As I was scrolling Pinterest one day, this project caught my eye. I had never worked with clay (in my adult life anyways) and since I love to try new crafts, this seemed perfect for a Pinterest Party. DIY clay bowls are beginner friendly, don’t use many supplies, and are inexpensive to make. What’s not to like?!
Two packs of clay made 7-8 small circular and oblong bowls. Obviously, the size of your pieces will determine how many you can make. This would be a great craft to make a few extras for birthday and hostess gifts – just stash them in your closet to be prepared for later. It took a few minutes to get used to working with the clay, but once you make one, you could whip these up pretty fast. And why stop with bowls? This tutorial could be used to make small planters too!
If you are new to the term ‘Pinterest Party,’ its a ladies night that I host about every other month to enjoy some quality time with friends. I choose a craft or DIY activity, provide the materials, and my friends customize the project to their needs and personal style. We get to try new things as a group and everyone takes home a one-of-a-kind treasure at the end of the night. Its become one of my most favorite hosting opportunities throughout the year. Some of the other things we’ve crafted are:
This Pinterest Party was no exception and we even learned a new splatter painting technique!
How to make DIY clay bowls
Materials
- Oven dry clay (We used Sculpey)
- Clay tools (We found the ball stylus to be the most helpful)
- Rolling pin
- Ruler/straightedge
- Craft knife
- Paint, paintbrushes and/or old toothbrushes (for splatter painting)
- Disposable gloves (for splatter painting)
- Glass soap dispensers (optional)
Process
I started with an idea of how I wanted my clay bowl to function. I’ve seen several soap dispensers on social media in cute little trays, and considering how there was a Dawn bottle living on our countertop until a month ago, we were due for an upgrade. I found these glass soap dispensers online and constructed my clay bowl to fit them. But you could just as easily make a generic clay bowl for jewelry, spare change, keys, decor, etc.
First, start with the base of the bowl (or plate, or tray, whatever you feel like making). To soften the clay, massage between your hands; as you knead it, it becomes more workable. Use a rolling pin to roll the clay to 1/4 inch thick.
Once the clay is rolled out, cut the desired shape of the base. I used my soap dispensers as a guide for my oval (you can see the indentations from the bottom of the dispensers above). I used one of the clay tools to trace the outline of my oval, then cut the shape with my craft knife.
We also experimented with a few other cups and bowls to trace the desired curves we wanted.
After the base is cut, it is time to add a lip, or side to the bowl. Roll out another piece of clay in a long strip. You will need it to be long enough to go around the circumference of the base. If needed, roll the clay into a rectangle, cut in half lengthwise, then attach the two strips to make one long piece.
Now, wrap the strip around the base so the outside edge of the base is within the oval just created by the side wall (as opposed to placing the side wall on top of the base). I chose to construct my bowl this way because I wanted my side wall to look like one thick band and did not want to see a seam between the side and the base.
Pinch the ends of the strip together to close the circle/oval. Use your fingers to smooth the seam together on the outside and inside.
To connect the base and side, and make your piece more leak-proof, roll a thin ‘snake’ of clay and press into the inside seam of the base and side. Use your fingers or a ball stylus tool to blend it down into the base and up the wall.
Lastly, and this was probably the hardest step, turn the bowl over and blend the bottom of the side wall and the base. Since the clay is still malleable at this point, the larger the bowl, the harder this is. Take your time and be patient with it.
When done shaping, its time for splatter paint! When we painted our bowls at this Pinterest party, it was dark outside, so please excuse the lack of photos of this part. Place the bowl in a shallow cardboard box (to prevent paint from splattering everywhere). Dip a paint brush in water, then apply a small amount of craft paint. Use your finger to rub the paint into the bristles. This will dilute the paint slightly. Hold the toothbrush close to the bristles and pull your thumb across the bristles from top to bottom. This will splatter the paint onto the surface. I highly recommend doing a few test runs in an empty cardboard box before putting your piece in there. Its not that this was particularly hard, it just required a few test runs to hone the technique. You also might want to wear gloves for this process.
The main issue we had when splatter painting was too much paint on the toothbrush to begin with, leaving large drops of paint on the bowl. You do not want the toothbrush so wet that it is dripping.
After painting, bake the clay bowls in the oven for 25 minutes at 275 degrees (F). The package directions said to bake for 15 minutes but since some of our pieces were on the thicker side, they needed more time in the oven. I also tented the bowls with foil so they would not brown in the oven. Let the bowls cool completely and you are ready to use your new creation! If you find you have any rough spots, use sandpaper to gently smooth out those areas.
Now we have this cute soap dispenser set up on our counter instead of that ugly Dawn bottle 🙂 Have you worked with clay before? My children loved to join in on this project too – you can see their creations 3 photos above. This is truly a project for all ages. Let me know if you try making these DIY clay bowls – I’d love to hear about it. Comment below or connect with me on instagram @elleandjaydesign. And you can find me here on Pinterest!
