Supplies:
–white, black, and colored oven bake clay (a few ounces of colored clay and the 1.75 pound white clay will make several dishes!)
-X-Acto knife or plastic clay knife
-small bowl or baking ramekin that is oven safe
–gold liquid gilding and small paintbrush
-rolling pin or large round jar
-large can or jar to trace around
–glaze to seal dish (optional)
1. Roll each color of clay that you want to use into a snake about 5″ long. I usually make two larger rolls of white, a medium roll of grey, a small roll of any color I am using, and then an extra small roll of black. I don’t have exact clay measurements for you (and most people don’t have a scale to weigh exact ounces of clay anyways) so just use the photo as a guide. You basically want enough total clay to roll out a 6″ circle, but don’t worry about getting exact amount of one color or another, even if you use the same recipe every time, each dish will look different.
2. Combine the smaller rolls into one big roll and twist together.
3. Roll the large twist into a snake about twice the original length to combine the colors. Twist the ends opposite ways after every few motions to give the colors more of a candy cane look. Once it’s twice the length, fold the snake in half and twist the two ends together, as pictured above. Repeat the rolling, folding, twisting, and rolling again process 2-3 times.
4. Smoosh all the clay into a ball. You want to see most of your colors on the surface of the ball, so pull the ball in half and re-smoosh together if you don’t.
5. Use a rolling pin or glass jar to roll out your marbled ball. I like to use a glass jar so I can see what is happening as I roll harder or softer over certain colors. The colors should blend together and create a marbled pattern as you roll over it. Try rolling different directions, from the edge, from the center, etc. to push the clay from different angles. Roll to 1/4″ thick.
6. Use a round item about 6″ wide as a template and cut out your dish circle with an X-Acto or clay knife.
7. Place your circle gently into a oven-safe bowl or ramekin that is a little smaller than your circle so it will sag a little in the center and give you more of a dish shape. Bake the bowl according to the temperature on the clay package (mine was 15 minutes at 275°F). Remove the bowl from the oven and allow the clay to cool before turning the larger bowl upside down and tapping lightly until the clay dish falls out.
8. Once the clay is completely cool, use a small brush to paint the rim of the dish and allow the paint to dry. Seal the dish with a glaze if you desire. The glaze won’t make the item food safe or totally waterproof, but it will give you a glossy finish if that’s what you’re into 🙂
Since you are working with oven bake clay the dish will still be a tiny bit flexible when when cooled and feel more like hard rubber than porcelain, but that’s ok! It should still keep it’s shape perfectly fine and hold your rings like a champ.
While the color combinations are endless, my favorites were made with white, grey, black, and two bright colors that make a pretty third color when mixed. I would definitely suggest using a oven-bake clay like Sculpey that is already soft to start with. It will save you a lot of time and finger strength than if you use the clay that requires a lot of kneading to get it to that softness.
If you don’t feel like you’re the DIY type, you can still snag a beautiful handmade ring dish but these bowls turned out even better than I hoped they would! And you can see I was able to make quite a few of them, so I’ll definitely be giving a few away as gifts…how sweet would one of these be as a present with a cute ring already in it? xo. Laura
Credits // Author: Laura Gummerman. Photography: Laura Gummerman and Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with Stella from A Beautiful Mess actions.
247 Comments
WOAH!! These are beyond stunning. One of my favorite projects I’ve ever seen on ABM. I’m going to make 10 for myself and then 10 for everyone else I know.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
I agree with you about them. I will be making them for all the girls in my family for Christmas. I also make jewelry, so I will be making a necklace to go with it or a pair of earrings. Please let me know how yours came out. God bless you! Aly
Alyciapayne621@gmail.com
I WANT TO PURCHASE THE CLAY I WENT TO MICHAELS WEBSITE AND THEY HAVE FIMO CLAY MY QUESTION IS THEY HAVE CLASSIC OR SOFT WHICH DO I PURCHASE , AND DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT BRAND AND WHERE TO GO OR IS THIS OK..
These are beautiful, I love how each one is unique and I can’t wait to try making them myself!!
Ummm these are AWESOME! Can’t wait to make some!
These are gorgeous!!! Might have to make them this week 🙂
LOVE THESE! And they seem simple enough to try with my 9-year-old (very artistic) niece. Looks like nana is going to get some pretty Christmas presents.
Oh, these are so stunning! I love when I find a project that is a) gorgeous b) simple and c) budget friendly. And this one has all three! Great work, Laura!
These are sooo pretty, they’re super cute and so colourful. I love them.
Kate x
http://www.vanillainnovember.blogspot.co.uk
These are simply gorgeous! I’m currently using a handcrafted bowl for my rings and jewelry, but I might have to look into this idea!
Wonder if you could gold or silver leaf the edge. I have never used either on a project but I think it might work for this.
Oh wow, I love these! Can’t wait to make one myself 🙂 These would make such lovely Christmas presents too. One of my favourite tutorials yet!
Those are gorgeous. Love it.
These are great but the whole time I was imagining the underside painted gold, not just the edge. I’m not sure if it would look good or not, but I have it stuck in my mind.
Made one…to test my artistic talent, it soon tuned into 10, then 100 I loved this project and the end result, there are no mistakes everyone I made turned out amazing. Thank you
These are gorgeous! Can’t wait to make some 🙂
This leaves such a nice effect- I really want to try it out!
http://talisatalksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/asos-wishlist-diy-starbucks-pumpkin.html
These are so playful! I will have to try them!
This is annoyingly simply. How do you guys come up with this stuff! I think half my gifts this holiday season are coming from this site!
xoxo Laura
http://www.theaccidentalmama.com
Woah, this is SO awesome! Totally on my to-do list, love it!
These are awesome! I love the colors you used! What a fun project. I can’t wait to try it!
Such a good idea, will definitely give it a go! Liv x
love it! such a great gift idea!
I must try this! They came out gorgeous.
That’s such a cute way to display your rings!
I never even knew there was oven bake clay. These are soo pretty. I know what is on my Xmas gift list now. Thank you for such a lovely post.
I just bought some sculpey and was looking to make some cute items, this is perfect…the marble effect is beautiful…definitely making this one..
xo
Hems
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
they are so pretty!! I really would love to do this with my nieces!! love the color combos.
The content on this site has been so fresh lately. Thanks Laura for this awesome project! Can’t wait to try it ☺️
These are gorgeous! I’m trying hard to think of someone to gift one to. I’m sure I’ll have to make one even if I keep it! Bravo Laura!
These are so adorable! I love it!
Yes Cat I’m with you. Best idea ever.
I cannot wait to try this!
Thank you for sharing!
http://helloscar.wordpress.com
Brilliant! Great idea for girly gifts!!
Oh my goodness, these are SO pretty, and way too easy! LOVE.
xo
Kristina
http://www.eccentricowl.com
These are gorgeous! I love the combination of the gold paint with the colors in the clay. What a great idea!
YAS. So good I would haul ass to Joann’s right now if it wasn’t snowing!!! Thanks Laura! 🙂
Oooooh wow these are by far my favorite DIY clay dishes I’ve ever seen!! More accessible DIY posts like this please!
Definitely going to include this in my homemade gifts roundup post!
Theresa
http://www.underhonesttrees.com
What sort of paint would you recommend? 🙂 Looks so cool! 😀
Is it bad that instead of studying on Sunday I’ll probably be getting supplies to do this project?!
This is so thoughtful and pretty! Added to my must make list.
Love this! Seriously considering making these for my friends for Christmas gifts. But also totally in love with your jewelry.
This is so freaking cool! You ladies are just amazing! Such a fun and creative way to make dishes
Can’t wait to test run this .
great timing as we scan for cool christmas projects
thank you !
These are so pretty!
These are so awesome!
My goodness! This is rocking my socks off!!! Adore.
Pinning this onto my DIY board! This would be such a sweet craft for kids 🙂
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
This is such a beautiful idea! I love how they turned out! What a great DIY christmas gift idea.
http://www.awomanintheworld.com
So creative and such a great idea for holiday gifts!
These look amazing. I need to get back to crafting someday very soon. Might make some Christmas gifts this way.
These are so neat! You’ve sparked me to want and need to make one!
http://arnellavanilla.com
These are out of this world! I am so going to try this for someone’s gift this year!
Wow! I just love this. Going to try and get supplies to make some tomorrow 🙂
Precious!! I like this technique
Me three!!
This is such an amazing idea. I have been loving the marble affect lately and my friends would love these for christmas. I am making them all one! Thanks for the tutorial. Bookmarked for another day x
This is an amazing idea!! Absolutely love it
Before it sets, you could also personalize it some more by stamping in a cute little monogram (if monograms are your kind of thing :P)! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
That’s so cool! I want to try this so bad ;D
x Valerie | Valerie Randomness
Love the different colours – stunning effect and so easy to make
http://highheelsbrownhair.blogspot.co.uk/
Oh, this is gorgeous. Definitely in the top 10 of DIYs on your site. Love the colours!
http://stainsofpaint.blogspot.com/
Wow these are amazing! And actually not too hard to make – love it!
http://www.liquidgrain.co.uk
My oh my these look beautiful, so so cute x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
waowwww! i must try this out. love the finished designs
Omg this is absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait to try this!
These are stunning! They’d make such great gifts!
Perfect! They would be great for all sorts of little items from jewelry to pins to little hair bows 😉
These are so cute!
What a super brilliant idea. I haven’t seen molding clay used in so long and this is such a great way to use it. I am def. going to pick some up when I am in the US this winter and try to make some!
rae of love from berlin
Laura, you are my favorite! These are so pretty. I cannot wait to try it. I’m so glad you are a part of the ABM team! Big hugs from Pittsburgh! 🙂
They look amazing!! I’ll definitely be giving this a try!
http://www.peonyandpeach.blogspot.com
these are AWESOME! perfect christmas gift ideas!!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
Yup. Making this tonight as soon as I get home.
One of my favorite DIY’s, like ever! Such a simple project with big results, love it!
These are SO awesome! I am going to make a ton of these for gifts. Thank you for the wonderful idea.
this is such a great idea x i’m totally going to try this out!
http://threemiscellaneousgirls.blogspot.co.uk/
I’m on board with everyone else saying these are just beautiful! A great small diy gift!
Thanks so much ABM! 🙂
I’m going to do the exact same thing, but make them coasters! If i lay them flat on wax paper, will they bake flat and not stick?
I haven’t been this excited to try my hand at a craft project in a LONG time!! I have a feeling this is going to make EXCELLENT Christmas gifts for all of the ladies on my list!
You totally could, try it!
Laura 🙂
I think the entire bottom painted gold would be awesome too! I almost did it, but I actually forgot at the last minute 🙂
Laura
I linked my favorite in the supply list 🙂
Laura
Totally! Elsie did that in another ring dish DIY and it looks so cute!
Laura 🙂
Aw, thanks Heather! That’s my hometown too!!
Laura 🙂
Yep, it should work just fine! I’m not sure how it would react to moisture without being sealed, so I would buy a clear clay sealer as well 🙂
Laura
This is so cool! I’ll definitely give this a try.
I absolutely LOVE these, Laura! I think I might make a few for holiday gifts for friends. 🙂 -Mandi
Hello beautiful handmade Christmas presents! Love these! Thank you! I know two ladies who would love these!
100 times yes!!!! I need to try to make these.. such cool pieces!
Pretty idea!!
Its a shame that I couldn’t find colored clay, just white
Saludos!
(:
Love this idea! Did you seal the bowls with a glaze?
Woooow! I’m so gonna do this ???
Those ring dishes are lovely
Jill
This is stunning!! I want to make this.
Valentina
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
These are too cute! I love the idea of mixing the clay.
After reading this I immediately bought clay and tried it. Such a great idea! One question, my clay is Sculpey PREMO. It say to bake at 275 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, my bowl was still flexible. Is this normal or should I keep it in the oven longer to harden more? Thanks!
LOVE!
I didn’t since I won’t be putting wet items in it, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt!
Laura 🙂
Hmm, well, the bowls are a little flexible if you try to bend them (once they have totally cooled of course), but they should maintain their shape. They won’t feel like hard porcelain, so don’t expect that level of hardness, but as long as they keep their shape they should have baked long enough to do the job 🙂
Laura
Gorgeous! Can’t wait to give these a try!
This is beyond amazing! Really nice job! I might try it myself 😀
x J. from I ate noodles for breakfast
I just finished making 4 of these and am in love! So simple and stunning, woohoo stocking stuffers.
I found it easy to bake the clay forms draped over small oven proof bowls. And made a small ring bowl by baking it in the bottom of a ramekin. Thank you Laura for a fun, cute, easy, glitzy DIY.
Super cute! I definitely need some of those! Would you tell me where you got that oragami boat necklace?
This looks so possible, not too hard is my DIY style. Thank you for posting.
Waw I love it!! I will try this at home
These are absolutely beautiful! I’m definitely going to make one of these soon and this is one of my favourite posts I’ve seen on this blog!
Beauty and Lifestyle Blog
xx
Lovely diy 🙂
http://inspiremeland.com
Emma
These are gorgeous! Laura, about how much clay do you need per bowl?
I saw these yesterday, and thought how beautiful, and oh, something I could do. Just went to Hobby Lobby this morning and just finished my first 2, of violet, white, black and lavender. It was one of the most simple, yet stunning crafts I’ve done. Thanks for this Project, girls.
Are most bowls oven safe…? Not sure how I would know if mine weren’t…Help!
So I made my first round of these (thinking of making them for Christmas gifts) are they supposed to harden? Mine are still slightly flexible, also, any tricks to have to nicer edges?
Gorgeous! Definitely going to try these for some Christmas present! How much clay (weight wise) do you need per bowl roughly?
Gorgeous! Love this idea. I have tons of jewelry that needs corralling, too 🙂
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I’m going to make these for all my female co-workers for Christmas this year. Thanks for the idea!
Excuse me while I go make 20 of these because they’re so easy and cute!
Love this post, thank you so much!!
I absolutely LOVE this clay ring dish idea! I have so much loose jewelry lying around. This will be perfect!
I absolutely LOVE this clay ring dish idea! I have so much loose jewelry lying around. This will be perfect!
in AWE of these!!!! so amazing , can’t wait to make for some fun Christmas gifts!
These are so beautiful and what better way to display and store your rings 😀
Thanks for sharing this with us!
-Miss Sennnaa
BLOG: http://miss-sennnaa.blogspot.com
These are so great Laura! They were easy, fun and fast to make- perfect for me! They look lovely too. I used the cuttings to make some smaller ring dishes, using a small ramekin. Thanks for the great idea. I know what my friends will be getting as gifts.
Beautiful! Are they washable?
I cannot WAIT for my stuff to arrive so I can make these! Do you think they’d work as placemats if you baked them flat? Or even a surface protector for the kitchen?
Hi Marie!
It’s hard to say, but check how much clay there is compared to my hands in the picture for a reference, or just roll out a ball of plain clay and see how big a circle it makes and adjust your final colors from there 🙂
Laura
http://www.brit.co/marbled-jewelry-trays/
Couldn’t find a way to make it your own?
Do you know exactly how many ounces of clay are needed for the bowl?
I love these! Is there a clear coat that could be applied at the end to give a satin or glazed finish?
I just made two pretty little purple, white and silver dishes! Very simple and easy DIY project that has already been put to use.
One question though, I don’t have one of the clay knives and used an ordinary sharp kitchen knife and the edges of my dishes are quite rough (as to be expected), any ideas on how to sand them down to a smoother consistency without damaging the clay?
Beautiful! Pinned these.
<3 Christina @ I Gotta Create!
Wildly Original link party is open
Do we have to use gold gilding or would paint work fine? Thanks!
How much clay did you use to make however many you made? Just wondering how many packages of Sculpey I need to buy 🙂
This is such a great project! We did it with the kiddos this past weekend and they turned out beautiful. Plus, they make the best gifts! Personal and pretty and something people will use. Love! I posted ours on my blog and referenced you: http://www.fetchingfun.blogspot.com. Thank you!
I made these this weekend to give as Christmas gifts for all my girlfriends. Took it one step further and stamped each girls monogram into the bottom of the bowl and gold leafed the monogram as well. Adobrable!
Two questions, it looks like the edge of the bowl looks very smooth which makes it easier to paint the edge. how did you get the edge so flat and smooth? Maybe I’m not making them thick enough.
And also – any thoughts on how to make the bottom a little flatter so the bottom of the bowl is more stable on a flat surface?
Great post!
question, about what size was the small oven proof bowl you used?
Just spent the night making these for Christmas gifts! I ended up painting the bottoms all gold & painting a small gold heart on the inside of each bowl. Thanks for the great & easy project idea!! ?
These are so lovely! I love the gold edges as well 🙂 definitely want to give this a try!
Emily xxx
http://www.emilymaydesigns.com
What a fun and easy idea for Christmas gifts! I love a DIY gift project.
Love these – just made some and wondering if I could glaze them with something to make them shiny…?
I am wondering this too! I’m tempted to glaze them so they look more finished…and I need to practise making the edges better! X
My nine year old and I made these today and I love them! I linked to this tutorial on my blog. Thank you so much for this awesome craft
Stacy
In response to Catie…. I tried high-gloss spray paint and it did not stick, but clear nail polish did!
Stacy
Are these still safe to eat off of?
Hi Julie! They are not food safe 🙂 -Jacki
Wow! Those are so cool!
Do you think these plates would be safe to eat off of?
Hi Julie! They aren’t food safe, so I wouldn’t recommend it. 🙂 -Jacki
Hi Laura, thank you for sharing this DIY, I’ve made about 6 bowls now and absolutely love them!
Question for you: I find the bowls are a bit flimsy. Any suggestion on how to make them more firm? Perhaps I’m not baking them long enough. Any feedback would be great.
– Lauren
What a lovely idea! I hope I can pull this off coz it would be nice to give this away for the holidays 🙂
Just wondering if you need to coat the bowl with some thing or does it just pop off/out once cooled??
Do you finish the bowl with a gloss?
My bowl cracked any hints for me?
These look so cool! I’m definitely going to try them & they’re perfect to give to someone as gifts!
thank you for the stunning idea and easy project directions… worked out beautifully on the first try! i used nested, clear Pyrex bowls – 12 cm to cut the circle and placed that on the underside of the next size up. looking through the glass made it nice to tidy up the edges before baking.
Just made 6 of these – soo much fun, beautiful and so easy! More to make for all my friends for Christmas. Thanks for the fabulous idea!
how many bowls can you get out of one pack?
I can’t find gold liquid gliding anywhere! Is their a chance I could use something else?
Hi Cath! You can use any kind of gold paint 🙂 -Jacki
Approximately how much clay do you need per bowl? I’m planning to order from amazon and don’t want over/under order.
Thanks!
I absolutely LOVE this project and have already made six ring dishes! However, I bought the same liquid gilding you suggested and cannot get it to dry. After almost a week, all 6 bowls are still sticky where I applied the gilding. Did this happen to yours? Any advice?
This is a must do , i love marble print
Where do you find oven-safe bowls that are that small? I can’t wait to make these!
I love these dishes. I bought my clay, but I am wondering – did you glaze it with something? Or did the clay come out shiny like in the photos? Do you think it needs a glaze and if so, any suggestions?
Thank you! =)
Me three!
i was wondering how many dishes does this make?
Hi Jennifer! It’s hard to estimate, so I would just buy a medium sized portion of white and then small packages of whatever colors you want and you should be able to make several from that. You use mostly white percentage wise. Hope that helps! 🙂 -Jacki
Hi Adrienne!
It’s hard to estimate, so I would just buy a medium sized portion of white and then small packages of whatever colors you want and you should be able to make several from that. You use mostly white percentage wise. Hope that helps! 🙂 -Jacki
I wonder if you could sprinkle some ultra fine glitter in it too.
Hi Sonia! They aren’t glazed, but you can always add that after they are cooled. 🙂 -Jacki
Hi Marissa! It’s hard to estimate, so I would just buy a medium sized portion of white and then small packages of whatever colors you want and you should be able to make several from that. You use mostly white percentage wise. Hope that helps! 🙂 -Jacki
Did you have any trouble with the gold paint not drying completely? I made some of these (love!), and used a gold enamel paint pen. Two days later, it’s still tacky. I can’t find a gold in acrylic that I like, so I’m feeling a little flummoxed…
Does anyone have any tips on what kind of surface to roll the flat out on? I made one dish successfully but can’t seem to get it right again. Help!
We’re making these lovelies next weekend at our first She’s Crafty Afternoon. I’m trying to order the clay now…any sense of how many dishes each block of clay might make? I know I’ll need more white, followed by grey, then black + two colors, but what would really help is knowing how much of the block of clay shown does it take to make the skinniest colorful rolled out strings?/How many skinny strings could one block of clay produce? Merci! We’re really excited 🙂 (P.S. the other craft we’re making is the stamped gold bracelets!)
So, I had trouble with the gold paint (enamel) staying tacky and decided to go another route (although painting over the enamel with a water based varnish helped). First I got an acrylic gold paint pen and it was hardly gold – just kinda orange. Totally hideous. Next try, I applied my varnish just to the edges, plopped on some gold leaf sheets and let dry. I brushed off the excess leaf and then varnished the edges again to seal everything up. Love it! It’s a bit more work than a quick brush of gold paint, but it’s all dry and looks shockingly fabulous (if I may say so myself :)). Thanks for the great idea for these little bowls. I hope the recipients love them as much as I do!!
So I baked them for about 30 minutes… nothing happened… what did i do wrong does it need to be a raw bowl? Not a finished bowl… So confused.. I really want to make these for Christmas gifts! If anyone could help?!
Love! What did you roll the clay on? I just made one and it stuck to the glass board. Would wax paper work? Also I found that if you don’t mix the colors too much before and just mix when you roll it out, the colors turn out much like the pictures above.
It didn’t work for me… what did I do wrong after I baked it nothing happened except for that it hardened and came out but the bowl was still what..? Can you help me?
Tawny, the Sculpy stays somewhat flexible even after baking…it’s a plastic clay and doesn’t get rock hard like regular clay. If you let it cool, it should end up firm enough to hold the shape. I’ve never worked with this stuff before and I was a little confused when I took out my first batch, but a few bowls later (I even made a BIG one :)), I realized it’s just the nature of the clay. But, it shouldn’t be wet…I baked all of my mine at 275 for an even hour which was probably overkill, but worked just fine.
You can get it here:
http://www.shlomitofir.com/product-1230-Long_Paper_Boat_Necklace_.aspx
Laura 🙂
If you don’t have a bowl that says oven safe, try using a small cooking ramekin instead 🙂
Laura
They won’t harden like a porcelain would, but they should keep their shape although you can flex them a bit, that’s totally fine! You can also carve the edges with an X-Acto knife to flatten an area as needed 🙂
Laura
It’s hard to say since I can’t measure it very well in inches like other material, just flatten out a clump of just white and see how big a circle you get. Use that as a guide to add more or take some away (and the dishes can be all sorts of sizes too) 🙂
Laura
No, not washable, but you could seal them with a glaze and then I bet you could wipe one down if needed.
Laura 🙂
I would probably just marble a placemat with a different method (that would be a lot of clay!) and I don’t know how they would react under a hot pot, so I’m not sure about that one…
Laura 🙂
It’s hard to say since I can’t measure it very well in inches like other material, just flatten out a clump of just white and see how big a circle you get. Use that as a guide to add more or take some away (and the dishes can be all sorts of sizes too) 🙂
Laura
I actually haven’t seen that post, but hers look great! Marbling clay certainly isn’t a new invention, this DIY is just how I figured out the easiest way for me to do it, it took me a few tries to get it to look right 🙂
Laura
Most clays also sell glazes you can use on top of the clay 🙂
Laura
I cut my edges with an X-Acto knife, but you can also use an X-Acto knife once they clay is baked to whittle the edges and cut off any big bumps. I don’t think sand paper would work since the clay doesn’t harden rock solid, it’s still a little flexible so I’m not sure it would sand smoothly
Laura 🙂
Paint is fine too 🙂
Laura
It’s hard to say since I don’t have a scale to weigh the clay, just flatten out a clump of just white and see how big a circle you get. Use that as a guide to add more or take some away (and the dishes can be all sorts of sizes too) 🙂
Laura
I cut the edges with an X-Acto knife and they did come out pretty smooth but I used the knife again to whittle any bumps on the edges that bothered me after it was baked. You could also sit the dish at the bottom of the bowl as you bake it so it’s touching the bottom of the bowl and you’ll get a flat spot.
So glad you liked them!
Laura 🙂
Most clays also sell different glazes to go on top, like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Polyform-Sculpey-Glaze-1-Ounce-Glossy/dp/B004HKSYKM
Laura 🙂
They should be a little flexible, they won’t be rock solid like a porcelain dish. If they feel too flimsy, try making them thicker but they should keep their shape just fine when sitting on a table 🙂
Laura
Nope, it should just come out if you turn the bowl upside down and tap it lightly. You can stick something thin in between the clay and bowl if you need to though if it needs help 🙂
Laura
No, but you can use this:
http://www.amazon.com/Polyform-Sculpey-Glaze-1-Ounce-Glossy/dp/B004HKSYKM
I liked it matte though
Laura 😉
Hmm, I haven’t had any dishes crack. Make sure you are baking the right amount of time for the thickness (it should say on the package), maybe you baked it too long or made it too thin?
Good luck!
Laura 😉
Hmm, that’s odd! Sometimes that can happen with paints, but I didn’t have that experience with my dishes. Maybe try another paint overtop of it instead or seal it with a glaze?
http://www.amazon.com/Polyform-Sculpey-Glaze-1-Ounce-Glossy/dp/B004HKSYKM
Laura 🙂
You can use small baking ramekins too 🙂
Laura
I used the paint that I linked after the dish was completely cool and I had no trouble. Maybe try gold leafing the edge instead?
Laura 🙂
I don’t know exactly how many oz. you need per dish (and the dishes can be different sizes too). I would just use the pictures as a guide proportion wise for how much color you add (it’s mostly white though as you can see). Have fun!
Laura
That’s weird! Maybe it was a bad batch of clay? I only needed to bake mine for 15 minutes and they were fine and you should be able to do it with any oven safe bowl or ramekin. Maybe try a different brand of clay or a new package?
Good luck!
Laura
Just roll it on wax paper on a hard surface 🙂
Laura
Yep, HipGrrrrl is right! It should be a little flexible, but not wet for sure. Maybe try a new batch of clay or check your oven and baking instructions for minutes per thickness of clay? I only had to bake mine for 15 minutes so it shouldn’t take too long…
Good luck!
Laura
Hi! I just made these tonight and they’re sooo beautiful! However, after I baked them they’re a little bit soft, and bendy. Is that normal? I followed the directions for oven temp and time? Is there any way to make them harder? Thanks so much!!
Making these for Christmas gifts this weekend! So exciting! : )
Just made these, and I’m trying to decide if I should seal them. What sealer do you like to use? Thanks – this is a super fun project!
Could you use a spray on sealer.I use it for alot of projects and they come out glossy you may want to try.good luck and these are beautiful gifts to give with a pin for your sweater in the dish
Hey, I love your diy marble bowls! I’ll do this project soon and I need some few feedback. Can I use a metallic gold paint instead of a gold gliding? Thx!
I used Testors metallic gold paint on mine and it worked fine.
I’ve also used this concept and made them as coasters – they’re beautiful!
Wow!, that’s pretty cool and going to try that today! Thanks for the idea
Gonna make these for my sister’s birthday 🙂
Hi Eslie and Emma!
We love your blog!
I think you’d really like our home decor products too! Visit Kamsah.com. Would love to get your thoughts 🙂
I LOVE these! I am so going to make them with my daughters and post them on my website´s blog.
I made these with my 3 and 4 year old boys for my wife for mothers day. She was so impressed that she made one for her mother, my mother, and both her sisters. Thanks for the wonderful idea that allowed a dad to pull off an expert level mothers day!
Love these! Making them now as a bridal shower favors!
There are such a brilliant idea! Will be adding them to my to-DIY list xx
These are awesome, love the colour work and the ease of crafting! Totally need to give this a try.
I so like those for flatlays – I probably wouldn’t make my own, but search on Etsy to find one. Thanks for the idea!
Hi Laura. Fantastic idea and tutorial 🙂 Our readers will love this! Have included it in our Crafty Like Granny weekly Craft roundup. https://craftylikegranny.com/crafting-happiness/ Cheers Emily
Woah, these are totally gorgeous. I so have to try this.
My oven bake sculpey melted at 275 for 15 min. Was a mess and hard to remove from bowl. Any idea what happened?
Hi Kay! Did you bake it according to the package directions? It might vary depending on your oven.
Hello! I am not sure if you will see this comment, but I am hoping you can help me out! I recently bought my first home and I am trying to decorate on a budget! I am a beginner gardener/ bird watcher. I have been looking everywhere for some sort of cute DIY bowl to put a little bird seed in or maybe even a little water if I can put a waterproof/ animal safe glaze on it. All of the new ones are quite pricey and not very unique looking.
My main question is- what is the final consistency like of the bowl? Is it very smooth, or quite rough? The birds will not enjoy it if it is too smooth as they will slip.
Anyway, I know I was rambling, but I hope to hear from you 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful DIY idea!
Hi Tabatha! If you don’t seal them with a glaze, they won’t be as smooth. They will have a little texture from the clay, though.
These are stunning! Do you think it would work to use a muffin tin versus a ramekin, to do 6 at once? And would it be ok to still use that tin for baking in afterwards? Thanks!
Hi Barb! Any round item that’s around 6″ wide would work. The inside of a muffin tin would probably be too small.
I made a few of these this morning. They turned out pretty nice, however:
-even using the soft sculpey, I had to work it really hard with my fingers. (The video makes it look so easy! Mine was crumbling all over the place.)
-I’d say each one took about 20 minutes to work, start to oven.
-One of my colors was a sparkly gold, and using gloss glaze definitely brought the sparkles out, gave it some depth.
I just made four of these for little Christmas gifts for family members! I had looked up instructions for clay coasters, which turned out well, and in my search I ran across your site. I’m sure I will make more with all different colors. They are turning out so pretty!
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Great looking project! & I was about to Pin it on Pinterest; however, I wish you would have listed the brand name(s) of the clay you used, to ensure that the final product produced the same results, as it is my understanding that all oven bake clays vary in time/temp of cooking needed based on the brand..so, any chance of getting the actual clay product types/names? I realize you initially likely left them off to open the project up to more craft versions, but the devil’s in the details and I think that’s likely what caused the issues with most people’s final projects (well, that and oven temps & heat distribution vary greatly, so the projects likely didn’t get an even heat bake), which can be avoided, along with some of the clay baking pitfalls, if you follow a few tips, I read a great article discussing them on:
http://www.polymerclayer.com/baking-polymer-clay.html
fyi, I have no affiliation with that website nor its owner!..just a great article that may help others avoid clay baking issues..Thanks for posting your nifty & beautiful project! Hope you’ll share the brands so I can try it out! Have a Great New Year, 2018!
First, thank you for this post! I was looking for inexpensive beautiful useful DIYs to gift en masse. This is a hit with my husband’s family, my mom’s family, and work. I’ve made ~30ish so far. My mother in law even took 2.
This is my first clay project. I have no special tools. I used a plastic knife to cut the rolls.
I bought all regular Sculpey (advice: buy at least 3lbs white, because you’re going to want to keep making them)
I bought 8oz of black and 8oz of grey. The grey in stock in my local stores only came in “firm.” It’s definitely noticeably harder to roll the grey, but it combines when rolled out just fine.
I also bought the variety color pack.
For the gold, I used something I think is called liquid leaf. It’s a tiny little jar for $5-$10 and would probably paint the rims of hundreds of these.
I also bought the Sculpey glaze.
Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, and JoAnn’s all regularly have 30-50% off one item.
I just kept going to each and buying one at a time.
Sculpey advised to bake 15 mins for each 1/4″ thickness. They say don’t underbake and don’t overbake.
I listened to them. As she says, this doesn’t come out like pottery, although it does get firmer as it cools.
If yours is still raw, you’re probably using the wrong type of clay or not following instructions.
a) My first batch I realized I didn’t use enough clay. Now I measure about 95 grams and that seems to be perfect.
I obsessively make obviously much smaller rolls than I need to. I just throw some white on the scale, then a little black, then grey, then colors (in proportions she listed), then I add white rolls to get to ~95g. Mine are typically smaller than 6″, so you may want to start with 100g and see how big your circles are at 1/4″ thickness.
b) I now put the ball on top of a silicone baking mat and top it with a piece of parchment paper. I roll them with a kitchen rolling pin over the parchment paper. (Before I thought of the silicone mat, I rolled between two pieces of parchment paper). I do this because when I used my bare formica countertop, sometimes the clay would stick to the rolling pin or the counter. I try my best to roll them in circle shapes. Once, I made little rolls out of a whole 1.75lb pack of white, then grey, then black, then a bunch of colors. I normally try to do assembly line like that, but I think it’s best to have the clay softest, and do only a few at a time.
c) I don’t make them exactly 6″ and I don’t make them perfect circles. I’m guessing mine are more like 5″. I don’t measure the thickness either, but it seems like approx 1/4″ to me. Originally, I wanted them perfect circles with uniform thickness, but nothing I had came to mind with 6″ diameter, and I was in a hurry. I also didn’t like the idea of throwing away scraps. I actually like they way they look without measuring. They look unique and handmade, in a good way, not like a machine made commercial product. I form them in these 4 Le Creuset cereal bowls that I already had. I use the white Corelle for everyday, but thought the shape of the Le Creuset seemed better.
d) It’s very hard to mess things up. When I put not enough clay at first, I had to add, then reroll and mix. The colors were much more marbled together. However, everything really looks great. Another time, a small piece cracked off when removing it from the bowl. I was disappointed at first, then I realized it looked ‘artsy.’ So I just painted the gold along the broken off piece and it looked fantastic. As far as color combinations, most look great. People sell these things on Etsy and you can search that for ideas. You can even mix the clays together to get other colors (search Sculpey mixing colors). You can use more than two additional colors as well. I like ones I did with three different shades of the same color. I also did local sports team colors. Pales, brights, they all look good. My variety pack came with a darker brown (ick)… however, I saw ones with brown and turquoise and they looked great. I’m going to try that to use up the brown.
e) I paint them with one coat of glaze. It says you can paint more. I just painted the inside.
Is there any kind of sealant/glaze that can be used to make them food safe?
Thank you for such a great craft idea! I did this with my teenage niece who loved working on this for a whole afternoon. We found that the more rolling you do, the more amazing the colours, which become almost pastel versus a few rolls, which makes just typical primary colours. This is the only craft I’ve actually tried from you guys, after years of reading you. And it was totally worth it. Thank you.
I made these with my Jr. High special ed students to give to their moms on mothers day. They were so easy and they turned out soooo good! The students loved making them and I got messages from all the moms that they absolutely loved them!
What a fantastic idea! love the color choices and practice will be my Motto :). I plan on making these as family gifts and/or office gifts, some monogramed and dated. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beautiful, and look forward to trying it out. By the way, is this polymer clay, or just standard clay?
These are beautiful!
I made two last night and they both bubbles up in spots and then the bubble kind of melted…. it seems this is fool proof for everyone else. Not sure what I did wrong. Mi baked at 275 for 15 min.
Any tips??!
Seems I bought molding clay and not oven bake clay. What a waste of money darn it
I can’t seem to figure out what “glaze” to use. Please advise?
Um…it looks really good and easy but i dont have any clay…will it work with something else like plasteline or playdough…?
Hi! I was just wondering, when you put the bowls in the oven, it the clay supposed to melt and turn into liquid? =/ just not sure if i’m doing this right!
Hi! No it’s not supposed to melt. Did you follow the instructions on the package- it must be a different kind of clay.
xx!
What size ramekin do you use? Thank you!
Oh wow! My daughter is desperate to start playing with clay and this would be a perfect first project! They’re beautiful! Thank you for sharing. x
Hi! This looks beautiful . Thanks for posting! I’m ordering supplies to do this with friends and was also wondering the size of the bowl\ramekin? I’ll have to order some oven safe ones and wanted to made sure I get the right size. In the post it says use a smaller bowl then the 6″ diameter cut but watching the video it looks like a bigger bowl was used for baking. Thanks!!
I’ve really enjoyed making these. Thank you for sharing such a great idea. I have a question about getting the bubbles out. Sometimes, not every time, I get bubbles in the clay from rolling it and folding it. Like little air pockets. They’re not evident when I’m rolling it out. They appear once baked. Any help is appreciated. Thank you again!!