4. Cute Animal Ring Dishes

Functional and irresistibly cute, these small catch-all trays give kids a dedicated spot to store small treasures while practicing basic slab-building and sculpting skills.

  • Materials Needed: Air-dry clay, a rolling pin, a small round bowl or cookie cutter as a template, and metallic gold paint.
  • Step-by-Step Instructions:
    1. Roll out a uniform slab of clay about a quarter-inch thick on a smooth surface.
    2. Use a round cookie cutter or trace around the rim of a small bowl to cut out a clean circle of clay.
    3. Gently lift the flat circle and press it down into the interior of a curved bowl or plate to give the base a gentle, upward-sloping concave rim.
    4. Sculpt a tiny animal head—such as a sleeping cat, a sleepy panda, or a sweet fox face—out of separate clay scraps.
    5. Score both the center of the dish and the bottom of the animal sculpture with a toothpick, add a drop of water, and press them firmly together.
    6. Paint the rim of the dish with metallic gold once dry to elevate the overall aesthetic appeal.
  • Tips for Success: Do not press the clay too thin inside the bowl mold, otherwise, the dish will warp or crack as it shrinks during the drying process.
  • Creative Variations: Instead of animals, sculpt tiny botanical elements like monstera leaves or blooming flower petals rising from the center of the dish.