Last week when I was making this palm leaf decanter, I realized that when mixing the green and black clay, it sort of took on a malachite appearance. So I decided to play around with my extra clay and created the most realistic looking DIY clay malachite air plant holder. If you didn’t actually touch it, I am pretty sure you would think that it was an actual stone. Not only does it look pretty, but of course, it didn’t take long to make either. So if you are gem and mineral obsessed like me, you need to try this tutorial. Because while I love the real thing, sometimes I just don’t have the budget for it!

It really does look like malachite, doesn’t it?!

Materials:

-FIMO soft clay in apple green, tropical green, and black
-Craft knife
-Acrylic clay rolling pin
-Glass jar or vase
-Clear clay sealant
–Gold leaf pen

Begin by mixing a small piece of black clay with half of each of the green clays. Twist, roll, and mix until they are half way mixed and the black starts to turn the greens into more emerald hues.

Once you start to get a darker more emerald color clay with streaks of black and green, roll the clay into a ball and then roll it out into a long strip. By rolling into a strip you get the long striations of a real gem stone.

Once your piece is about 1/4″ thick, use the craft knife to even off the edges and create a rectangle. Then use a circle cookie cutter or the craft knife to cut a circle from the middle.

Next, place the clay piece over the side of the glass vase to create the curved shape and bake in the oven at 275F for 20 minutes. Let the glass come to temperature and cool in the oven to prevent it from breaking. Once cool, remove the clay and vase and give the clay a coat of polymer clay sealant. Once dry, use the gold paint pen to paint the edges.

Then simply place in your real or faux air plant and display on a shelf or next to your bed. I can’t wait to try my hand at a few other gem colors and see if I can get them to mimic the real thing. I bet rose quartz would be pretty don’t you?!

Now that you see how real it looks, I know you are just dying to try your own DIY clay malachite air plant holder. So go grab the supplies and show me what you made by tagging your creations on Instagram with #mykailochic. Can’t wait to see what you create!