A simple air dry clay recipe gets these ring holder dishes started. This heart fingerprint craft makes a ring dish perfect for a keepsake gift!

This simple ring holder dish comes together from a quick batch of air dry clay.  A sweet fingerprints heart gives this ring dish all the embellishment it needs to to become an ultra sentimental gift from your little one to a loved one! Handmade gifts are the best!

Make the clay to make your ring dish….

This air dry clay recipe is one of my all time most popular posts,  It uses materials you likely already have and takes only minutes to mix up.  While it starts out sticky and gooey soon it becomes silky and soft- perfect for little hands.

While the recipe is below check out the original post here for some tricks and tips for making this recipe.

Allowing your kiddos to mix up their own clay for the ring dish definitely adds an extra sensory element to this project but its not a must.  If you’d rather this dish can be made from a polymer clay, like this white Sculpey.  This type of clay is sold under many names and comes in many color but all polymer clay must be “fired” or baked in the oven.

If you choose to use polymer clay for this project expect it to be a little stiff to work with at first, especially for little hands.  The warmer it gets the easier it is to manipulate.  You may need to warm it up before little hands can roll it and flatten it.  Directions for baking will be on the box.  Bake prior to any decorating.

A simple air dry clay recipe gets these ring holder dishes started. This heart fingerprint craft makes a ring dish perfect for a keepsake gift!

Shaping your ring dish holder…

So the fun thing about these little air dry clay dishes is that if your kiddo made five of them they would all turn out a bit different.  There’s no one right answer for shape or size which makes the making of these DIY ring dishes all the more fun!

Start by rolling your clay into a ball.   Ask kids to either roll it between theor palms or on the countertop.  If you roll on a countertop be sure to toss some cornstarch onto it.  This will prevent the clay from getting stuck to the counter.  Just pretend you’re making a pie crust!

After your clay has come together instruct your kiddos to use the palm of their hand to gently flatten the ball into a disk.  Ideally, this flat disk should be about the thickness of their pinky finger.  They can lay their finger down and “measure” and re-adjust if needed.

Choosing a form…

 Now choose a small bowl or dish from your own kitchen.  Something shallow works well here.  Because the ring dish will never be holding water it just needs a bit of an upturned shape, no tall sides.

Lay a piece of cling wrap inside the bowl to prevent sticking then help your kiddo transfer their clay into the bowl.  Once it’s transferred they can use a fingertip full of water to smooth out any rough spots or edges!

A simple air dry clay recipe gets these ring holder dishes started. This heart fingerprint craft makes a ring dish perfect for a keepsake gift!

Let it dry…

If you used my air dry clay your ring holder dish will be dry in approximately twenty four hours with no baking or further steps.  Exact time depends on the humidity level of the air and the thickness of the clay.  Set it aside and come back to it tomorrow.  After it’s partially dry you may want to take it out of the form and set it on the counter so it can dry from the bottom side as well.

If you used polymer clay this is the time to bake it- pre decoration.  Follow the the directions on the package.  Each brand is slightly different!

A simple air dry clay recipe gets these ring holder dishes started. This heart fingerprint craft makes a ring dish perfect for a keepsake gift!

Let’s add some fingerprint hearts…

For a pop of color and a sweet sentimental touch we added heart fingerprints and a splash of color on the edge to our ring holders.  Craft acrylic paint is perfect for a project like this.  It’s not washable, so you’ll need to watch your kiddos.  But it is opaque, comes in every color, and is super affordable.

Start by letting your kiddo choose a color to add a border.  We used a metallic gold for a nice contrast to the art but any color they choose will work. Use a small brush to add color all the way around the dish.

Finally, let’s add the fingerprint heart.  Choose a color of contrasting paint and ask your child to press the pad of their index finger into it.  If there is too much paint there just blot it a bit on a paper towel.  Then press their finger onto the clay two time, at two different angles to create the sweet heart fingerprints.

This DIY ring holder dish could be decorated in any number of ways.  You could add your multiple children’s  fingerprints or even use a Sharpie to add initials or a message.  Or you could scrap the fingerprint hearts altogether and set your kids loos with a palette of paint.

These little ring dishes make a perfect sentimental gift for your little one to give.  The heart fingerprint is the sweet and simple touch that makes these a gift that mom or grandma will keep forever.

More air dry clay fun…

If you’ve made a batch of air dry clay and you’ve got even a pinch of it left be sure to try these air dry clay texture pendants.  They make such sweet necklaces- another perfect gift.  And they only require a tiny bit of clay.  I bet you have enough left over to start this project now!

If you’ve got a little more try these air dry clay leaf bowls.  Nature provides all the details for these pretty little bowls.

And no matter how much clay you’ve got left your kids can have a little fun adding some color to it!  One simple ingredient creates colored air dry clay that’s mesmerizing to mix and blend!

Check out this post about fingerprint charms.  They’re heart shaped, colorful and another way to memorialize this sweet little fingerprints!

A simple air dry clay recipe gets these ring holder dishes started. This heart fingerprint craft makes a ring dish perfect for a keepsake gift!

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The Artists and the Elements is an art curriculum that is designed to connect the elements of art, art history, and hands on, fun projects!