes, I know this seems a little bit more complex than my other trinket trays; for example, my avocado trinket tray was easy to make. But that’s ok. You need to try this out as well. You can learn lots of air dry clay techniques, including the new hollow-out clay method by making this one. So try this out and let me know in the comments how it went. I’m 100 percent sure you’ll make a better one than mine.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your pomegranate trinket tray project. I sure love to see them when you do. I’ll see you next time with another awesome project! Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Air Dry Clay Pomegranate Trinket Tray

Warsha

Here’s your quick guide to making your pomegranate tray without the headaches (and mistakes!) I had. Let’s do this! 🤟🏾

5 from 1 vote

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (any reputed brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)

Clay crafting tools

Ribbon sculpting tool or a small spoon

Clay cutting tool (X-acto knife or small knife)

Cup of water or spray bottle

Acrylic paint (crimson, white, yellow)

Gloss varnish

Paintbrushes

Paper towels

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

1. Knead the Clay 👐

• Take a fresh piece, tap a little water, and use the press-and-pull technique until it’s super soft. This prevents cracks later—trust me on this!

2. Roll It Out 📏

• Aim for ½ inch thickness. Don’t forget to flip, turn, and rotate your slab while rolling so it doesn’t stick to your mat.

3. Trace & Cut 🔪

• Trace your pomegranate shape, then cut carefully with your X-acto knife. Lift the knife as you go to keep those edges sharp and clean!

4. Hollow Out 🥄

• Using your ribbon tool, carve 3 chambers. Go slow—keep a solid base so you don’t poke through the bottom!

5. Add the Seeds ⚪

• Crucial step: Score the inside of the chambers first so the seeds actually stick! Make little teardrop shapes and press them in firmly.

6. Dry Time ⏳

• Let it air dry for 48-72 hours in a cool, well-ventilated spot. No heaters, no sun, and absolutely no rushing! Slow drying = happy, crack-free clay.

7. Paint & Seal 🖌️✨

• Use acrylic paints for those vivid colors (thin, even coats!). Finally, seal with 2-3 coats of gloss varnish, letting it cure for 24 hours between coats.

Video

I have made papaya, strawberry, banana, watermelon and avocado trays, and today I’m making an orange trinket tray. Orange means not the color, it’s the fruit. Lol.

This time I wanted to give a 3D look for this and I scrolled through Pinterest and found ones thanks to the artists who made them earlier. 

I was inspired by those images and thought not to copy them, but to add my taste and start making one. 

Since I’m a beginner air dry clay artist with only few completed projects, I did my research how to get the 3D nice look to my orange trinket tray with simple and easy techniques.

I think I was able to achieve that! But you decide. You’re the judge.

Actually, I don’t like to follow experts because the tips they give are not always tailored to beginners like us. Instead, I did my own research, learned through trial and error and developed my own method.

I’m gonna share with you guys and gals that process, including all the mistakes I made along the way and how I fixed them. 

So, during the project, when you make a mistake as a beginner, you know how to fix it and achieve what you want. Experts don’t tell you that because they rarely make mistakes. Lol.

Too much talking, I’m sorry. Let’s start making!

Supplies you need

Before you read supplies, I want to tell you this. We are still at the learning phase and we don’t have all the supplies and sometimes we don’t have budget for them. If you find anything you can’t find or is expensive (actually they aren’t), just replace that with any household item you have. Most can be found in your kitchen drawers.

• Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin (or cooking rolling pin wrapped with parchment paper)
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)
• A jug lid (big one)
• Clay sculpting tools (or use toothpicks)
• Clay cutting tool (or small knife)
• Cup of water or spray bottle
• Acrylic paint (orange, pink, white)
• Gloss varnish
• Paintbrushes
• PVA glue
• Paper towels
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

The reason I used air dry clay for this project is because, that’s all I had. Lol. No actually air dry clay does not need to kiln or bake. It easy to shape with a little bit of water, dry in the air and is cheap compared to other clay types (ex: polymer clay)

Grab the items and get ready to make your beautiful orange trinket tray!

Easy diy orange trinket tray tutorial video

Below is the full tutorial video on how to make this diy orange trinket tray with air dry clay, and how I painted and sealed it. I’ve included every technique I used, mistakes I made and how I fixed them in detail.

Now let’s look at the detailed written step by step guide.

Step-by-step orange trinket tray tutorial

Before starting the project, open all the windows in your room and make the area well ventilated. Fine air dry clay particles may trouble you if you don’t.

Step 1: Knead the clay

1. Cut the clay piece you want from the main slab.
2. Wet your palms with a little bit of water.
3. Apply a little bit of water onto the clay piece.
4. Knead with force for about 5 minutes like you’re making a dough until the clay becomes soft enough.

Air dry clay is a highly porous material with most of the moisture and air bubbles inside. Kneading helps to spread moisture evenly and release all the air.

If you don’t knead the clay before shaping the item you want to make, it may crack as it dries. This occurs because uneven moisture evaporation builds up internal tension within the clay.

Even drying is the key to preventing cracks. If the moisture isn’t spread evenly, the clay will shrink at different rates, causing it to crack. That’s why kneading is so important!

You’ll feel the clay getting soft when you continue kneading for 3-5 minutes. Apply more water if you need to, but only a little bit.

Once the air dry clay is soft enough go can move into the next step.

Step 2: Roll the clay

1. Place the kneaded clay piece on your mat. 🧘🏾
2. Roll with an acrylic rolling pin to an even thickness about ½ inch.

Use detachable silicone or rubber rings or guide rails to get the thickness you want. Most are come with the rolling pin.

I used a PVC mat for working on which does not attach with air dry clay piece when rolling.

After rolling the clay slab, smooth the surface to remove tiny scratches, bumps and imperfections. ✨

To smooth air dry clay, dip your index finger in the water and gently glide over the clay slab and along its edge repeatedly.

Step 3: Cut the orange base

I wanted to cut the orange base perfectly round and symmetrical. I didn’t try that in my previous tray projects and used freehand cutting because they all are organic things. Yes, Orange is also the same, but I liked to try something new. Plus, I don’t have cookie cutters for that. 🍊

If you have cookie cutters, that’s perfect.

But if you don’t have one, that’s fine, we still can do this. Don’t go out and grab one. I also didn’t have one, but able to achieve the round shape I wanted. I used a jug lid, a big jug lid.

You can use anything that has a perfect round shape.

I pressed the aluminum jug lid into the clay slab until it hit the bottom. Then, carefully lifted it up.

Removed the excess clay around and here you go, A perfect round shapaed tray base. Simple as that!

Smooth the surface with a little bit of water.

Step 4: Shaping the base and scooping the segments

Instead of making the tray rim and attaching it around the base to make the tray, I thought to try something new.

I took a clay sculpting tool and scooped out the clay to form the distinct orange dividers. You are free to use a yoghurt spoon or small spoon with a toothpick or anything small in your house that you can use for hollowing out the clay.

This is what I told you earlier that, I want to give this a 3D look.

Make sure all the dividers are almost equal in size. You can use a ruler for that. I traced and mapped spots before scooping the clay out for distinct orange dividers. I made 6 dividers.

This technique made the tray more realistic and unique compared to other orange trinket tray projects on the internet.

Make sure not to scoop too deep because you might accidentally hit the bottom and damage the tray. Plus, if the bottom is too thin it might crack and tear when you try to lift the tray up or when drying due to shrinkage.

Patience is the secret to make distinct orange dividers.

Finally, smooth the inside of the carved wells using your fingers to give them a more polished look with no damp air dry clay particles inside. Smoothing is a must to get a nicer and cleaner look when painting. 🧼

Step 5: Make the orange seeds

1. Take 6 tiny pieces of air dry clay.
2. Apply a small water drop.
3. Roll them and give a teardrop shape for each.
4. Mark the spots they will attach on the tray base in the future using a tool or toothpick.

I didn’t want to carve the orange tray for seeds and paint those carved locations to display them as seeds.

I wanted to make seeds look popped out from the tray base. In order to do that, you need to make them separately, paint them and glue them to the base once all are fully dried.

I made 6 seeds, one for each orange divider I scooped earlier.

Step 6: Let the tray and seeds dry

Let the orange trinket tray and seeds dry for 2 days in a well ventilated, cool area. Don’t start painting over wet clay because paint will peel off and occur cracks on the clay due to high moisture content.

After 2 days, check the surface of the tray. If you see grey patches, let it dry for more days. If the surface is completely white, you can start painting it. 🎨

Drying time depends on the clay thickness and the humidity in your area so be patience. You dont want to ruin the project you made for hours.

Congratulations friends! Now you exactly know how to make the orange trinket tray with air dry clay. Let’s give it a life by painting it.

Step 7: Paint the tray

Acrylic paint is the best paint for air dry clay projects because they are easy to use, dry faster, comes in vivid colors, provides a water resistant coating, and a glossy finish.

You can use acrylic paint with a little bit of water or no water at all.

I didn’t have orange color, so I made it by mixing crimson, yellow, and white acrylics. Likewise, you can mix and color with any color you want. Not all oranges have the same color; some are light and some are dark. 🧪

Start painting from the carved wells and their inside walls. Then paint the tray rim and finally around the edge because it makes it easier to hold the tray while painting without leaving fingerprints.

Apply thin and even coats of acrylic paint in one direction to avoid forming bubbles and tacky spots.

Let each acrylic paint coat dry for one hour, and after the final coat, let the tray dry for 2 hours in a well-ventilated area before sealing. 🌬️

Step 8: Attach orange seeds

Once the paint is fully dried, attach the orange seeds you made using PVA glue. 

Apply a drop of PVA glue to each area you marked on the tray base and gently press each seed over them.

Let them attach fully before you start sealing the project.

Step 9: Seal the orange trinket tray

Sealing your air dry clay project is a must. Otherwise, moisture will get inside and weaken the clay. 

Once the tray is fully dried, seal it with a proper sealer to protect it from moisture, dust and to give a nice appeal.

I sealed the orange trinket tray with gloss varnish. It offers long term protection from moisture and gives a glossy, ceramic-like finish.

Apply 2-3 thin and even coats of gloss varnish in one direction for a proper finish. 

After sealing the whole surface, let the tray dry and cure in a well ventilated area for 24 hours. Gloss varnish dries in the air.

Alternatively, you can use UV resin, polyurethane, or epoxy resin for a glassy like finish.

But I find gloss varnish is the easiest one.

Well done, friends! Now you have successfully completed the orange trinket tray project with air dry clay. 

You can use it to hold rings, other jewelry and as a home decor item.

FAQ

Final thoughts

Now you know how to make a beautiful and cute orange trinket tray with air dry clay. Now it’s your time to make it.

I challenge you to try that hollow out method for making distinct orange dividers which makes your tray more interesting and unique.

If you faced any trouble when making the project, leave a comment below. The clay community on this site will help you as best we can.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your orange trinket tray project. I sure love to see them when you do. I’ll see you next time with another cool project! Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Air Dry Clay Orange Trinket Tray

Warsha

Create a cute, 3D orange trinket tray with this beginner-friendly, step-by-step air dry clay tutorial. Perfect for storing rings or adding a splash of color to your decor! 🍊

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay, I used Mont Marte)

Acrylic rolling pin (or cooking rolling pin wrapped with parchment paper)

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)

A jug lid (big one)

Clay sculpting tools (or use toothpicks)

Clay cutting tool (or small knife)

Cup of water or spray bottle

Acrylic paint (orange, pink, white)

Gloss varnish

Paintbrushes

PVA glue

Paper towels

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

1. Knead the clay

• Cut your clay and knead it well for about 5 minutes with a drop of water. This gets rid of air bubbles so your tray doesn’t crack later! 🧘🏾

2. Roll the clay

• Flatten your clay to about ½ inch thick. Remember to turn and flip it as you roll so it doesn’t stick.

3. Cut the tray base

• Grab that big jug lid and press it into your clay to get the perfect round shape. ⭕

4. Scoop orange dividers

• Using a small tool or spoon, carefully hollow out 6 segments for that 3D look. Take your time! 🧼

5. Make seeds

• Roll 6 tiny tear-drop shapes for your seeds. Let these dry separately. 💧

6. Dry time

• Let everything dry in a cool, well-ventilated spot for at least 2 days. Be patient—if it’s not totally white, keep waiting! ⏳

7. Paint it

• Mix your colors (crimson, yellow, and white work great) and paint the segments first, then the rim. Keep it thin and even. 🎨

8. Attach the seeds

• Once dry, glue those seeds right onto the base with PVA glue. 🧴

9. Seal the orange trinket tray

• Protect your masterpiece with 2-3 coats of gloss varnish. Let it cure for 24 hours, and you’re done! 💎
Pro Tip: Don't worry if you make a mistake. That’s just part of the process! You can fix almost anything with a little water and patience. You got this! 🤟🏾

Video

As you know, nowadays I’m a fruit-inspired tray addict. I thought of making a banana tray. But I was afraid because bananas do not have enough area in the middle like other fruit trays to use as a tray.

I have made strawberry, papaya, and avocado trinket trays and all of them do have enough room in the tray base to place items.

Then I realized this banana tray I’m about to make can be used to place small rings and bracelets. I promised myself, f**k it, I’m gonna make this! Who’s gonna judge me? I’m still a beginner. 🎨

Since you and I are both beginners, I’ll share with you guys simple beginner-friendly steps I follow to achieve the beautiful final result. Don’t worry, I’ll share all the challenges I met, mistakes I made, and how I fixed them, so you can avoid those mistakes as well. 

No experts here! Beginner-to-beginner conversation with an easy tutorial.

Ok, too much talking. Let’s get started!

Why a banana trinket dish?

We all love bananas. It has a beautiful, smooth yellow peel and cream-colored inner flesh. The shape of the banana is unique because it doesn’t have a round or oval shape like other fruits.

Since the banana is an elongated and curved fruit and its middle area is too small for a tray, I loved taking on this challenge.

Making different shapes of items improves our air-dry clay handling ability, and I always had to keep in mind to make the middle area wide enough to hold rings. Or you can use it just as decor. Don’t overthink!

So, I thought to make a banana trinket dish because of the above unique features of banana fruit. No special reason lol. It just came to my mind.

I used air-dry clay because it is easy to shape with a little bit of water, cheap in price compared to other clays, and most importantly, it dries in the air (no kiln or baking needed).

Materials & tools you’ll need

You don’t need expensive tools or materials for making this banana tray. You can get realistic textures with no expensive tools. If you don’t have sculpting tools, use a knife and toothpicks. That’s it.

• Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin or cooking rolling pin
• PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)
• Clay tools (or use toothpicks)
• Wire end tool/ ribbon tool/ loop
• Clay cutting tool (or small knife)
• Cup of water or spray bottle
• Acrylic paint (red, green (I mixed blue and yellow because I didn’t have green), white)
• Gloss varnish
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Buckle up, guys and gals, we are about to start the banana challenge!

Easy diy banana trinket tray tutorial video

Below is the full tutorial video on how to make this diy banana trinket tray with air dry clay, and how I painted and sealed it. I’ve included every technique I used, mistakes I made and how I fixed them in detail.

Now let’s look at the detailed written step by step guide.

Step-by-step guide for sculpting your banana tray

After grabbing all the tools and materials, go to a well-ventilated area for making. Or open all the windows in your room. Don’t let fine air-dry clay particles cause breathing issues. 🌬️

Step 1: Kneading the clay

Take the air dry clay out from your sealed container, cut a piece you want to use and place it on the working mat.

Dip your fingers in the cup of water and wet your palms and your air-dry clay piece a little bit. Don’t add too much water to air-dry clay because that can cause uneven shrinkage and cracking when drying the project.

Conditioning air-dry clay is important because it makes the clay soft and easy to shape. 🥣

Now, start kneading the air-dry clay like you’re making dough for pizza. 🍕

When you’re kneading the air-dry clay, the air bubbles inside are released, and the moisture spreads evenly through the inside and outside layers of the clay.

If you forgot to knead before making, I’m sorry, friend. You made a huge mistake. 🤦🏾

Air dry clay has a highly porous structure.  If air bubbles stay inside, they form huge holes and cracks on the surface when the project is drying.

If no kneading is done before shaping the clay, the moisture inside will evaporate at uneven rates from different layers of the air dry clay surface. This will lead to uneven shrinkage of the air dry clay and result in cracks on the surface.

Therefore, kneading is a must. Actually, it’s fun and easy. Simple as making dough.

Step 2: Rolling the clay

After kneading, place the clay on the working mat and press down with your palm a few times. Then, start rolling with your acrylic rolling pin.

When rolling the air dry clay slab, turn, flip and rotate it 90 degrees after each 2-3 rolling rounds. This flip and turn clay slab method is important when rolling to avoid air dry clay from sticking to the surface.

Otherwise, when you try to lift the clay up after rolling, it tends to tear apart.

I learned this the hard way during my first trinket tray project and had to roll the clay slab for hours and 4 attempts. I was a fool.

It doesn’t matter if you use quality materials like a silicone mat, PVC mat, or acrylic rolling pin. If you don’t flip, turn and rotate the clay while you’re rolling, it’ll get stuck.

Use rubber or silicone rings on an acrylic rolling pin or guide rails to get the thickness you want for the clay slab.

I aimed for ½ inch thickness. Don’t make your air dry clay slab too thin because it’ll lose strength and the banana will look like it’s starving.

Try to get the whole clay slab to an even thickness by rolling from all the way to the bottom, starting from the top.

Now smooth the clay slab by dipping your finger in water and sliding it all over the clay slab.

Step 3: Cutting the banana tray base

I traced the shape of the banana tray with a pencil before cutting. You know I’m bad at drawing. Therefore, tracing with a pencil first is better because I can erase it if I misshape it by dipping my index finger in water and sliding it over the air-dry clay slab until the trace disappears. ✏️

Read how I Shape Organic Air Dry Clay Forms Without Molds or Cookie Cutters.

Try to get the elongated and curved banana shape.

The shape can be different from person to person. Just draw the one that looks like a banana to you.

I cut the stem too while cutting the banana tray base. You know what a stem is, right? It is the hard, woody tip attached to the top of a banana.

Step 4: Shaping the banana tray base and lip

Now take the tool with the wire end, which is also known as a ribbon tool or loop and hollow out the middle or scrape out the middle of the tray base. Keep scooping the middle until it reaches the thickness you want.

Since we are hollowing out the middle, the tray rim/lip automatically forms. Make sure the rim has even thickness along the tray base. Keep hollowing out the clay until it gets the shape you want.

Have a look at my photos of how I did it and what shape I got from it. 📸

This hollowing out method is known as the Kurinuki technique which is a Japanese traditional pottery technique. I found out about this method on YouTube and tried it out which gave good results.

With this method, you don’t need to separately make tray rims, walls and attach them. You can simply let them form by scooping the middle clay pieces. Easy right?

Keep the scooped clay aside and smooth the tray base and lip by sliding over the whole area with your fingers after dipping them in water.

Shape the banana tray as you want.

I added stringy veins on the banana flesh as well to make it even more realistic.

Well done, friend! Now the tray base is done

Step 5: Cutting and shaping the peeled skin flaps

Take an air dry clay piece and start kneading and rolling to an even thickness. The thickness of the peels you roll should be high because they should not crack from the middle when draping over the edges.

I made 2 strips to make the banana peel. You can decide it as you want.

No need to make them the same width but make sure the length and the thickness of the strips are the same because that’s how the banana peel is formed lol.

Cut them using your cutting tool. Always trust your instinct. Ask yourself whether they look like banana peels. If the answer is yes, go ahead.

I bent the peel strips by draping the “peels” over the edges to give it that 3D, open look.

Do this carefully. Otherwise, your peels will start to crack from the bent area. This is why I told you to get the thickness high.

Now smooth the peels you made using your fingers with a little bit of water. But one side only!

Step 6: Getting the realistic “phloem” texture on banana peels

I only smoothed the outside area of the banana peels to make it more realistic because the inside of a banana peel is not as smooth as the outside because it contains vascular bundles and has a phloem texture.

Therefore, I intentionally avoid smoothing the inside of the banana peel, leaving the tiny cracks and lines to perfectly mimic the stringy inside of a real banana peel.

Step 7: Attach the banana peels

Now score the bottom areas of the strips you made and the tray base area that attaches to the strips. Next, tap the areas with a little bit of water and attach them by gently pressing the scored areas together. Please be gentle. You don’t want to misshape what you made. 🤝

This method is called the score and slip method. It is essential to avoid pieces from falling apart when drying an air-dry clay project due to shrinkage.

You can’t attach two air dry clay pieces together just by pressing them together.

First, you need to score the surfaces and apply “slip” (slip is a mixture of clay and water mixed in a 1:1 ratio) or you can just use water. It works as an adhesive to make a fine grip between the surfaces.

During my first air-dry clay project, I didn’t know this score and slip method and ended up with my cute rabbit project falling apart when drying. 🐰

Congratulations guys and gals! You have successfully made the banana trinket tray. But it is still wet right?

Step 8: Let it dry

Let the wet banana trinket tray you made with air dry clay dry for 48-72 hours. Since the thickness of the clay slabs we made was high, it’s better if you can wait for longer before starting to paint.

Do not paint over wet air dry clay because paint will start to peel off and it will weaken the clay.

Your banana trinket tray will look more white when it’s fully dried with no grey patchy areas. Clean the surface well with paper towels before you start painting. 

My clay army! GET READY TO PAINT!!!!

Step 9: Painting the banana trinket tray

I use acrylic paint for all my air-dry clay projects. So, the same goes for the banana trinket tray as well. Acrylic paint comes in vivid colors; you can mix and get the color you want with only a little bit of water. 🖌️

It does not weaken the clay, it makes a water-resistant coating over the air-dry clay, and they are popular among clay artists.

I used yellow, white, blue, brown and black acrylic paints for this project. First I mixed paints and got the cream color I wanted for the banana flesh/fruit. 

Then I applied yellow for the banana peel. I mixed black with brown for the banana stem and pale yellow for the banana peel inside.

Make sure to apply thin and even acrylic paint coats to avoid forming bubbles and tacky spots. Apply in one direction to avoid forming brush marks.

After painting the whole project as you wish, let it dry for 2-3 hours before sealing.

Step 10: Seal the banana trinket tray

For air dry clay sealing, you have many different options. Gloss varnish, UV resin, Polyurethane, Epoxy resin are some of them.

I used gloss varnish to protect my banana trinket tray. It offers long-term protection, a high-water-resistant coating and a nice glossy, ceramic-like finish.

Plus, gloss varnish dries in the air. There’s no need to expose it to UV light. ✨

Apply 2-3 coats of gloss varnish. After each coat let it dry for 24 hours before applying another. The first coat is just the base and from the second coat onwards you’ll start to see the gloss. Don’t go for more than 3 because the surface can get tacky.

Apply thin and even coats in one direction to avoid leaving brush marks and bubbles.

After sealing the whole body, let the banana tray dry for 24 hours.

Congratulations my friend! You have successfully completed the banana trinket tray project! Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!

As a beginner, I’m so proud of the banana project because its shape is different. I learned the Japanese Kurinuki technique along the journey and was able to make it with far fewer mistakes than my previous projects. I’m so happy. 🍌

I’m happy because I didn’t quit during the hard times when my air dry clay did not behave as I wanted.

FAQ

Final thoughts

I know you’re happy too because you saw how a complete noob artist created this beautiful banana trinket tray. But in order to make me happier and make you the happiest, I want you to start making this.

This is my 6th air dry clay project. So you know this was not made by an expert.

Mistakes and errors can occur and that’s ok. We are beginners. No one should judge us. Mistakes are what make us perfect in the future.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your banana trinket tray project. I sure love to see them when you do. I’ll see you next time with another cool project! Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Air Dry Clay Banana Trinket Tray

Ready to take on the banana challenge? Here is a simplified roadmap to help you create your very first fruit-inspired masterpiece! Don’t overthink it, we’re all learning here. 🎨

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin or cooking rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat (or non-stick surface)

Clay tools (or use toothpicks)

Wire end tool/ ribbon tool/ loop

Clay cutting tool (or small knife)

Cup of water or spray bottle

Acrylic paint (red, green (I mixed blue and yellow because I didn’t have green), white)

Gloss varnish

Paintbrushes

Paper towels

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Instructions

 

1. Kneading

• Start by kneading your clay like pizza dough to get rid of air bubbles. This stops cracks later! 🍕

2. Rolling

• Roll the clay to 1/2 inch thickness. Flip and rotate it every few rolls so it doesn’t get stuck to your mat! 🔄

3. Shaping & Hollowing

• Trace and cut a curved banana base. Use your loop tool to scoop out the middle (Kurinuki style!) to create the tray area. 🥄

4. Attaching Peels

• Roll two thicker strips for “peels.” Use the “score and slip” method (scratch the clay and add water) to stick them to the edges for a 3D look. 🤝

5. Drying

• Patience is key! Let it air dry for 48-72 hours until it turns fully white. No shortcuts! 🌬️

6. Painting

• Apply thin coats of acrylic. Use cream for the inside and yellow for the peel. Don’t forget the brown stem! 🍌

7. Sealing

• Apply 2-3 coats of gloss varnish for that professional ceramic finish. Let each coat dry for 24 hours. ✨

Video

Then, before starting the project, I watched some reels on social media and saw beautiful air dry clay ponds, including a koi fish. 

Since I love Japanese culture and want to make something vivid, I thought to make not just a pond, but a koi fish pond.

I have shot the whole process of making this beautiful koi fish pond. Actually, you’re the one who must decide whether it is beautiful or not. Lol.

As a beginner, and as my third air dry clay project and my second completed project (because my first rabbit project was ruined), I was happy with the result I got.

If you’re a beginner too, like me, this is the best tutorial for you because I tell every mistake I did and the techniques I followed to get this result.

I also watch and make projects from a beginner’s point of view as you do, so you won’t see expert, professional, or hard-to-follow techniques here. All are simple and easy…

Enough talking, let’s get to work! 🔨

Materials needed for this miniature clay project

Let me tell you all the supplies I used. If you don’t have any of them, don’t worry. Replace it with one in a similar shape which can be found in your home.

Supplies for making and shaping

• Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay)
• Acrylic rolling pin or cooking rolling pin
• PVC mat or silicone mat or an unsealed wooden cutting board
• Clay tools (or use toothpicks)
• Clay cutting tool (or small knife)
• Fine sandpaper (good to have, but I didn’t have any)
• Cup of Water or spray bottle
• Paper towels
• Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool (or you can use your finger)

Supplies for painting and sealing

• Acrylic paint (blue, black, white, crimson, yellow)
• Two-part epoxy (resin and a hardener)
• Plastic cup
• Paintbrushes
• Respirator
• Paper towels

If you’ve gathered everything, get ready. It’s time to have fun!

Easy diy koi fish pond tutorial video

As always, below I’ve included the full tutorial video on how to make each section of this diy koi fish pond with air dry clay, and how I painted and sealed it. I’ve included every technique I used, mistakes I made and how I fixed them in detail.

Now let’s look at the written step by step tutorial.

Making the air dry clay koi pond

Before starting, wipe dust off your mat. A clean surface is a must for better results. Here are the simple DIY steps you can follow to make a koi fish pond using air dry clay.

Step 1: Making the pond base and rocks

Here are the little steps you need to follow when making and shaping the clay base and rocks.

1. Conditioning the clay

First, take the air dry clay piece on your mat or whatever surface you use and start conditioning it.

Take the cup of water near you and dip your fingers to take a little bit of water. Then apply a little bit on top of the clay piece. Now with the slightly wet air dry clay and with a wet hand, knead the clay piece like dough. Yes, the same as when you’re making bread.

As you knead, you’ll feel the air dry clay become more and softer, which is a good indicator. This means we can give it the shape we want with no struggle.

Kneading helps remove air bubbles and create a smooth, crack-free texture.

2. Rolling the clay

Now press the clay against the mat using your palm several times. Then, start rolling the clay piece using the acrylic rolling pin.

You must flip, rotate and lift up the clay while rolling to avoid clay from sticking to the surface. You simply have to pick up the clay and flip it over after every two or three rolls. Plus, turn the clay piece 90 degrees each time you flip it to distribute pressure evenly.

Rolling is essential for making the pond base and getting an even thickness. I use rubber rings around the rolling pin as guides for even thickness or you can use thickness rulers as well to get the thickness you want.

I highly recommend you not to go too thin with the base. A thin base is fragile and tends to crack easily because air dry clay shrinks and warps as water evaporates when drying. So, it is better to go with a thick base.

I aimed for a ¼-inch base.

3. Cutting out the shape of the pond base

I didn’t have cookie cutters or round shapes to get the pond base circular. Plus, I thought why can’t the pond base be whatever shape it wants? Some can be circular, some can be oval, and some can be whatever shape it wants.

I took the cutting tool and drew the base as my hand moved, and it came out better than I thought. Simply trust your instinct.

If you’re afraid to go straight in with the clay cutting tool, first you can trace the outline with a pencil and then use the cutting tool.

After cutting the pond base, I removed the excess clay and placed it aside to make the clay rocks.

4. Shaping the clay rocks

Keep the pond base aside for a bit. Grab the removed excess clay from the pond base project and take tiny pieces from it to start rolling balls.

Don’t make balls too big or too small. Just need average-sized rocks compared to the pool base we shaped.

5. Attach clay rocks to the pond base

Now follow score and slip method to attach clay rocks you made along the outline of pind base.

First, you need to score along the edge of the pond base. This is where rocks attach.

Then score the area of each clay rock that touch the pond base. Then dip your finger in water and wet the scored surfaces by tapping.

Then quickly place the clay rock on the pond base and gently press it. Please be gentle. We don’t want to displace the rock and base.

Likewise, attach all the rocks you made along the outline of the pond base.

Score and slip is essential to attach two air dry clay pieces. Otherwise, they won’t attach well and end up falling apart when drying. This is what happened to my first air dry clay project, which was completely ruined because I didn’t follow the score and slip method properly.

You can use a special mixture of clay and water which is called “slip” instead of water as well. This mixture is made by mixing air dry clay and water in a 1:1 ratio. You can keep it in a sealed bottle and use it as a glue when you want to attach two clay pieces together.

I just used water because it was easy and I didn’t have slip and was lazy to make it. Plus, water worked just fine.

Congratulations! Now you have successfully completed making the pond base and rocks. Now it actually looks like a pond. Just need something to make it alive.

Step 2: Shaping the miniature koi fish

Take the excess air dry clay if any or take a fresh small piece of clay and condition and knead until it becomes pliable. Then, take the soft clay piece and start shaping the koi fish.

You don’t need to add fine details because most fine details may blur out during the drying stage of air dry clay due to shrinkage. Plus, air dry clay is not ideal for small projects.

Therefore, just take a clay piece and try your best to get the fish shape.

Use your fingers to get the streamlined shape body of the fish. Body should be a smooth, tapered shape that is narrow at both ends and wider in the middle.

Use a cutting knife or scissors to cut and shape the fin of the fish and other details.

After shaping the fish, make sure not to attach the koi fish on the pond base because painting fine details can be hard when the koi fish is on the pond. You’ll have to take the whole pond with rocks when you’re painting the fish, which is risky because clay rocks can fall apart.

Therefore, we’re going to make the pond and fish separately, paint them separately and then place koi fish in the middle of the pond before sealing and then let epoxy resin handle the attachment part. It will work as a glue for the koi fish which is a smart play.

Step 3: Adding pond plants and lily Pad

Now time for decorations! 🎨

You can do this step as you want. I made thin coil-shaped air dry clay pieces and attached them to make a pond plant. Made its base a bit larger so I can score and attach it to the pond base resting between the rocks.

Then, I rolled a very small piece of air dry clay and cut a round shape. Then removed triangular shape part from it using the cutting tool to make a lily pad.

Attached lily pad too to the pond base by score and slip method.

Make sure not to attach lily pad in the middle because middle is for the koi fish which we add in later stage to the pond.

Step 4: Let the pond and koi fish dry

Since we’re done making and shaping the project, let the pond and koi fish dry for 2 days. Let the project dry in a cool, well-ventilated space. Not in direct sunlight because quick drying causes uneven shrinkage, which can lead to cracking.

Air dry clay is prone to cracks, so slow drying is a must before painting.

Upon drying the moisture inside will be evaporated and give nice, pure white look to the project.

After 2 days, check if there are any dark wet spots. If there are none. You can start painting.

Step 5: Painting the air dry clay pond and koi fish

If the project is well dried, you can start painting. I used acrylic paint and i highly recommend  you to use acrylic paint as well. The main reason is that, in this project, since we use epoxy resin for sealing, having a waterproof surface is a must. Acrylic paint works as that sealer underneath epoxy resin.

Same if you’re going to seal with UV resin. Otherwise, moisture inside of the air dry clay tend to react with resin and give a dull look.

First, I took the pond and started painting it with blue for water, black for rocks and green for plants and lily pad. 

I drew some lines to show the motions that occur when koi fish is there.

Then I took the koi fish and painted it following the patterns of Japanese koi fish. I painted Kohaku and Sanke patterns on the fish with a fine-detail paintbrush. 

I struggled with painting the koi fish because I lack patience. It needs your full focus and high patience to get a nice result.

After painting the pond and koi fish, I placed the koi fish on the pond and let the whole project dry for 2 hours before sealing.

Step 6: Sealing the air dry clay koi fish pond

Sealing air dry clay is a must to protect it from moisture and dust, and for the nice appeal. Otherwise, moisture will go inside and ruin the project by forming cracks. Unsealed air dry clay reacts poorly to wet mediums.

Sealing gives long-term protection and a glossy look that helps to increase the value of the product you made. 

Take the whole project to a well-ventilated area before you start sealing. You can use UV resin, gloss varnish, or epoxy resin to seal air dry clay projects. I used epoxy resin. 

If you plan to use UV resin or epoxy resin as I did, wear a respirator because they contain VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Liquid resins release harsh chemical vapors and fumes into the air when they cure or dry. It doesn’t matter if you use a paintbrush or spray; safety is a must!

Since I used epoxy resin, make sure to grab two part epoxy resin, which is an epoxy resin that comes with a hardener. Dont grab just epoxy resin because it doesn’t dry on its own. You need the hardener. 

First, mix the epoxy resin with the hardener equal volumes in a plastic cup and then mix thoroughly. No you don’t need to measure, just take approximate volumes. I did the same.

Now, pour the epoxy resin you made by mixing or any other sealer on the pond base and koi fish.

If you use epoxy resin, I poured a lot in layers in layers to make fish look suspended at different depths and to give the water a feel.

If there’re bubbles, remove them using a lighter or heat gun. But I didn’t worry them about much because water do have bubbles right? So, it’s fine.

Seal the whole koi fish pond using a paintbrush. Apply evenly on pond base, rocks, koi fish and plants without leaving any space.

Now let the koi fish clay pond dry for 24-48 hours. Sometimes this may take 72 hours depending on the amount of resin you used.

The outcome was so beautiful, and I was fully satisfied with my 3rd air dry clay project. I love it!

Final Thoughts

Plan ahead before you start making an air dry clay koi fish pond. Even though this project looks like a lot, it was easy. Most of them are just balls you can make using your hands. The only difficult part I experienced was when painting the koi fish. All others were so easy and I was able to learn a lot about shaping, painting, and sealing during the project.

If you’re a beginner, I highly recommend you try this out, which is a huge step in becoming an expert clay artist.

Now it’s your time to make your cute koi fish pond with air dry clay.

Be sure to tag @clayandmestudios in your clay koi fish pond creations. I sure love to see them when you do. Until next time! Cheers! 🤟🏾

DIY Air Dry Clay Koi Fish Pond

Warsha

A DIY clay koi fish pond is an excellent home decor project for beginners. You only need simple techniques, such as rolling balls and basic hand-shaping. All without the need for a kiln or baking.

Print Instructions Pin Instructions

Supplies Needed

  

Air dry clay (any brand you can find is okay)

Acrylic rolling pin or cooking rolling pin

PVC mat or silicone mat or unsealed wooden cutting board

Clay tools (or use toothpicks)

Clay cutting tool (or small knife)

Fine sandpaper (good to have, but I didn’t have any)

Cup of Water or spray bottle

Paper towels

Optional: Sponge or silicone sculpting tool

Acrylic paint (blue, black, white, crimson, yellow)

Two-part epoxy (resin and a hardener)

Plastic cup

Paintbrushes

Respirator

Paper towels

Instructions

 

1. Prepare the Tray Base

• Condition your clay, roll it (aim for ¼ inch), and cut your pond shape! ⭕

2. Build Clay Rocks

• Make little clay balls and attach them around the edge using the “score and slip” method. 🪨

3. Shape the Koi Fish

• Shape a smooth, streamlined fish. Keep it simple! 🐠

4. Add Pond Plants

• Attach your clay plants and lily pads with score and slip. 🍃

5. Let it Dry

• Let your creation dry for 2 days in a cool, ventilated spot. 🌬️

6. Paint Time

• Paint your pond and fish. Focus is key! 🎨

7. Seal the Clay Koi Fish Pond

• Mix your resin (don’t forget the hardener!) and pour to create that beautiful water effect. Let it cure for 24-48 hours. 🌊

Video

Notes

• Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Don't forget to tag @clayandmestudios with your creations! Cheers! 🤟🏾