Make your own Boho Pottery Dishes

This post brought to you by ACTIVA Products–makers of the best air dry clays!In college, I took a few courses in ceramics.  I had the best instructor–Dana.  She got me hooked on “hand-building” which simply means using your hands to construct a piece from clay instead of the pottery wheel. This is a really easy project that you can do at home.
I’m using ACTIVA Plus clay in jet black.  You can buy it at your local craft store or online and it comes in other colors; white and terra cotta.
This is my craft-only rolling pin.  I roll the clay out to about 1/8-1/4″ thick.  It may take a couple tries to get it just right.
For texture and design, you can stamp it with these wood block stamps.  The black ones are the real deal from India.  The white ones are from Plaid Enterprises–I saw them in Hobby Lobby or you can get them online. Stamp your piece so you get an all over pattern.
You can use an extra large circle cookie cutter to cut out a circle or use a knife with round template (like a plate).Stamp the edge a little more if you like…
then dip your finger in water and run it along the edge of the clay to smooth out.
Drop your piece into a plastic lined mini pie plate (or other bowl form) and set in the sun to dry.
Once the front is set up, you can pull them from the pie plate, flip over and leave to dry completely.  You could also put them by a heater.
To finish, I sprayed them with clear Krylon gloss spray paint.  Then, I dipped a paper towel in water and Apple Barrel white acrylic paint and rubbed over the surface of the bowl.  Use a dry paper towel to wipe up excess paint.  Optionally, you can seal them again with the Krylon gloss paint.

Why spray them with gloss first?  Because this seals up the clay surface so the paint doesn’t get too settled into the porous surface.You know I love jewelry–and these bowls are just the thing to keep on my dresser to hold it all.  Now I only need about seventy-five more.

**These are not food-safe.  For pretties only.