Make 3 Easy Clay Trees | Beginner-Friendly Craft

I made these three little trees with air-dry foam clay, giving each one a different shape and style.

They’re all pretty simple to make, so this is a nice project for beginners. You can make all three, pick your favorite, or play around with the shapes and colors to create your own. It could also be a fun project to make with kids or use as a classroom craft.

Here’s how I made them!

1. Air-Dry Foam Clay — for making the three trees. I’m using my own brand DramaPlanet air-dry foam clay. It’s lightweight and easy to texture.
2. Sculpting Tools — for shaping and adding texture. They help carve surface details into clay.
3. Thin Wire —for supporting the branches and trunk. I’m using thin craft wire. It holds up soft foam clay as it dries.
4. Scissors — for shaping lots of leaf clusters and branches. I’m using a craft scissor. They cut foam clay cleanly.
5. Glue — for securing the leaves in Tree Style 3. I used a small amount of white glue.
6. Cylinder — for giving the leaves in Tree Style 3 a curved shape while drying. You can use any cylindrical object.

Roll a piece of clay into a tree trunk, then press the bottom to create a stable base. Use a sculpting tool to draw irregular lines along the trunk to create a natural bark texture.

Roll a small ball of clay and flatten it into a leaf shape. Use a sculpting tool to draw three simple lines on the surface for some leaf texture. Repeat to make more leaves, then stack them around the trunk layer by layer.

Shape a pointed top, add the same simple line texture, then attach it to the top of the tree to finish Tree Style 1.

Roll four long strips of clay in different shades of brown, then twist them together to form the trunk. Refine the shape and add bark texture with a sculpting tool.

Twist several pieces of thin wire together to create the inner support, then insert it into the center of the trunk. Separate the wires at the top and wrap clay around them to form the branches.

Use different shades of green clay to create the leaves. Start with a small ball of clay and use scissors to make cuts from different directions, creating a cluster of leaves. Feel free to vary the number and direction of the cuts to create different shapes.

You can shape the leaf clusters before attaching them, or attach the clay to the branches first and make the cuts directly on the tree. Continue adding clusters until the tree looks full.

And that’s Tree Style 2 finished!

Roll the clay into a thin strip, then flatten it into a leaf shape. Use a sculpting tool to draw one line down the center, then add lots of smaller lines along both sides to create the leaf veins.

Let the leaves air-dry over a cylinder so they naturally form a curve. Once dry, they’ll hold their curved shape.

Make several small clay cones and stack them together to form the smaller trunk. Repeat the same process with slightly larger cones to make the larger trunk.

Insert thin wire through the larger trunk for extra support. Roll a piece of clay into a ball and flatten it into a round base, then attach both trunks to the base.

At the top of the trunk, add three small clay balls to each side, then attach the first layer of leaves directly to the balls.

Add a second layer of leaves for more depth. Use a little wet clay to hold them in place, then secure them with glue. Once all the leaves are attached, Tree Style 3 is complete.

Let all three trees air-dry completely. Once dry, they’ll keep their shapes and are ready to display.

You can follow my three designs or use them as inspiration to create your own. Play around with different colors, leaf shapes, and sizes. Now it’s your turn to create your own little trees!