30+ Air Dry Clay Ideas - Gathering Beauty

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Gathering Beauty is a DIY, craft blog with a love for all things paper. Here you'll find origami, paper crafts, air dry clay projects as well as the odd crochet or weaving tutorials.

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Have fun with these 30+ air-dry clay projects that are perfect for beginners and the more experienced crafter. From simple clay gift tags to clay planters and candle holders, there's something here for everyone.

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Best Air Dry Clay Ideas.

Today I'm sharing an amazing collection of air dry clay projects. Air dry clay is so much fun and simple to use. It's cheap to buy and both adult and kid-friendly.

I've made a lot of simple air dry clay projects over the years (these stamped air dry clay bowls are still my favourites) so you can guess how much I love it. It's the perfect material for creating lovely home decor pieces like trinket dishes or photo holders. In fact, if you want more air drying clay bowls make sure to check out this post (there are 25 of them!).

One of the best things about it is that it doesn't require baking, firing or a kiln (no high temperatures here). All you need to do is leave your finished project out to harden in the air and 48 hours later you'll have a spectacular piece you can decorate with acrylic paint and varnish.

Related: 25+ Air Dry Clay Pot Ideas

What is Air Dry Clay?

Air-dry clay is a wonderful alternative to traditional clay. It's lightweight, easy to use and can be rolled, stamped, coiled and shaped into anything you want.

If you're looking for simple kids crafts the whole family can make together air dry clay is the way to go. It’s great for people who want to give clay a try but don’t necessarily have the time or resources to go the traditional ceramics route.

The best part is as it doesn’t require firing in a kiln to harden it’s a fantastic material for beginners. You'll know your clay is dry as it turns a lighter colour. If you're using white clay it will turn from a pale grey colour to a slightly off-white colour.

Depending on the room temperature, humidity and thickness of the air dry clay can take anywhere from 24-72 hours to dry. If you have any problems make sure to read this post all about how long it takes air dry clay to dry.

For more tips make sure to check out my 10 Tips and Tricks For Working With Air Dry Clay or sign up below to get a FREE PDF sent straight to your inbox!

Air Dry Clay Pros and Cons.

As much as I love air dry clay there are a couple of downsides. The main problem is that it’s not waterproof or food-safe so anything made with air dry clay should be used for decorative purposes only. If you're interested I've written a post all about how to glaze or varnish air hardening clay that goes into more detail.

Another problem is that not all types of clay work as well as others. Depending on the type of clay you use some can be fragile and crumbly. I’ve put together a list of some of my tried and tested air dry clays below.

Supplies:

There are several different types of clay available. Nearly all of the projects below use either Crayola Air Dry Clayor my personal favourite DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay.

Here are three I recommend:

• Crayola Air Dry Clay White / Crayola Air Dry Clay Terracotta

• Das Air-Hardening Clay White / Das Air-Hardening Clay Terracotta / Das Air-Hardening Clay Stone

• Jovi Premium Air Dry Clay Pack of 3, White, Grey & Terracotta

I prefer the white clay personally but a lot of these projects below use the terracotta one for a more natural clay colour.

And here are a couple of alternatives that I haven’t used personally but are popular and have good reviews.

• Mont Marte White Air Hardening Modeling Clay

• ACTIVA Plus Natural Self-Hardening Clay

You can use stamps or found objects from around the house to add texture, pattern or even words to your wet clay. Grab a cookie cutter from the kitchen cupboard and make cool geometric shapes or go with the handmade organic look and simply shape it with your hands.

To finish your piece add some essential oils like with the terracotta oil diffuser below or grab some acrylic craft paint and add your own unique design, polka dots anyone? If you're feeling brave and don't mind the mess you could even try using spray paint for an all-over even colour.

Want to know how to varnish air dry clay so it lasts for years? Check out my How To Glaze Air Dry Claypost. It’s packed full of tips and tricks.

Ideas For Clay Projects.

Keep scrolling for my favourite air dry clay projects. I’ve included some air dry terracotta clay ideas as well as white air dry clay. I think all the DIY projects in this list would make a cute gift for a friend.

Whether you want to make your cute pinch pots, clay leaf-shaped bowls, decorations or even your own earrings, there’s something here I’m certain you’ll love.

What do you think? Are you tempted to give any of these clay projects a try? If you want to try your hand at some polymer clay crafts as well make sure to read this post. It’s got a mix of air dry clay crafts and colourful polymer clay crafts as well.

And if you’re looking for some more tips and tricks check out the posts below:

• Air Dry Clay Bowl Ideas

• Air Dry Clay Jewellery Ideas

• Air Dry Clay Tips And Tricks

• How To Glaze Air Dry Clay

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Gathering Beauty

Gathering Beauty is a DIY, craft blog with a love for all things paper. Here you'll find origami, papercrafts, air dry clay projects as well as the odd crochet or weaving tutorials. Let's Get Crafty!

Hi, I'm Emma. I'm a life-long maker, artist and founder of the craft blog Gathering Beauty. You can learn more about me and my blog here.

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