Sculpey III® Moon Phases Dish

Sculpey III® Moon Phases Dish

Designed by Amy Koranek
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Create this terrific small dish for a gift or to hold your rings or favorite earrings in just an hour! COMPLETION TIME: 60 Minutes to make and bake
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ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES
  • Glass, ceramic, or metal bowl form that has a flat bottom interior
  • Pearl white mica powder
  • Paintbrush
  • 400 Grit sandpaper
  • Silver paint marker
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Project Instructions
    Getting Started:
Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Oven-Safe Work Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a Pasta Machine. We recommend using a designated machine for clay purposes only. When working with multiple colors, clean hands with soap and water or baby wipes (we have found that baby wipes work best) before switching colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

    Baking:
Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil, an index card or the Sculpey® Clay Mat at 275°F (130 °C) for 15 minutes per 1/4" (6 mm) thickness according to package directions. Oven safe glass or ceramic surfaces are also acceptable for baking; however please note that the baking times may take longer as the glass or ceramic surfaces take longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME.
Condition 2 bars of White Sculpey III® and form them into a thick patty about 4” in diameter.
photo shows as described
Press the edges down with fingertips all the way around to bevel the edge and create a rim for the dish. After the outer edge is pressed down firmly to the work surface, roll over the top of the clay to make the center area flat. This is the bottom side of the dish. The dish should now be about 5” in diameter.
photo shows beveled edge
Flip the clay over so that the rim you created in Step 3 is now pointing upward. Carefully lay the clay in the bottom of a flat bottom bowl. Push the bottom down to touching the bowl form so that the clay remains flat on the bottom. Use fingertips to smooth the interior of your clay dish and to make sure the rim is pointing upward.
photo shows clay fitted to bowl bottom
Start with an equal size strip of each Pink, Turquoise, and Violet Glitters, and Navy Pearl.
photo shows color strips
Bundle the colors together into a rope.
photo shows as described
Now we are going to use a few different techniques for marbling the colors together so that we don’t create stripes. We want a very ethereal and random marbling like a cosmic sky.

Roll and twist the rope slightly.
photo shows twisted rope
Coil the rope up.
photo shows clay in coil
Roll the coil into a ball.
photo shows ball of colors
Gently knead the ball a few times to jumble the colors.
photo shows as described
Flatten the ball into a patty with the Roller. Make the patty very thin - around 1/16”.
photo shows thin patty
Cut out three 1” circles.
photo shows 3 circles of clay
Leave one circle whole. Divide one circle in halves. Divide the last circle in halves then remove part with the 1-3/4” circle cutter to create crescents.
photo shows circles cut as described
Lay the moon phases as shown across the middle of the dish.
photo shows as described
Flatten the moon phases into the bottom of the dish. Check the rim for inconsistencies and smooth with fingers.
photo shows phases in dish
Cover the inside White areas of the dish with a thin layer of pearl white mica powder. You can spread the mica with your fingertips or use a small paintbrush to get in around the moon details. I did not spread mica powder over the moon phases because I didn’t want them to be dull.

Designer’s Note: I did not spread the mica powder onto the dish before adding the moons because I wanted the clay to stick to clay, not to mica powder.
photo shows adding mica powder
Bake the dish following the baking instructions for Sculpey III®.
photo shows dish ready to bake
Allow the dish to cool in the bowl completely before handling. During baking, the Sculpey III® has pulled slightly away from the bowl form. Insert the tip of the plastic Knife Tool into the gap and pry the clay out carefully.
photo shows as described
My dish looks cool, but a little wonky around the edges.
photo shows dish
Carefully flip the dish rim side down onto a large piece of 400 grit sandpaper. Circle the dish around on the paper to remove uneven edges.
photo shows sanding dish
Use a silver paint marker to highlight the rim of the dish and allow the paint to dry completely.
photo shows finished dish