Capture the beauty of autumn with this simple DIY project. Create stunning leaf-shaped trinket dishes using materials you probably already have at home. All you need are a few colorful leaves from your yard and a package of clay (either oven-bake or air-dry). Let’s get started!
I made this project four years ago, and while it’s still one of my most popular Fall DIYs, the videos I filmed back then were… rough. So I remade the whole thing from scratch. This time with air-dry clay, matte acrylic paint instead of metallics, and a coat of gold Rub ‘n Buff along the edges for a little extra shine. Same simple technique, even prettier results (in my opinion, anyway). The new air-dry clay section with images follows the original oven-bake clay version.
Garden to Home
I’ve always believed the line between garden and home should be blurry. This series is all about crossing that line. Taking what grows outside and bringing it indoors in beautiful, lasting ways. New projects posted monthly.
Let’s grow together!
Crafting with Clay: Leaf-Shaped Trinket Dishes
Embrace the cozy charm of autumn with this easy DIY project. Create leaf-shaped trinket dishes that add a touch of nature to your home. These versatile pieces can be used to organize keys, jewelry, or simply as decorative accents. Perfect for adding a touch of fall flair to your entryway table or mantelpiece.
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Welcome! I’m Jennifer, and I’ve always believed nature is the most beautiful art supply. For years, I’ve been preserving New England’s blooms and foliage through pressing, drying, and crafting. Let me show you how to capture a little bit of the season and bring it indoors—simply and beautifully.
What You Will Need
I’ll list the materials for both versions below. I don’t think one is better than the other, just different. Oven-bake clay has the advantage of speed, since you can finish the whole project in one afternoon. Air-dry clay needs about 2 days to dry completely before you can paint it.
Materials for this Project
Oven-Baked Version
- A Variety of Fresh Leaves
- Oven-Bake Clay
- Paint Colors of Your Choice (Acrylic Craft or Spray Paint)
- Waverly Antique Wax
Air-Dry Clay Version
- A Variety of Fresh Leaves
- Air-Dry Clay
- Matte Acrylic Paints ( used Apple Barrel matte in English Ivy Green, Chestnut, & Golden Sun
- Antique Gold Rub n Buff
- Waverly Antique Wax
- Air-Dry Clay Varnish
Autumn Leaf Dishes: Oven Bake Clay Version
Let’s go over the details for making the trinket dishes using Sculpty oven bake clay.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Roll out the clay on a silicone baking mat using a rolling pin until it’s about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to accommodate your chosen leaf.
- Place the leaf in the center of the clay.
- Gently press the leaf into the clay with a rolling pin to create a deep impression.
- Use a steak knife to carefully cut around the edges of the leaf.
- Carefully lift the leaf from the clay, starting from the stem end and gently pulling upward.
- Repeat steps 2-5 with different leaves to create a variety of trinket dishes.
Tip: Experiment with different types and sizes of leaves to create unique and personalized trinket dishes.
Step 1: Selecting Your Leaves
One great thing about this project is that you don’t need many supplies to create these pretty trinket dishes! All you need is to go outside and collect a few leaves and grab a package of clay… then paint them whatever colors you like!
When picking out leaves, look for ones with good veining. That’s what leaves a detailed imprint in the clay.
For both versions, I actually used the same types of leaves; I picked a large hydrangea leaf, a maple leaf, and a sunflower leaf.
Step 2: Prepping The Clay
Rolling Out the Clay: To create a sturdy base for your trinket dish, roll out your clay on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper using a rolling pin. Aim for a thickness of about 1/4 inch and make sure it’s big enough to fit your leaf on.
Step 3: Creating Leaf Impressions
Once the clay was rolled out, I placed a maple leaf into the center of the clay and rolled over it with a rolling pin.
After the leaf is imprinted into the clay, use the point of a steak knife or small exacto knife to cut through the clay around the leaf.
Grab the stem end of your leaf and pull the leaf away from the clay.
Doesn’t it look cool already?? After I removed the leaf, I just pulled off the excess clay around the edges leaving the clay leaf.
Step 4: Repeat With Other Leaves
To create a variety of trinket dishes, I repeated the process with a hydrangea leaf and then with a sunflower leaf. This resulted in a beautiful set with different sizes and shapes.
I was particularly impressed with the hydrangea leaf imprint. Its delicate details are truly stunning, and I can’t wait for you to see the finished trinket dish!
Step 5: Shaping The Trinket Dish
To shape your trinket dishes, gently press the clay into shallow oven-safe bowls or create molds from aluminum foil. To prevent sticking, lightly grease the bowls with cooking spray.
This is the part where you will need to get a little creative and raid your kitchen cabinets.
Baking Your Clay Creations to Life
Baking Instructions:
- Sculpey Oven-Bake Clay: Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C). Bake the clay for 15 minutes for a 1/4-inch thick project.
- Other Brands: Check the clay packaging for specific baking instructions
Note: Baking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your clay creations.
Here’s a breakdown of the baking times I used:
- Maple and Hydrangea Leaves in Bowls: Approximately 30 minutes
- Sunflower Leaf in Aluminum Foil: Approximately 20 minutes
Remember to monitor your clay closely during baking to ensure it’s fully hardened.
After I removed the baking sheet from the oven, I left the maple and hydrangea leaves inside the bowls to cool down before removing them.
A Touch of Color: Painting Your Trinket Dishes
Once the leaf dishes are completely cooled, it is time to paint them. For this project, use whatever colors work for you!
Painting The Leaves
Both acrylic craft paints and spray paints will work well with the clay leaves. This step will depend on the look you are going for. I used metallic paints, but matte or glossy paints will work equally as well.
Today I used spray paints because I already had them left over from other projects. I painted the hydrangea leaf with antiqued gold, the maple in a pretty copper, and the sunflower leaf a dark green.
Finishing Touches
Once the paint was dry, I wanted to highlight the natural veins of the leaf and reduce the metallic shine slightly. To achieve this, I applied a small amount of Waverly Antique Wax to the leaves and gently rubbed it in. I love the chalky texture of Waverly wax, which makes it incredibly easy to work with
Finished Oven Bake Clay Trinket Dishes
OK, can you believe a couple of hours ago these beautiful trinket dishes were a pile of clay?? They are just perfect for using on my entryway table this Fall!
This would also be a great project to do with children…But I would just use acrylic paints so they can paint them on their own!
It’s amazing how much detail from the leaves you can see in these little dishes! Honestly, they came out better than I had imagined that they would! I love when that happens with a project.
The hydrangea leaf is definitely my favorite one!! The shape and the point detail at the end of the leaf are giving me heart emoji eyes!!
Creating the Air-Dry Clay Version
I used the same three leaves as before: hydrangea, maple, and sunflower, but this time I skipped the oven entirely and let the clay dry naturally. It takes a little more patience, but I love that this version doesn’t heat up your kitchen, and it’s a nice option if you don’t want to tie up your oven for an afternoon.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Roll out your air-dry clay until it’s about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to fit your leaf.
- Place the leaf in the center of the clay and gently roll it in with a rolling pin to create a deep, detailed impression.
- Use a steak knife/tip of scissors to carefully cut around the edges of the leaf.
- Starting at the stem end, gently lift the leaf out of the clay and pull away any excess clay around the edges.
- Use bowls to form the clay into dish shapes. Make sure to line the bowl with a small piece of parchment paper. Repeat with your other leaves.
- Let the clay leaves dry overnight in the bowls, then you will remove the leaves from the dishes so the bottom of the clay can dry.
Materials For Air-Dry Clay Dishes
This go-round I used Das air-dry clay, and I actually grabbed the same variety of leaves from my garden.
Creating The Leaf Shapes
The process for air-dry clay is exactly the same as oven-bake:
1.Roll the clay out to 1/4 inch thick, and place your leaf on top.
2. Roll over it with a rolling pin so the details imprint into the clay.
3. Remove the leaf and trim around the edges to cut out the leaf shape.
To smooth out any rough edges or small cracks, just use a little water. Dip your finger in a small bowl of water and gently smooth over the spots that need it.
Shaping The Leaf Dishes
To shape the dishes, use a small bowl to gently form the clay into a slight curve. For the large hydrangea leaf, I only wanted the front to bend upward, so I rested the front of the clay leaf against the rounded side of the bowl.
Be sure to line the bowl with a small piece of parchment paper so the clay doesn’t stick to it.
Pro Tip To prevent cracking: Air-dry clay is more prone to cracking than oven-bake clay. Keep your clay a consistent 1/4 inch throughout, avoid pressing it too thin when you shape it into the bowl, and let it dry slowly at room temperature. Away from heat vents or drafts. If a small crack shows up anyway, you can usually smooth a bit more clay into it with a wet finger while it’s still workable.
Let The Clay Bowls Dry For 2 Days
For the first 24 hours, keep your clay leaves in the bowls you used to shape them. This gives them time to form.
But it’s very important to remove the clay leaves from the bowls so the bottoms can fully dry. The bowls prevent even airflow that first day.
Decorating The Air-Dry Clay Dishes
For this version, I grabbed three bottles of inexpensive matte craft paint from Walmart (58¢ a bottle, and works fab!) and used those to paint the leaf dishes. Once dry, I brushed on antique wax to bring out every little detail, then added a touch of antique gold Rub ‘n Buff along the leaf edges for a fun, elegant finish. The last step was sealing the dishes with an air-dry clay varnish, which gives them that shiny, pottery-like finish.
Painting The Clay Leaves
Each leaf needed 2 coats of the matte acrylic paint for even coverage, and I found foam crafting brushes worked best for getting into all the details.
Let the paint dry completely between coats.
Take your time and cover every nook and cranny, but keep an eye out for puddles. You just want a nice, even coat.
Adding Detail With Antiquing Wax
This step is completely optional, you could move right to the last step of brushing on a topcoat if you would like.
Brush a coat of Waverly antique wax over the clay leaf dish, don’t be shocked…I promise you aren’t ruining it!!
Right after you are finished brushing on the wax, take a paper towel or rag and wipe off the excess wax. We just want the wax to settle in the veining of the leaf.
This is a simple step, but the impact is huge on the leaf dishes.
Gilded The Edges
Again this is an optional step. But it does add a pretty detail to the dishes.
Then, for a little extra shine, run a small amount of gold Rub ‘n Buff along just the edges of each dish with a small brush or your finger
It catches the light along the rim without making the whole piece look metallic. It’s a nice way to tie a set together even if you painted each leaf a different color.
I like to squeeze a small amount onto scrap paper or a paper towel first, since you really only need a tiny bit. Lightly brush the edges of the clay leaves with the gold wax, using a light touch.
If it’s your first time working with Rub ‘n Buff, I’d suggest practicing on something else first before gilding the edges of your dishes.
Adding A Topcoat
For our final step, we will use a topcoat to seal the leaf dishes. I sampled 3 different topcoats that I could have used for my set of trinket dishes. I was drawn to the shinier finish and went with the air-dry clay varnish.
This is a very easy process, I suggest using a small sponge brush and brush an even coat over the leaf. Brush in one direction, not back and forth.
I brushed from the stem end of the leaf and followed the veining from middle to edge of the leaf.
Let the varnish dry on the top of the dish, then carefully flip to coat the back side of the dish with the topcoat.
Here is the difference between the leaf without a topcoat and the ones with the varnish.
Finished Air Dry Clay Leaf Dishes
Finished! The air-dry clay varnish has an incredible gloss that makes them look like glazed pottery! Give your dishes a few days to completely dry and cure before using them.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Whichever version you make, you’ll end up with a set of trinket dishes that are as pretty as anything you’d find in a shop, for a fraction of the cost. I love that this project gives you options: reach for oven-bake clay if you want a fast, one-afternoon project, or go the air-dry route if you don’t mind a little extra patience (and want to skip the oven altogether). Either way, the leaves you collect right from your own yard are what make each dish one-of-a-kind — no two will ever turn out exactly the same.
These little dishes are perfect for holding rings and earrings on your nightstand, corralling loose change by the door, or just adding a bit of natural texture to a fall vignette. I’d love to see which version you try, so send me a pic if you make a set of your own!
See your projects featured! If you are inspired by this or any of my other DIY projects, I would love to see them and add you to the Reader’s Spotlight gallery. Send a photo to me at jennifer@cottageonbunkerhill.com
xo, Jennifer
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More Fall Leaf Craft Projects:
My friend Rachel and I are always on the same creative wavelength…this week she used clay to create leaf napkin rings! Such a cute project that I am definitely going to make for Fall!
How to Make Autumn Leaf Clay Trinket Dishes
Here is an easy DIY for Fall! All you need is a package of either air-dry or oven-bake clay and a few leaves from your yard, and a little paint.
Materials
- Fresh Leaves
- Oven-Bake or Air-Dry Clay
- Acrylic or Spray Paints
- Waverly Antique Wax
Tools
- Rolling Pin
- Knife
- Bowls
Instructions
- Gather leaves. Find larger leaves with good veining. I used a hydrangea, maple, and sunflower leaf.
- Roll out your clay to 1/4 inch thickness and large enough to fit your leaf
- Place the leaf on the clay and roll over it with a rolling pin
- Use the tip of a knife to cut out the leaf shape
- Remove excess clay
- Place clay leaf in a small bowl (I wiped a tiny amount of cooking spray inside the bowl to prevent sticking) to create a rounded shape for the trinket dish
- If using oven-baked clay follow directions for baking times on the package
- If using air-dry clay check for dryness after 24 hours, drying time will depend on your climate.
- Once clay leaves are cooled or dried paint them in your choice of colors. You can use either acrylic craft paint or spray paint.
- To bring out the detail of the leaves I brushed a small amount of Waverly antique wax over the leaves when the paint was dried.
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Hello Jennifer!
This project looks so fun and easy. I am hosting a craft night and will be using this project. I have just a couple of questions ahead of party night. What size bowls did you use to place your leaves in to bake? Second question, I noticed a commenter say her and her daughter’s leaves cracked on the bottoms. Do you have a tip you could share that would prevent that from happening so I can share it on craft night? I am so excited for this!
Thank you in advance for your answers 🧡
These are amazing! I love this project so much. 🙂 Shared it on Thistlekeeping! You are such an inspiration!
You are the best!!
Jennifer
These turned out so good. We are on the same page with air-dry leaves this week. lol. Great minds! 🥰🥰
I think my great nieces would love making these for their Mom for Christmas!! Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi!
My daughter and I are making these and we just got them out of the bowls to finish air drying and noticed on the bottom of the dish there are cracks. How do we fix that and/or is there a trick to it not happening again. Thank you in advance for your help.
Eva
Hello!
Wondering if you happened to have received an answer to your question maybe’s private message? I am hosting a craft night with this project. I would like to avoid the cracking ahead of craft night.
Thank you!!!
Susan
Hi! These are beautiful! I’m wondering if I could use these to make my own autumn scented candles . Thank you
I LOVE these, Jennifer! I have never experimented with clay before, but you have inspired me to give it a try! What a simple, yet beautiful project! Pinned!
I’m a novice too! I’ve only made a few projects with clay before.
Jennifer these are gorgeous! I love the shape and the way you finished them. I’ve never worked with this type of clay but am definitely going to try it. Thanks for the tutorial! Pinned!
Thanks so much, Angie!!
Love this Jennifer, they came out just perfect.
You’re the best!! Thanks, Wendy!!
Okay Midas!!!! I love everything you do! These are so stinkin cute!!!!
You are the best!!
GORGEOUS!
Thank you so much!!!
Jennifer, I love this idea so much! I’m definitely going to make some for fall! Thank you so much for such a creative idea! I’m sharing this tomorrow on my Seven on Saturday roundup post! Happy Weekend!!
These leaf bowls are stunning! So creative and beautifully done.
Jennifer I am loving these! You are so stinking creative…I just want to harness some of your creativity! Can you send some my way!!!! Pinned!
Thanks, my friend!! I’ll have to come out and visit you and bring it with me!!
These are simply beautiful! I love the detail of the veins and the final colors. So pretty!
Thanks so much, Mary Beth!
Gosh, Jennifer…these are truly just STUNNING! I love the detail and colors. And I’m with you, the shape of that hydrangea leaf is the perfect one! xoxo, kristi
Thanks, Kristi!!!
I just ordered the clay!!!
Jen-you make the coolest things for home decor. I would love to make these for my kiddos for Christmas for their jewelry. I must make the time!!!
Girl,
These look amazing! Thanks for linking to my napkin rings.
Thanks!!! They did come out cool! Sometimes I impress myself…LOL!!!
Jennifer, I just love how beautiful these turned out. The metallic paint on them makes the leaf pop. Such a fun project!
These turned out so beautiful Jen! That dark wax really highlights all the veining! Def need to make a few this fall!
I know, right!! That wax is everything!!!!
Jennifer!! This is gorgeous!! You seriously have no idea how obsessed I am!! We’re doing homeschool this year and this might be a Autumn at project we do!! ❤️
!000% this is a great project with kids!! I used to love collecting Fall leaves with the daycare kids to do projects.
These turned out so good!!! I want to make them!
You have to! You have so many cool leaves to use!
Wow Jennifer – these trinket dishes are beautiful. I made some a few years ago and never even thought to paint them…they look amazing!
Wow these are beautiful! Love the colors and the shapes.
These would make great gifts.
Pinned!