Air-dry Clay Diyas

It is just 2 weeks for Diwali and you must have begun the preparations. Every year I add something new either decorations or diyas and this year I was thinking to use the existing ones in new way but wasn’t convinced.

Well, Diwali is an important festival and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to experiment something unique and different and if it is a hit to share it with you all.

We all love to have a new set of diyas every year and in my earlier posts I have shared couple of alternatives. However, today I am going to share an easy way to make traditional looking clay diyas at home. It doesn’t involve a potter’s wheel or kiln.

All you need is –

Air Dry clay ( I used Crayola from local craft store)

Rolling pin,  knife/butterknife and water

Glass bowl ( Dollar tree has these small glass bowls 4 for $1)

Step 1 : Start by dividing clay into equal sized balls ( depending on number of diyas you want to make). It helps in having equal size diyas.

Step 2: Roll out clay on smooth surface to thickness of 1/4 inch.

Step 3: Use the same bowl and lay it top side down on to clay. Cut around the edges with a knife. You may skip this step if you can roll a circle(like shown above).

Step 4: Place the glass bowl top side down and lift off the clay circle and place it on the bowl. Push the clay towards the bowl and on one edge pinch the clay like shown below.

Step 5: If the edges don’t look clean, use your finger and little water to smooth it out .

Step 6: Let the clay dry overnight ( preferably 12-14 hours). Once dry pop out from the glass bowl.

Step 7 : Use acrylic paints of your choice and the diyas are ready 🙂

You can use either white clay and paint or terra-cotta clay for traditional look.

Cheers!