I took a ceramics class years ago and immediately fell in love with the process of making something with my hands.
I didn’t have the time—or the setup—to fully get back into ceramics, so I started looking for a simpler way to play with clay at home. I kept noticing little sculptural dishes and trays in some of my favorite home stores and thought, I could make my own version of that.
So I picked up some air-dry clay and started experimenting.
The Idea
I wanted to create a collection of small dishes that felt useful but still looked like little objects of art.
I made several different shapes and ring holders, but two of my favorites were a sculptural split-leaf dish and a simple round dish with a faux marble finish.
The beauty of working with clay is that there really isn't one perfect outcome. You can change the shape, color, texture and finish depending on what you love—or who you're making it for.
Playing with Shape + Finish
For the leaf dish, I started with a simple organic shape and cut away sections to create the recognizable split-leaf silhouette. Once dry, I painted it a deep green and sealed the surface with a glossy finish.
The marble dish was more of an experiment.
Instead of painting the pattern directly onto the clay, I created a swirled marble effect using drops of nail polish in water and dipped the finished dish into the pattern. The result was beautifully imperfect—each dip created something completely unique.
That's still one of my favorite things about projects like this. You can begin with the same basic material and end up with pieces that feel entirely different.
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Want to Make Your Own?
I filmed the full process, including how I shaped the clay, created the split-leaf design and experimented with the faux marble finish.
Watch the DIY Clay Trinket Dishes video below to see how I made them.