Clay leaf imprints

- Roll out your air dry clay into a flat sheet about the thickness of minimum 1cm

- Place your cabbage leaf on top with the veins facing down

- Gently but firmly press the leaf all over to transfer the vein details without flattening the clay too much

- Carefully peel the cabbage leaf away once the veins are well defined

- Remove any pieces of leaf left behind using a clay tool or tweezers

- Use a clay tool or toothpick to refine any veins that haven’t transferred clearly

- Cut around the veins with a clay tool to create your cabbage leaf shape

- Don’t worry about making the edges perfect as natural leaves have irregular shapes

- Smooth any cracks with a wet fingertip or clay tool

- Roll up cling film and arrange it around the clay to support the edges in a raised position while it dries

- Leave the tray to dry for a couple of days

- Once the raised edges are sturdy, flip the tray over so the base can dry as well

How to seal air dry clay before painting

- Once the clay is completely dry, mix 1 part PVA glue and 1 part water in a cup

- With a taklon brush, apply the glue and water mix all over the tray

- This step will help paint adhere to the clay better so it won’t peel or chip

- Allow the glue coat to dry completely before painting

Painting the trinket tray

- Load your brush with an even coat of green paint and lightly drag it across the surface so the raised areas pick up the colour while the veins remain lighter

- Build up the green until you have an even, rich cabbage colour, avoiding overloading the brush so paint doesn’t seep into the veins

- Use a detail brush and the lighter colour to redefine any veins that need more contrast

- Add a darker green around the larger veins and along parts of the leaf edges

- Dapple the darker colour through other areas to create more variation

- Add a darker green around the larger veins and along parts of the leaf edges

- Add a lighter green to the curled outer edges where the leaf would naturally catch more light

- Continue working between mid and dark greens until the leaf has plenty of variation

- Go back over the veins with the lighter shade to make them stand out

- Allow the paint to dry completely for a couple of hours

Acrylic varnish for air dry clay

- Our Gloss Clay Varnish is an acrylic varnish for air dry clay. You can also use Gloss Acrylic Varnish

- Spread it generously all over the trinket dish

- Best way to do this is to pour some varnish directly on the tray and then move it around with a soft taklon brush

- Allow it to dry completely and apply a second coat if needed

-The varnish will dry to a super glossy finish, making the tray look like it was coated in resin or glazed in a kiln

-Once the varnish is dry, the tray is ready to use