Clay Leaf Decoration Made With Homemade Air Dry Clay

Our garden is already green so I made use of it, picked some leaves and I'll show you how to make this original wall decoration using homemade air dry clay and the gifts of nature.

• fresh leaves with well-marked veins
• 100g/3.5 oz of baking soda
• 50g/1.8 oz of corn starch
• 75ml/2.5 oz of water
• watercolors
• golden acrylic paint
• brushes
• finger sponges
• chopstick
• thread
• silicone mat and rolling pin
• transparent spray varnish

I have a whole post on how to make air dry clay right here.

Combine the baking soda and corn starch in a bowl, add water and mix well. Place the mixture in a pan and heat it up slowly while stirring constantly. The mixture will become more dense and then you'll be able to make a ball from it - it won't stick to the pan anymore.

Take it off the heat and wait until it cools down enough so you can hold it in your hand.

Roll out the clay while it's still warm.

Place the leaves on the clay veins down, lightly press and stroke with your fingers so that the veins imprint in the clay. Then press a little around the edges of the leaf.

Press different leaves all over the clay.

At the top edge pinch two holes with a chopstick - they'll be needed for hanging the decoration.

Leave the decoration dry for one day.

Prepare the watercolors you want to use. I used turquoise, blue, pink and light purple.

Mix them in a larger amount of water, dip the finger sponge in one and then tap all over one leaf.

While it's still wet, color the leaf next to it in the same way, just with another color. The colors will blend.

Continue until the whole decoration is colored.

Dip a very small brush in golden acrylic paint and trace some of the veins and edges with the very tip of the brush.

Let the colors dry and spray with the varnish

Cut the thread in four equal parts. Pull two through each hole.

Tie a know above each hole. Hang the decoration.

I hope you liked this instructable!