Ember Grant
At the autumn equinox we again mark a seasonal change; day and night are equal length once again, and the days begin to get shorter. While the process of harvest can occur at various times during the fall, this day marks the official transition to autumn—a time we celebrate by decorating with leaves, gourds, and other symbols of the changing season.
Clay Leaf Incense Burner/Trinket Dish
Naturally, autumn leaves are the classic symbol of the season. To celebrate the equinox, leaves are the focus of this easy and elegant project. These dried clay leaves can be used for stick or cone incense, as a small trinket dish, or even for burning a tealight candle. Either way, they bring images of nature into your magical work.
Materials
Acrylic paint—choose a combination of fall colors, green, or even a metallic shade ($2–$3 per bottle)
Molding clay—air dry ($5–$15, depending on the size of the package)
Paintbrush
Waxed paper or plate
Knife for trimming
Fresh leaf to use as a mold
Optional: a layer of gloss/shine to finish and seal—Mod Podge can be used for this
Cost: $10+
Time spent: about 1 day, to allow drying time
I used Activ-Clay brand craft clay. It’s soft and easy to work with, plus it air-dries so there’s no need for baking. Keep in mind that your item will not be suitable for food use.
Choose a leaf with clearly noticeable veins. Pick one off the tree so it’s still flexible. Next, scoop out some clay and roll it using a rolling pin to achieve your desired size and thickness. Don’t make the leaf too thin or too thick—aim for about ⅛ inch thickness. You can make it thicker, but it will take longer to dry. In addition, if you want to give the leaf curled edges for a natural look, leaving your piece too thick means it may end up with a wrinkled appearance. On the other hand, making it too thin means it will be more brittle and prone to breakage—especially if your leaf has fine points on the edges.
You can roll the clay on waxed paper if you wish, but I’ve found that a countertop works just fine. This clay is easy to clean and shouldn’t make too much of a mess. If you have a glass surface protector for your counter, that works well too.
Press the leaf, backside down (the veins protrude more on that side), onto the clay. Apply light pressure with your fingertips to achieve the best transfer of the lines from the leaf into the clay. Gently pull the leaf away from the clay. Now you can pick up your clay leaf—carefully—and prepare to trim the sides. Laying it on a large serving platter or plate works well. Just be gentle when handling it. Be mindful of the backside—your fingertips can make dents and you can also accidentally cut into it with your fingernails. Use your palm. Use a spatula if necessary, and move the clay leaf to a large plate or tray.
This next step can be challenging, but it’s still easy once you get the hang of it. Using a small knife, trim away the clay around the edges of the leaf, giving it shape. If your natural leaf has lots of tiny jagged points, as some oak leaves do, just smooth them out in a single line to avoid having lots of tiny edges. After the trimming, the edges will probably look uneven and sharp—simply use your fingertips to gently smooth out any rough areas.
Next, if you plan to use your leaf as a burner for stick incense, use an actual stick of incense (or a toothpick or paper clip) to poke a small hole at the end, near the place where the leaf’s stem would be.
After the edges are trimmed, you’re ready to let your leaf dry. If you’d like the leaf to have natural-looking curved sides, rest it in a bowl or other curved dish while it’s drying. If your dish is too deep, put a block, lid, or ramekin in the center, under the leaf, to hold up the middle so it doesn’t fold in half. Otherwise, just set the leaf on a plate. Depending on the size and thickness of your design, it may take a couple days to fully dry.
When it’s dry, you’re ready to paint it. Choose your color, or colors, and add a bit of metallic if you wish, for a subtle shine. Paint both sides and don’t forget to paint the edges as well. When the paint is dry, you can seal it with a coating such as Mod Podge. I like to use the satin finish, but it’s your choice. A more durable finish may give your leaf extra protection. Either way, I do believe that having some type of finish on the leaf is a good idea. You may find that your leaf needs several coats of paint because the clay is porous. Add as many coats as you like. I usually find that two or three is sufficient, depending on the color. Also, be aware of the incense stick hole that you made and be sure to poke through it again to clear away any paint or sealant that may have accumulated there.
Experiment with fall colors on your leaf, or various shades of green. I like to mix in some gold, silver, or copper as well, to add a subtle sheen. Or start with a greenish-brown base, then add the colors for a more natural look. Try using a small sponge to dab on some red, yellow, or orange. If you don’t like how it looks, simply paint over it and try something else.
Once your leaf is fully dry, it’s ready for burning incense. If you burn a votive candle directly on it, it may be difficult to clean off the wax, so tea lights are recommended. Otherwise, clean-up of incense ash should be easy; wipe the surface with a damp cloth or paper towel and pat dry. Keep in mind that if you burn cone incense on these it may leave a stain—incense is made with sticky resin that can permanently leave residue on your container.
Alternative idea: While you have the clay handy, you can also use small leaves to make little imprints with holes that you can put a string or chain through to make a pendant!