Patriotic Wood Tray with Clay Flowers

It’s summer and the weather has been heating up! It is the perfect time to be hosting picnics and backyard barbeques. The 4th of July is our next big holiday, so I created this adorable patriotic wood tray with clay flowers:

The supplies include:

Oval sign, 8″x13.5″
Clay embossing set
Oven-baked clay in white, blue and red
E-6000 glue
Cookie sheet + wax paper
Jute
Hot glue gun
Sticky back foam
Toothpick
Acrylic paint in tones of beige and tan + paint brush

I created the clay flowers first because they take some time to make and cool.

Clay Flower Instructions:

Knead each color of clay until soft.
Roll out the red clay using a small rolling pin, until the clay is thickness you prefer.
Cut out the flowers from the red clay using a flower shaped cookie cutter.
Lightly flatten each flower petal with your finger.
Roll out the blue clay using a small rolling pin, until the clay is thickness you prefer.
Cut heart from the blue clay using a heart shaped cookie cutter. Cut the hearts in half vertically to create leave.
Add lines to the petals and leaves with a toothpick.
Roll a small ball of white clay and use an embossing tool with the star tip to flatten the ball to form the flower center.
Arrange the clay pieces on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Place the cookie sheet into a pre-heated 275 F degree oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Refer to the directions on the package for the clay that you use.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the clay pieces to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

While the clay is in the oven, paint the plaque with a mix of beige and tan acrylic paints, allowing the paint to be very loose and scratchy looking. I wanted the feeling of a linen fabric to keep it rustic. Drill holes on each side of the plaque to thread the braided jute handles through. Make the hole on the bottom of the plaque slightly larger so that the ends of the jute can be glued into the holes on the bottom of the plaque. Add squares of sticky back foam over the holes to create feet on the bottom of the tray.

Once the clay pieces are cooled. attach them to the wood tray with E-6000 glue. Allow the tray to dry for a few hours…overnight is best for this glue!

Now I have a fun, little tray with pretty patriotic clay flowers to add a festive touch to my next gathering! I hope you are inspired to try your hand at making this project!

Thanks for creating along with me today! You can find out more about my creative world on my blog, Atop Serenity Hill.

Bio: My name is Consie Sindet and I live in Hunterdon County, NJ. I’ve been making a living with my painting skills for the past 15+ years. I taught decorative painting for over 10 years and also painted many murals in both private homes and businesses. I spend a large part of the summer face painting at parties and fairs. My newest obsession is with mixed media and art journaling and I am currently in the beginning stages of creating two online classes about doodling and beginner art journaling.