How to Make a Simple Snake Dish with Air Dry Clay: Coil Method

Watch the video tutorial here!

This simple coil-built dish is one of the most versatile air dry clay project ideas you can try. I made a snake-shaped dish (template below) but you can use this beginner friendly method to make a dish in any simple shape you'd like.  I'll show you how to use a napkin decoupage technique to decorate the bottom of your dish so even the artistically-challenged beginner can achieve an expert-level finish!  

Let's grab some good quality air dry clay and get started on this whimsical air dry clay craft ​! 

air_dry_clay_snake_dish_template.pdf
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Step 1: Gather Supplies
Check out my Air Dry Clay Basics list for links to supplies I recommend.  At no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission for items purchased through these links. 

• Air dry clay
• a plastic work surface
• wooden pasta roller or rolling pin
• If you'd like to make a snake like me, a cut out print of the snake template 
• Craft knife and sculpting tools 
• Wax or parchment paper
• ​sandpaper nail file
• Acrylic craft painting supplies and brushes
• A pretty printed napkin- florals work great!
  
• scissors 
• Matte Mod Podge  (optional)

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Step 2:  Prepare the Base Slab

• ​Pull out a large chunk of clay and knead it a bit to soften it up.
• Use the heel of your palm to press it into a thick pancake on your plastic work surface.
• Use the wooden rolling pin to smooth and flatten your clay into a slab about 1 cm thick. To prevent sticking, flip and rotate the clay pancake often while you roll it.

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Step 3: Cut out the Shape

• You can cut any basic shape you'd like, but if you'd like to make a snake like me, place the template onto your clay slab and cut around it.  Don't crush the cut-off slab bits! We're going to use those scraps.

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Step 4: Build up the Dish Walls

• Cut 1 cm wide strips (or coils) from the leftover clay slabs.  We're going to use these to build up the edges of our dish.
• To create a strong join, scratch the two surfaces to be joined. With this paper-based clay, you can use white glue to adhere the scratched surfaces.
• When you need to add on another coil, blend it into the end of the previous coil. 

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Step 5: Smooth the Walls

• Use a sculpting tool to smooth the inside and outside edges of the coil into the base.
• If you want higher walls, add more layers of coils on top of your first.
• I wanted a shallow dish, so I only added one layer of coils.

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Step 6: Dry on Parchment Paper

• Place the finished sculpt on waxed or parchment paper to dry.
• The paper will shrink with the clay allowing it to dry without cracking.
• Let the dish dry slowly over a few days. If you live in a really hot dry place, you may want to loosely cover the dish with a sheet of plastic to slow down the drying process. 

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Step 7: Smooth Down the Rough Spots

• Check that your project is completely dry by ensuring that it's a uniform colour and there are no spots that are cool to touch.
• Use a paper nail file or a bit of sandpaper to smooth down the edges. 
• Always protect your lungs when sanding!

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Step 8: Paint

• You can decorate your dish however you'd like. I painted the rim of my dish in gold. I was inspired by a vintage gold-rimmed teacup.
• Metallic paints typically take many coats to get good coverage over white.

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Step 9: Decoupage

• Carefully lift the top (printed) ply off your napkin and pull apart to separate.
• Use a small pair of scissors to cut shapes or motifs from your napkins to fill the base of your dish.
• Brush mod podge or dilute white glue gently onto the napkin to laminate it into the bottom of your dish.

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Step 10: Seal (Optional)

• You can seal your dish with a few all-over coats of mod podge or your favourite clear sealer.

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If you make a DIY air dry clay trinket dish based on this tutorial,  it would make my day if you’d share it with me. I’m @JaneSawyerMakes on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Threads,  and Twitter (X). Find lots of other budget-friendly art projects on my YouTube Channel. Please share and pin this article!