Air Dry Clay Napkin Rings Tutorial
Craft your own clay napkin rings – the possibilities are endless! If you love these, check out this big list of clay crafts. This post contains affiliate links.
I love setting my table with napkin rings, and for that reason, I’ve shared tutorials for leather napkin rings as well as these gorgeous and ridiculously easy copper and ceramic bead napkin rings.
But I wanted an option that’s cleaner, more neutral, and brightens up the table more for when the occasion calls for it, so I crafted some pretty air dry clay napkin rings – that anyone can make!
Clay napkin rings are relatively easy to make. You want to keep the shape organic, so you don’t want to do it too perfectly, which lends itself to a forgiving crafting experience.
You WILL want to shape it around something. I thought a cardboard tube was the way to go, but I wanted something a bit flatter, plus I found it hard to work with. I ended up shaping little rings in the size I wanted out of plastic dividers and it worked fabulously. They were easy to remove from the center by simply opening the taped ring.
Adding style to clay napkin rings
As you can see, I left my clay napkin rings plain. I made them specifically as a more minimalist option for when I wanted something clean, to let the rest of the table setting shine.
But I’ve got loads of ideas to add style or color these, some of which can be done wet and some can be done after it’s dried.
Ways to color it
I wanted mine to look fresh and white, so again, I didn’t color it. But here some ways I’ve painted other clay projects.
- Painting it afterward – this gives you the cleanest, most polished look and you can go in any direction with this. Paint it in pops of color, or even paint it white for a more even finish than the clay itself gives you.
- Painting with special finishes – I’ve used brushed metallic paint to make it look almost like metal. You can also paint stone or concrete finishes – and I’m sure there are lots more out there! You can also add sand to paint for texture to really make it cool.
- Mixing paint into the clay – You can mix various paints and pigments into uncured air dry clay to turn the clay a color. The look is totally different (see these seashell necklaces for reference).
- Watercolor dip or painting – Watercolor paints make gorgeous effects on air dry clay – see this DIY clay seder plate – but you do need to leave it extra time for the clay to cure as it makes it very wet.
Adding cool details
Again, clay gives you endless opportunities for making it your own. You can add details both externally or within the texture of the clay napkin rings themselves.
- Pressed Flowers – Add pressed flowers to the clay by gluing them on and then sealing them. Or, roll large leaves into the wet, flat clay and remove before forming them into rings.
- Rolling in texture from texture sheets – There are so many texture sheets you can get in cool finishes. Roll these on before forming rings. Note: you’ll probably have something of a seam without the texture.
- Pressing with a ball-tip tool for a “hammered” look – I’ve done this many times, including on this air dry clay Menorah. It looks fabulous! You may need to do this before forming rings.
- Gilded edges – Paint the edges only with gold paint or paint marker for a hint of glam! I’m considering doing this on mine. It’ll combine well with the watercolors. You can also use gilding wax.
- Chalk Pastel – I’ve used chalk pastel shavings in the past to add a fabulous finish to my clay projects. You will need to seal them if you do this – see below.
Sealing clay napkin rings
Leaving clay napkin rings unsealed leaves them with a matte look, but also vulnerable to getting stained and ruined.
Sealers come in many different types and finishes – and it’s the finish that will really influence how it looks. One of my favorites is satin or matte for understated elegance, but something high gloss will make it look more ceramic.
Some ways to seal air dry clay include
- Mod Podge – Since this is a craft room staple, easily available, and affordable, it’s a fabulous option. The biggest downside is that the classic varieties – that come in more finishes – aren’t very hard sealers. The fix is to use one of their hard finishing formulas, such as hard coat (which has a satin finish), dishwasher safe, or super gloss.
- Acrylic Spray Sealer – This spray sealer is relatively easy to use and a good way to protect added finishes.
- Clay Sealer (also acrylic based)- This is my favorite way to finish air dry clay napkin rings, and it’s because of how solid it feels. I do believe it’s the priciest option of the lot. It goes on thicker than the spray, which is why I put it as a separate option.
- Polyurethane varnish – I have not tried this, but it is a great option to try as well.
- Resin – Sealing with resin would be the most durable, hard-wearing option, however, it’s very finicky. You’ll probably want to mount the rings on a horizontal dowel to work with them and keep it to a thin layer so that it’s not drippy. If you have experience with working with resin-coated tumblers this’ll probably be a cinch for you. Otherwise, be prepared to figure things out – and maybe even ruin a couple of rings before you get it right.
How to make clay napkin rings
Supplies
- Air dry clay
- Plastic sheets such as acetate or plastic dividers
- Scissors
- Tape
- Craft knife
- Clay roller
- Recommended: rotary tool such as Dremel or MakerX
- Optional: acrylic paint, watercolors, etc to color and finish it off
- Preferred sealer (see above) such as Mod Podge, resin, polyurethane sealer, acrylic spray sealer, or clay (acrylic) sealer.
- Cup or jar with water
Process
1. You’ll want to start by detemining what size you want your napkin ring to be. You can measure a pre-existing napkin ring or form a ring with a tape measure and eyeball it.
Roll out your clay to about 1/4 inch thick to minimize cracking.
Cut it into a rectangle in the size you need. Mine was about an inch in height. Note: you can make a cardboard template if you want to be exact – I like the organic feel.
2. Create your internal molds. Cut strips of plastic wider than your napkin rings, and a bit longer as well. Form them into rings a bit smaller than you want your rings to be – this will determine the internal size. Tape shut.
3. Use your finger and water to wet the edges. Do this to all edges to smooth them, but in particular the edge that’ll be connected – the short edge.
4. Form a ring with the clay around the plastic mold you created. Smooth the edges together, using water as needed.
5. Place your napkin rings down on a flat nonstick surface (parchment paper works great) to fully air dry. The bottom will flatten a bit due to gravity, and the whole shape will form more into an oval than a ring naturally.
You may need to flip your rings over after a day to allow the bottom some air to dry it.
6. Sand the edges for a cleaner finish (but don’t try to make it perfect -you’ll ruin it!
Color and seal your DIY clay napkin rings as you see fit! Set your table and enjoy!
DIY Clay Napkin Ring Tutorial
Materials
- Air dry clay
- Plastic sheets such as acetate or plastic dividers
- Scissors
- Tape
- Craft knife
- Clay roller
- Recommended: rotary tool such as Dremel or MakerX
- Optional: acrylic paint, watercolors, etc to color and finish it off
- Preferred sealer such as Mod Podge, resin, polyurethane sealer, acrylic spray sealer, or clay (acrylic) sealer.
- Cup or jar with water
Instructions
1. You'll want to start by detemining what size you want your napkin ring to be. You can measure a pre-existing napkin ring or form a ring with a tape measure and eyeball it.
Roll out your clay to about 1/4 inch thick to minimize cracking.
Cut it into a rectangle in the size you need. Mine was about an inch in height.
2. Create your internal molds. Cut strips of plastic wider than your napkin rings, and a bit longer as well. Form them into rings a bit smaller than you want your rings to be - this will determine the internal size. Tape shut.
3. Use your finger and water to wet the edges. Do this to all edges to smooth them, but in particular the edge that'll be connected - the short edge.
4. Form a ring with the clay around the plastic mold you created. Smooth the edges together, using water as needed.
5. Place your napkin rings down on a flat nonstick surface (parchment paper works great) to fully air dry. The bottom will flatten a bit due to gravity, and the whole shape will form more into an oval than a ring naturally.
You may need to flip your rings over after a day to allow the bottom some air to dry it.
6. Sand the edges for a cleaner finish (but don't try to make it perfect -you'll ruin it!
Color and seal your DIY clay napkin rings as you see fit! Set your table and enjoy!
Notes
Leaving clay napkin rings unsealed leaves them with a matte look, but also vulnerable to getting stained and ruined.
Sealers come in many different types and finishes - and it's the finish that will really influence how it looks. One of my favorites is satin or matte for understated elegance, but something high gloss will make it look more ceramic.
Some ways to seal air dry clay include:
- Mod Podge - Since this is a craft room staple, easily available, and affordable, it's a fabulous option. The biggest downside is that the classic varieties - that come in more finishes - aren't very hard sealers. The fix is to use one of their hard finishing formulas, such as outdoor, dishwasher safe, or ultra gloss (I think).
- Acrylic Spray Sealer - This spray sealer is relatively easy to use and a good way to protect finishes.
- Clay Sealer (also acrylic based) - This is my favorite way to finish air dry clay napkin rings, and it's because of how solid it feels. I do believe it's the priciest option of the lot. It goes on thicker than the spray, which is why I put it as a separate option.
- Polyurethane varnish - I have not tried this, but it is a great option to try as well.
- Resin - Sealing with resin would be the most durable, hard-wearing option, however, it's very finicky. You'll probably want to mount the rings on a horizontal dowel to work with them and keep it to a thin layer so that it's not drippy. If you have experience with working with resin-coated tumblers this'll probably be a cinch for you. Otherwise, be prepared to figure things out - and maybe even ruin a couple of rings.
Did you try this craft? Did you enjoy making air dry clay napkin rings? Got any tips or variation to share? Comment below!
