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DIY Clay Jewelry Dish

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It’s hard to believe that I have yet to find the ideal system for organizing my jewelry. Where is that perfect piece of storage for necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets so they could all live happily and neatly in a single place?! Alas, I have a handful of decorative ceramic bowls and porcelain dishes scattered along my dresser, separating rings from bracelets from earrings. And after seeing this tutorial on how to create a sweet faux porcelain dish, I immediately had to try it. Why not add more to my ever growing collection . . .

You’ll need:

  • one small and one medium sized ovenproof bowls
  • a baking sheet or wax paper
  • a paper or fabric lace doily
  • a rolling pin
  • 2 ounces of polymer clay
  • a knife
  • an oven
  • a nail file (optional)

Preheat the oven to 275°F (130°C). Even though most polymer clay is non-toxic, all the surfaces and tools that comes in contact with the clay should be strictly used for crafts and not reused with food. The first step is to condition the clay. Knead the clay in between your fingers, until it becomes softer and more pliable. Then, start rolling out the clay on a baking sheet or wax paper.

The clay should be rolled out to a thickness of 1/4″. Place a paper or fabric lace doily over the clay and make an imprint with the rolling pin. Gently peel the lace doily away from the clay.

Turn a small bowl over and place it over the clay. Using a knife, trim away any excess clay from the perimeter.

Carefully lay the circular clay piece into a larger and shallow bowl. Place the bowl onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for approximately 15 – 20 minutes.

Allow the bowl to cool completely before removing the clay dish. Use a nail file to smooth out the edges. I personally prefer to keep it white, however, I’m sure it would look just as cute painted gold or sprayed painted in another color. Enjoy!!

(all images by HonestlyWTF; tutorial adapted from here)

100 Comments

  1. Valeria    February 21, 2012

    Thank you! I wanna do a lot of them in pastel colors <3

    Where did you get those lovely tiny rings in the last pic?

  4. Truebluemeandyou    February 21, 2012

    This is lovely and so doable. I’ve been doing polymer clay crafts/jewelry for a long time and anyone can do this project. Also, thank you for highlighting the fact that once polymer clay touches something, no food should come in contact with it. I use a cheap toaster oven to bake it in so I don’t have to use my oven.

  5. Casey@Good. Food. Stories.    February 21, 2012

    I share the same frustration over the lack of one perfect jewelry storage solution – this is an adorable make-do until that glorious day when someone invents the ULTIMATE jewelry organizer!

  18. emm    February 21, 2012

    I love those bowls and I made several for my wedding and for friends but there is one thing I’d like to add to your post: The original tutorial is from Sodapop: http://sodapop-design.de/2011/01/diy-doily-bowl/ – I think she should receive credit for it and not someone who just stole her pictures. Furthermore she used a special clay that you don’t have to bake in the oven but it will just air-dry.

  27. Rita Kate    February 21, 2012

    People, I hate to tell you that there are some health concerns about clay that is cooked in your oven. You should not mix food utensils and craft medium. Use separate tools and separate cooking oven. I use an inexpensive stove top oven after checking the temperature with an oven thermometer. Better safe than sorry.

  30. xSteenz    February 21, 2012

    A really good way to display jewellery is by adding small hooks to an old printing press tray. You can DIY or buy it from an etsy seller like this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61188004/jewelry-display (not my shop)
    In the summer I went to an antique market and bought a tray for $10 – I got the fun of DIY, a new jewellery stand, and an item with a piece of history attached to it.

  33. Sheryll    February 21, 2012

    What an awesome idea! I’m moving to Korea, and I’ve been looking into DIY projects to add a little personal touch to my new place. This seems perfect!

  49. Rachael    February 21, 2012

    This is brilliant, so simple and so chic! I always feel as though people will know that jewelry I’ve made is polymer clay and that it’ll somehow make me seem very childish, but this goes to prove the opposite! I’ll have to give it a try, though I fancy it with a square-bottomed bowl to fit in with my room.
    Rachx

  60. Toni    February 22, 2012

    I have to say that I really enjoy your DIY projects. I would love to do this one. It will be a nice piece for my bedroom!!

  70. Kelly Blenus    February 27, 2012

    This post was awesome to me on many levels. I actually create custom made jewelry organizers so it’s good to know people like you are looking for a place to store all types of jewelry! I love these dishes, I am just starting to make similar ones out of large seashells, they will be on my website within the next month or so!

  71. Faith Towers    February 28, 2012

    Wow, I could go crazy with this project… I can think of so many textures that would be wonderful, and so many uses for a bowl like this. Thanks for the tutorial!

  74. Alysha    March 27, 2012

    This is awesome! I will definitely pass this along to friends that love DIY stuff. I was thinking that you could even use multiple colors of Sculpey to make it that much more interesting! Great find!

  75. Erica    April 28, 2012

    I absolutely love this idea! I’d love to make soup or cereal bowls using this idea–does anyone have an idea on how to do this? Or is it even possible? It would be great to make my own, DIY-ed dinner bowls.

  79. Linda    July 5, 2012

    Hello! I just made my first bowl with polymer clay and I had a couple of problems. Hope you can help me. First, the clay didn’t dry completely. It’s still a little soft – and I did bake it at 250 for 15 minutes. Also, when I put it into the container to bake it, there were little folds in the clay. It did not come out smooth on the edges that curve up. Did I do something wrong? Please advise.
    Thanks!
    Linda

  81. Michelle    December 19, 2012

    Whatever the thickness of your piece, polymer clay should always be baked for an hour. As you are baking this on glass, put the item in to the oven as cold…let the oven warm up, bake the hour, then allow to cool totally before removing from the oven. Baking for an hour ensures the item will not break if dropped. Really 10 or 20 minutes is not enough.

    Linda, try that and also conditioning your clay for longer. Most clayers condition for a several minutes using a pasta machine, which is specifically kept for the reason and no longer used for food. If you do not have one, then you really need to warm the clay in your hands and keep working it for a while. Popping the clay in your pocket for a while to warm up with your body heat before you start is a good tip too.

    Good luck!

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