A Tiny Dish That Feels Like an Antique
Have you ever taken something as simple as air-dry clay and turned it into a tiny piece of art?
This project starts with a basic clay mold and becomes a beautifully detailed trinket dish with vintage charm. With soft imagery, layered gold accents, and a glass-like finish, it’s the kind of piece that feels like it came from a little antique shop.
Be sure to watch the full video tutorial below before getting started.
Shop the Key Products
Tap any item to shop this project.
Materials You Can Shop Here
You can shop the featured finishes and supplies below, then use the tutorial steps to bring the project together.
- Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish
- Vintage Decoupage Paper
- Silicone Molds
- Air Dry Clay
- Pentart Acrylic Paint
- Gilding Flakes
- Antiquing Medium
- Metallique Wax
- Brushes & Tools
Also Needed
Sea sponge, tweezers, display stand (optional).
Step 1: Creating the Clay Dish
The base of this project begins with Das air-dry clay, rolled out and pressed into a silicone mold. As the clay is worked into the mold, it’s smoothed with water to eliminate imperfections and create clean edges.
Freezing the mold for about 30 minutes allows the clay to release easily without damaging fine details. Once removed, the piece is dried slowly over the course of 1–2 days, flipping occasionally to keep it flat and prevent warping.
Step 2: Preparing the Rice Paper Image
A vintage-style rice paper design is selected and gently torn using a water brush. Tearing instead of cutting creates soft edges that blend naturally into the surface.
The image is positioned inside the dish and adjusted to fit the interior shape.
Step 3: Decoupaging the Design
The rice paper is adhered using Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish (Satin), which works as both an adhesive and sealer. The varnish is brushed under and over the paper, allowing it to bond smoothly to the clay.
Once dry, an additional coat is applied to seal the edges. This step is important before adding paint, as it prevents the edges from showing through.
Step 4: Blending the Gold Background
Using a sea sponge, Pentart Gold paint is applied around the outer edges of the dish. The paint is lightly blended over the rice paper edges, creating a soft transition between the image and the gold background.
The sponge technique avoids harsh lines and gives a natural, slightly textured finish.
Step 5: Adding Gilding Flakes
This is where the piece really starts to come to life. A layer of varnish is brushed over the surface and gold gilding flakes are sprinkled on top.
The flakes are gently pressed into place and distributed evenly, avoiding key areas like the subject’s face. After drying, excess flakes are brushed away.
This process is repeated in layers, building depth and dimension with each application.
Step 6: Building a Glass-Like Finish
Multiple coats of varnish are applied over the entire dish, allowing each coat to dry fully. These layers encapsulate the gilding flakes and create a smooth, glass-like surface.
The more layers added, the deeper and richer the finish becomes.
Step 7: Antiquing for Depth
To highlight the molded texture, a diluted antiquing medium is brushed along the edges and wiped back immediately. The antique settles into the recessed areas, emphasizing the details and giving the piece a softly aged look.
Step 8: Final Highlights
As a final touch, gold wax is lightly applied to the raised edges of the dish. This adds subtle shine and enhances the dimensional details without overpowering the design.
Since wax is always the last step, it does not need to be sealed.
The finished piece is delicate, detailed, and full of character—perfect as a trinket dish, display piece, or small handmade gift.
Stay Connected
Before you go, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll receive 10% off your next order, along with early access to new arrivals, restocks, seasonal projects, and special offers just for subscribers. We love crafting alongside you and can’t wait to see what you create next.