Make your Own Leaf Dish

Dark, moody November is in full swing. The clocks have gone back, meaning dark nights have descended. Dense grey clouds threaten rain at any moment, and the world has taken a steely, sombre tone. The leaves are still fiery but have begun to disappear into the ground to nourish the earth for winter. Autumn is fading to the colder season, though it felt so brief in the first place. Preserve some autumnal beauty with this simple DIY craft at home!

What You Need

some autumn leaves, with strong veins
air dry clay
a rolling pin
a sharp knife
a bowl
foil
paint, if desired

Gather

To make clay leaf dishes, you must of course begin by gathering leaves. Take the time to do this mindfully - notice the colours and textures of the leaves you gather. Perhaps take a walk to your favourite autumn walking spot, to preserve some of its charm. You could even challenge yourself to identify the trees the leaves belong to. Pick some leaves with interesting shapes and strong veins.

If your leaves are wet, rest them between two paper towels with a book on top to dry and flatten before you craft with them.

Prepare

Roll out your air dry clay. The thickness doesn't matter too much, but be mindful not to roll it too thinly so that your leaf dish isn't brittle once dry.

Place a leaf onto the clay, veiny side down, making sure that all the edges are on the clay. Gently roll your rolling pin over the leaf so that it makes an impression in the clay.

Using your sharp knife, carefully cut around the shape of the leaf and remove excess clay. Once done, you can carefully peel away your leaf from the clay. You should have a perfect replica of your leaf infront of you.

To make it into a bowl shape, line a bowl with foil and gently lay your clay leaf inside so that the edges curl.

Leave your leaf to completely dry up to 48 hours. Once dry, carefully lift it out of the bowl. You could leave your leaf as it is, or paint it if you want to!

Uses

You can use your leaf bowls to hold tealight candles (we will show you how to make tealights from discarded wax melts in a later blog post!!) or jewellery, crystals, or treasures you find on your walks. This is a great activity for all ages!

If you make a leaf dish, we'd love to see your creations! Tag us in your stories on Instagram @willowrose.design

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