Create an Air Dry Clay Mandala Coaster

How-To Guides

Air-dry clay is a versatile, easy-to-use material that allows you to create beautiful handmade objects, no kiln or oven required. Whether you're new to clay or looking for a low-mess, accessible way to explore sculpting, air dry clay is perfect for artists, crafters, and DIYers of all levels.

This guide is perfect for anyone looking for air dry clay ideas, you’ll learn how to create your own mandala-inspired coasters using air drying clay. This project combines the calming process of clay shaping with the meditative art of mandala design, resulting in functional and decorative pieces. From shaping the base, to designing intricate patterns using simple tools. This project is easy to manage, doesn’t require a kiln, and offers a great opportunity to explore symmetry, texture, and cultural art connections.

Step by step - Let's Create

Prepare your workspace, this will get messy! You will need a range of pottery tools such as a rolling pin, cutters and rolling guides, as well as acrylic paints and template materials.

Using rolling guides and a rolling pin, roll out a ball of air-drying clay to around 0.5cm thickness.

Next, using stencil card or anything circular as a guide, cut out a stencil which you can then draw round with a potter’s tool or knife.

Once your circle is cut out, you are ready to begin your mandala style design. Use a range of pottery tools and cutters to cut into the clay, but do not cut all the way through to the surface.

The trick is to create repeated geometric patterns in your design. You can even use templates and stencils to imprint into the clay as a quicker way to create a mandala style design.

You can keep your clay as a coaster, or you can gently shape up the edges of your circle using a rubber kidney to create a small trinket dish. Be careful not to thin out the edges too much! Then smooth over the edges with the kidney.

Leave your coaster to air dry for around 12-24 hours.

TIP: It should no longer feel cold, if it does, it is not dried out yet! Once dried, apply a layer of PVA glue all over mixed with water to act as a barrier before applying paint.

Next, using a range of brush sizes you can begin to paint your design. You may need to apply more than one layer of acrylic paint to build up colour. Why not experiment with metallic colours to really make your coaster stand out!

Once the paint is dry and you are happy with your design, apply another layer of PVA glue and water or alternative varnish to protect your coaster or trinket dish.