20 Best Sculpting Clay For Beginners (2023 Updated)

Absolutely brilliant versatile stuff. Used cutters and knives to cut items and greaseproof paper underneath to help lift items. When shapes finished, smoothed edges with wet fingers. Used a cocktail stick to create a hole so that we could hang up items once they are dried and painted.

Little cracks can be sealed up with some fresh wetted clay ( slip). Looks pretty in its dried Matt white form or lovely painted and varnished. Could make egg shapes,hearts, stars, bats for so many occasions like valentines, Easter, Halloween, Christmas etc.

Or big spherical beads to be threaded and painted in a neutral theme for general room decor. Or create a hollow cube / ball with cut out perforations,maybe paint inside/ outside and place battery tea light inside.

So many options. My teenaged daughter loved using this. After use fold packaging over the clay and store in sealed poly bag. Lasts for ages.

With all of the craziness in the world, I felt the need to slow down and do something creative. I tried the DAS air drying modeling clay block. I remembered making clay roses in a high school art class many many many many many many years ago, so I decided to start with that.

I was so impressed with how easy it was to work with this clay. Very soft, pliable, and forgiving. I did keep a bottle of water nearby to wet my fingers and to smooth things out at times. My very first rose came out amazing.

I was shocked! I just kept making them. Then I started thinking what can I do with them. I decided to make a little dish with a jewelry ring holder. The roses would be used to decorate it. I used vitamin bottle caps to sit the roses in to dry.

It was a learning experience, as I haven’t done anything like this in over 35 years. I really didn’t have any tools. I used a flat head screwdriver to add texture to the rose leaves, and a plastic fork to stylize the outside of the dish.

I used a plastic knife to slice the bottoms off of some of the roses, so they would fit better in the bowl. It’s almost completely dry, and I haven’t seen any cracking. I am absolutely stunned at the end result!!!! Conveniently, my Mom’s name is Rose, so she’ll be the recipient of the finished product.

I already showed it to her, and she was thrilled. I’m not sure if I’ll paint it, or leave it white. It’s drying into a very beautiful white shade. I’ll let her decide. I have to say this was so much fun to do!!! A much needed break.

I cannot wait for my next project!.

During the winter months as a parent I am always looking for fun craft items for my kids. This holiday season I wanted to make homemade ornaments with my 5 year old. He loved playing with the clay. It was nice and soft right out of the package and we used it for about 2 hours and it stayed nice and soft.

In order to make the homemade ornaments we took out some cookie cutters. We used a straw to poke a hole in it for the string later on. Once they dried we took some fun pants and markets to color them.

I even made one as a keepsake for our baby with her 1st Christmas hand print. i loved the white because the colors of the paint and markers showed up really nice. Some clay tends to be messy or even too dry.

This was perfect and just enough to get out about 2 dozen cookie cutter ornaments. I totally recommend this for parents and teachers to use with the kids.

I started Claying (a word I made up. meaning doing clay/playing with clay) during 2020 I started getting really serious about it and I developed a passion for it. So, I got Sculpey I immediately started claying when I got home and I was amazed by how it felt, it was (and still is) soft and easy to work with, my all my old clay was hard and cracked if you bent it (Sculpey does not crack) when I was done I baked it and the colours still stayed the exact same and it did not crack at all (but if it does you can mix Sculpey liquid clay with a Sculpey III and you can just smooth it over the crack and re-bake it), also not only did it not crack it also did not melt or sink.

Compared to other products I’ve used this one does not stick to your hands and gets hard (when baked) and not easy to brake. even the cleanup is easy just wipe down your surface with a damp cloth with a little bit of soap.

I’m absolutely blown away by how amazing Sculpey is!.

Sculpey III clay. Wonderful things can be created with this brand. I love the fact it glows in the dark, I’ve made a set of earrings with moons and stars using Sculpey III Glow in the Dark. I’d have given this 5 stars, reason I didn’t is because Sculpey clay, specifically this particular brand is soo soft, it picks up imperfections so easily during the sculpting process.

It takes more time and effort to sculpt with this product than it does with any other Sculpey colors. Its perfect for children but for serious sculptures, it takes a LOT of time and patience to create something without those imperfections.

The other issue I have is that you can’t cane with this product it is so soft. Like creating a moon cane or glow in the dark flower cane, it will not be firm enough to work the details.

Sculpey never fails (unless you bake it too long). The tan colour is great for making pastries in 1:12 scale for a model bakeshop. Works well with very small molds. If you have arthritic hands, slice some off and put between wax paper or in a plastic bag and sit on it for a few minutes.

The heat of your body will warm it a bit so it becomes easier to work with.

My 4 year old and 6 year old love crafts. They absolutely love things like clay where they can mold and create their own things. Sometimes they like using clay that will set up and stay in its design, but they also sometimes just want to sit and create things over and over.

This clay sampler was so much fun for them. They loved how it came with so many different colors. The clay is a great texture for them to play with. It’s smooth and very pliable. They were able to work with it immediately out of the package.

It was so easy for them to mold into any shape they wanted. It holds its shape really well while they are playing with their creations but is still easy to squish down to create something new. They sat and played with it for hours without having any issues with it trying to dry out.

They really enjoyed having enough colors that they could mix the clay if they wanted and create any color they needed. There was plenty of clay in the package for them to both enjoy playing with it at the same time.

This provided some much needed entertainment for my daughters during the heat wave we have been having this week.

I ordered this clay thinking it would be fun to make a few small clay items for the house or with my teenage daughter. It is easy to use, doesn’t require a kelm (spelling?)/heat or drying source and on my screen it looked like it had both light and dark shades, appropriate for any age (not nonsense or Crayola rainbow colors).

This is my misunderstanding though, the product is labeled and if you saw it in store, you would definitely know what you’re getting because the packaging is clear and shows the sticks. Each stick is a different color, but they are bright, also has none.

I was hoping for more muted tones, like you typically see with pottery. Still going to have some fun making some trays & little flower pots for some of our succulents. Would definitely recommend for family with creative kids of most any age! If you don’t mind colorful items, this is def something for you to get your creativity going versus watching television or going shopping! Quality of clay seems on par with most clay I’ve used in at home projects but it must be better I’m some ways bc there’s no drying time/source needed.

This clay is the best one I’ve used so far! I’ve bought more than 30 tubs already and I’m not planning to change brands any time soon. The clay doesn’t stick to my hands or tools. Nothing beats FREE shipping as well! Overall satisfied!.

The monster clay is a reuseable clay that can be soften by heat. It comes with 3 different hardness. If you are sculpting something big, go for “soft”. If sculpting something small and detailed, go for “hard”.

And it is sulfur-free which means you can sculpt something and cast it with all types of silicone and that’s a big pro to me.

Be very careful. This product resembles fudge. If you’re fond of fudge you may be tempted to eat some, but unlike fudge this product is marvelous to use for sculpting. It’s very firm but warms up in hand.

Not sticky or smelly like other fudges, or clays. Just don’t leave it on the kitchen counter late at night.

I bought this clay for my son, he got into sculpting and hasn’t looked back. He absolutely loves this clay, it is very easy to work with. If he has a problem with how something looks or feels he just pulls it off and just starts over.

This clay is very forgiving. We will be buying more from you. Thank you very much for such a great product. If my friends wanted a good place to buy clay I would send them your way.

i sculpted tiny hands for a project and the other types of polymer clay weren’t working out. my wrists aren’t good, so it was tough to deal with taking time to try and sculpt a hand well just to have the fingers snap off after baking.

anyways, i made a couple hands out of this and the fingers haven’t snapped off yet (even after attaching them to the arms) so i take that as a good sign. only four stars because it’s kinda hard to condition, but i guess that’s the price you pay to keep the fingers on the hands.

This product is a great middle ground between Super Sculpey and Super Sculpey Firm. Super Sculpey is great but can get too soft after it warms up in your hands, Firm holds great detail but can be hard to condition and doesn’t always blend easily.

This product acts like Firm but is not as hard on your hands. Overall very satisfied.

Lately, I been purchasing Super Sculpy for my neighbors’ kids as an indoor activity to support them being creative. The Medium Clay is not as soft as the original pink clay and is great for kids that knead it a lot.

Always bakes great in the oven. A baked Super Sculpy Dynastes Hercules beetle, with a small wire armature has been sitting on our kitchen window sill for months.

We needed air-dry clay that could be used on a pottery wheel for a children’s summer camp program. After reading many online reviews, I took a chance on Amaco Stonex. It has worked very well, and we have had no issues with finished items cracking, despite the kids making things of uneven thickness.

While pricier than clay that can be fired, this clay allows the kids to take their creations home at the end of a week. We will be sticking to this product for future camps!.

I purchased 3 boxes of this clay and couldn’t wait to try it, having heard amazing things about “air dry” clay. For four or five weeks, now, my Middle School 3D Class have created very detailed Steam Punk insects, using this clay and incorporating a variety of recycled materials.

In the last 3 days, most of these have cracked. (BTW: I am an experienced potter and have used Amoco products for years, with great results. ) I recommended that my students continue to compress the clay around the crack and, since it’s air dry clay, add more clay if the crack is really bad.

The result is more cracking. Then, my own piece cracked. With an art show that features these pieces scheduled for next Thursday, I needed help. I phoned Blick to make sure that what I had ordered and received was indeed the product I thought it was: Amoco Stonex, listed under “Air Dry Clays” on the website.

Then, I phoned Tech Support at Amoco hoping to find a solution – hoping maybe there is something we can spray them with, other than water, to stop the cracking. I was asked a series of questions, “What kind of plastic bags are you using, grocery bags?” (no, Ziplock), “Are they in direct sunlight?” (no) and told that the “clay on the outside was drying faster than the clay on the inside, causing the cracking” (mmm).

I was also told that the clay was “air hardening”, not “air dry”. I had to redirect the person to get back to trying to help me stop the cracking problem. I have left my phone number, hoping they will call me with a solution.

I am going after a refund on the other two unopened boxes. Can anyone recommend an air dry clay product that works?.

I donated two art classes to two school’s annual fund-raising auctions. This is the second year and each year the price escalates. I donate the materials and the lessons–it’s a winning solution for the school, the students, the benefactor (who gets to do art with us), and me.

This year, both classes voted to work with the self-hardening clay. I also visited your website for class ideas, and the medallion and bead-making surfaced as the winner. We made our art over two days, allowing the clay to harden during the weekend away from school.

We painted, rubbed with gold dust, sprayed with fixative, and strung our finished necklaces. I even sent back to the school clay forms that I made to replace the students who broke theirs. The students loved the feel of the clay in their hands, rolling it into dryness–when we sprinkled water on their clay, they even loved the soft and slippery feel more! Hence, the 80 white hands! The project was definitely one they enjoyed.

I even saw the students sporting their new medallions at our Spring Registration! For 40 third graders, this was a great experience!.

If your starting out know a few things. It must be worked with clean hands on a very clean surface. It will pick up all kinds off dirt and dust. It must be worked until it’s very warm. I will go crumbly and hard and break.

If over baked you will notice small discs form in the polymer and become brittle. Use a timer and do not go over thickness. You can color it with standard doll pigments but you must use Pebeo clear matte bakeable media for it to stick.

Dolls made from this are not playwithable. And will degrade if placed near sunlight.

I love this product! I am able to create my dolls, give them personality, manipulate them anyway I think up, and can save them forever after baking. The clay is easy to manipulate, easy to smooth out, and I wont use any other product.

10 Stars!!!.

What I like about living doll is the translucent quality of it compared to other sculpey products. It almost glows in good lighting and while it’s not as durable as cosclay there’s something about that glow that brings life to a sculpture.

Good for folks with cold hands or lacking strength, decently soft. Maybe too soft for many small details, isn’t as good for carving as air dry clay. I love using it to make cartoonish animal sculptures with limited small details, over wire and tin foil armature, and painted with acrylics.

Brittle when cured, protrusions can be quite delicate. Never cracks while setting though.

This Sculpey clay is amazing. So much better than other types of Sculpey we have tried. This never dries out, doesn’t stick to your hands or surfaces which makes it super easy to clean up the after. My kids are 4 and 6 and they can’t get enough of this.

They are sculpting everything from butterflies to miniature versions of themselves. It’s incredibly easy to work with once you get it warmed in your hands.

#sweepstakes So, I tried DAS paperclay a few years ago, and I couldn’t stand the smell of it. But now, some years later, I find that I can tolerate it better than I did. The package even has a label now that says “low odor” fomula, so clearly I was not the only one.

It still has an odor, but it doesn’t seem as toxic smelling as the previous formula. I still prefer to work with it outdoors when I can, because my studio does not have great ventilation. But smells aside, I do really enjoy working with this clay.

I am not able to do regular kiln ceramics at this time, so DAS is my alternate medium. I got a package of white and terra cotta. I like to knead the workable clay first really well, maybe that’s from my days as a ceramicist.

But I find that it helps with more intricate modeling and detail. And I keep a spray bottle on hand to keep the clay moist and pliable, even a little tacky. I let my bird sculptures air dry outside for about a week.

They don’t actually need that long to cure, but I do that just so there is no hint of a smell. Next I am going to paint them with flashe paint.

Never worked with air dry clay before but this did the trick. One cautionary note, while a thicker piece may appear dry, there is a good chance the interior is still not set. This can become apparent when slicing or sanding.

Best to let it go a little longer than hit a damp spot while working the “solid” object. Also, making a solution of clay and a little water and brushing this onto an object can help fill in cracks or smooth a rough patch.

I found this works even on some plastic objects that are not made of clay.

Firstly, I would love either larger blocks of clay or a lower price. It’s good clay. However, The black was the only color that I’ve used so far that the texture is, for a lack of a better word, greasy and yet somehow sticky.

It’s like trying to lift chewing gum off a surface once rolled and flattened. Also, It smears when lifting (hence greasy) and stretches like gum. Leaving behind a majority of itself on the surface. Secondly, the color selection is great.

With that said, I’ve been looking for individual packs of Arteza but no luck. Thirdly, it is non-toxic which is a plus. But it does stain more than some other brands. Final thoughts, it is not the best clay nor is it the worst.

It’s a good quality clay though. Place it above Sculpey iii and Fimo, but below Sculpey Premo. Depending on your needs it may or may not be better than Sculpey Souffle. Sometimes Souffle can be too soft.

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely love the colors and the workability of this clay; HOWEVER, half way through my dragon sculpture, I came to realize that I was going to need twice as much of the color I’m using.

I went to the website to order individual colors and they don’t offer the polymer clay in individual packs. So, in order to get more of this color, I have to spend another $33 to buy a whole other set, which I refuse to do because I’m not going to get sucked into this very obvious marketing ploy.

I’ll just have to toss this little guy and go buy Sculpey or FIMO and start over. My family is very artistic. We use resin, pigments, acrylic paints, watercolors, acrylic and alcohol inks, polymer clay, brush pens, colored pencils.

pretty much anything that has to do with art, we do it. I was hoping to work a lot more with Arteza products but having to purchase full sets as an only option sucks and there’s plenty of good companies out there that do offer individual sales, as well.

I have waited awhile before I could spend on the polymer clay set. Though it arrived last week, I waited to start working on it once holidays start and used it today. The packs seemed a bit small but that didn’t bother me as much as the clay itself did.

I just used one color and didn’t like the experience at all. The color stained my hands too much, had to wash my hands more than twice to get the color fully off of my hands. And the clay doesn’t react well to conditioning, it creates so many bubbles and it too stick.

I used arteza paints and liked the products which is the reason I thought I would really enjoy their polymer clay but I was very disappointed with the product.

Like all polymer clays, super sculpey can be cured in a conventional home oven. It never dries out and is reworkable until cured. Which is great for projects that take a long time, as oposed to air drying clay, which has a limited working time.

I used to use super sculpey, the normal pink / beige one, but found it to be a little translucent. Which made fine detailing very difficult. The firm grey however is opaque, and the firmness much better for carving and shaping fine details.

The main issue I’ve had with this product is varying consistencys in the firmness of the clay. It should be quite ‘stiff’ to work with, most of the blocks I’ve had have been ok, but I’ve had some that have been very soft and sticky.

Thus very difficult to work with. I’ve even found the consistency vary within an individual block. I’ve since discovered that the soft clay can be firmed up by placing thin sheets between layers of paper to leach out some of the oils.

Which is a bit of a pain, and waste of paper, especially when part way through a sculpt. Super sculpey is one of those materials that I’m still learning about, and learning how to get the best from it.

A couple of tips ive learned, that aren’t on the packaging. Your can add new sculpey to baked sculpey. A very thin smear of Vaseline helpsthe clay to stick, and acts as a ‘glue’. 99% rubbing alcohol can be used to smooth the clay during the sculpt.

It slightly dissolves the surface of the clay, and if worked with a soft brush can remove imperfections like fingerprints and tool marks. If you find the firm clay a little too difficult to work with, it can be mixed 50/50 with the normal super sculpey, for a medium blend.

Sculpey do actually have a medium blend available, but i am yet to find a uk stockist. Overall its a great clay to work with, and there’s some fantastic work being created with it, just look on Google.

What to say? SuperSculpey Grey is widely used by modelers and I have started using it as well. Sure it is hard to soften it, specially for people like me who doesn’t own a pasta machine, but it is that same hardness which makes it perfect for keeping the shape of your model.

You can mix it with the softer SuperSculpey (which was the first one I used). That one is extremely soft and you can create a lot of details but you need to be careful or you can deform it easily, but this firm version doesn’t deform easily.

So, if you need to work with sturdier polymerclay, like for making sharp corners, super smooth surfaces, anime hair, mecha and props, this one is perfect. If you are aiming for an organic, less precise piece, then you better choose Soft SuperSculpey.

I love this clay, it doesn’t smell bad either.

I used to use FIMO and Sculpey. No more. Why? My hands would get so sore kneading it to make it workable. This is easy- I use a scale to make sure I have equal parts-then mix for two minutes. This is water soluble, which stays workable for hours.

It slowly dries. You can be strategic and wait a bit if you want it to be stiffer. It attahces to ANYTHING> I use wire, foam, and tape. MAn it holds. After drying (12-24 hours) it is waterproof! I sand, drill and paint it, and get great results.

I’ve used Sculpey and Fimo for twenty years, and will never go back. Why? You don’t need to soften it. It is water soluble. You don’t need to bake it. You can easily send it, add to it, add dry to soft, and it takes paint well.

It’s incredibly strong when dry and waterproof. Downside? It takes a while to dry. I get around that by doing multiple projects. After 4 hours it firms up, which is good to bend larger parts or add smaller details.

It’s about as hard as it’ll get in ten hours. You can sand it, add more detail or paint it. Great product. The price works out about the same. I use wire armatures, tape, styrofoam, wood, beads, shells and other items.

If sticks to anything. Get some good tools, since you should wear latex gloves when working with it ( it’ll stick to your hands).

So first off, I love the product. Very easy to work, dries quite hard, and takes paint very well. I use it to customize action figures for my son and have had zero adhesion issues. We even made a Poltergust 5000 from Luigis Mansion using this product on a canister vacuum (motor removed).

It adhered well for not only decorative elements but also used as an adhesive for functional latches to keep a hidden compartment closed. It worked very well on a curved surface for this purpose, as it can be used to rise and level, as opposed to a 2 part epoxy resin glue, which just bonds directly.

Note: the product inside is the same, but the packaging quality is much better on the 1lb version vs the 4lb. The 1 lb comes in an A B set of solid, screw top jars. The 4 lb comes in an A B set of flimsier containers that remind me of disposable Tupperware, specifically the kind used for soup at Chinese takeout places.

The product is still the same, and it is a value, but where the smaller vessels probably won’t crack if dropped, the larger ones are absolutely more likely to break, and top heavy to boot.

a little styling and hold. For major hold you’ll want something stronger, but this is for light, flexible hold. I like that it doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy, heavy, or crispy. I like to use this after applying the Verb Ghost oil.

I love that Verb products are not overly scented- I’m prone to migraines so I steer clear of artificial fragrance.

fell in love. I’ve been using their products ever sinceI first got to know Verb while I was working at a hair salon. Tried it once there, fell in love. I’ve been using their products ever since. So naturally, when my husband needed some product for his new cut I turned to Verb.

To my surprise, Husband really enjoyed the stuff. The smell wasn’t too much for him (or for me) and the consistency worked well for both him and his hair. He hates when product makes his hair hard rather than leaving a more natural texture – or when a product is so thick it’s hard to grab a smaller amount.

He said that the Forming Fiber did not do either of these things – so it’s a win in his book.

After my favorite texture paste was discontinued I waded through a plethora of clays, pastes and sprays that left my scalp too greasy, sticky, dry, flaky, plus they contained too much fragrance for my allergies, or didn’t hold up (literally).

This VERB clay works like a charm! I work a little dab between my fingers then into my hair, and I’m good for the day. I get extra texture and volume to my style without gross residue. The scent is very light, even to a sensitive nose.

I teach art and arts/crafts for a NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs program that places professional artists in senior centers to teach art. This air clay handles like regular clay, I teach my students how to wedge, roll a slab, make pinch pots, coil pots, and slab-built sculpture.

My seniors get a genuine clay experience without needing a kiln. Clay is a good medium for non-artists as it doesn’t require drawing or painting skills. I am also a Presenter for the Queens Library System, I teach air clay workshops for the branch libraries, and the workshops are very popular.

I teach studio art to senior center groups. I useClaystone red air clay when I am teaching sculpture. It looks and handles like real clay and my students get a clay experience without needing a kiln.

We decorate the dried pieces with acrylic paint. Everyone takes home a vase, a pencil holder, a decorative clay, whatever they made, and everyone has a very satisfactory experience.

It’s very good for its price. I buy multiple boxes (if only they weren’t so heavy) in the beginning of the year. I’ve barely had any cracked clay because I make sure students use it properly. There were instances in which my middle school kids’ clay projects would break but only because the project we were working on used a very thin slice of clay and was prone to breaking either way.

It dries slow if you’re using large amounts, but I mean that’s how every air-dry clay is. If you are a teacher who needs to use clay in the classroom but don’t have the technology to use fired clay, then I would definitely buy this in chunks!.

I really like living doll polymer clay, I choose it because it is the nicest clay for fine features. I give it a three rating because when I work with it it seems to get sticky. After several trials I found that if I mold the object I want to create with simple features then bake it.

then carve detail with an exacto knife. This clay carves very well. It seems my hands get to warm hence the sticky clay. I have tried the other Sculpey clays, they are good but for me living doll stays firm longer than the other ones.

Very happy with the product that have chosen, although I haven’t had time to test out some of them. Blick is a great company. Great service, good prices and gets products out in a timely fashion. I also like the fact that Blick sends me a catalog that I can keep by my work space for quick reference.

Thank you Blick and keep up the good work.

I use this clay for a base to make salt cellars with shells. I like it but it was not packaged well and first order was unusable because it was dried out. Bick sent me another order without cost very quickly even thought the first order took over a week to get to me.

It is pretty strong. Slow drying. I will continue to use it because don’t have anything better but I am looking.

I purchased this to instruct a student in figure sculpture and anatomy. This is a softer consistency which is great for my middle school student who hasn’t developed the hand strength for firmer clay! It is sulfur free which is amazing because I teach in my home and don’t want it to carry that sulfur funk that the regular Plastilina has.

This clay is perfect texture and is considered one of the finest. I prefer it as I like the color; it shows the fine marks that are made when working with it better than a dark color.

This is a great starting place for the beginning sculptor. I enjoyed it for several years until i started working larger and more detailed items. Its softer and easy to work, but that also means easy to bump and mark up your work.

I now like a harder product. You won’t find a better price nor better service than here. Good luck. When you’re ready to go to a harder product Blick has that too.

I’ve been trying to find the best possible air dry clay for small projects like ring dishes, little animal figurines and ornaments. So far Amaco Stonex Clay is my favorite, above homemade paper clay, homemade cold porcelain clay and La Doll Stone Clay.

It looks and feels like ceramic clay you fire, it holds its shape nicely while wet, when partially dry it is leathery and carve-able, and I have not had any cracking problems like others mentioned. I even speed dry by laying work on a cookie sheet on top of my hot coal stove and nothing has cracked.

None of my pieces are more than half an inch thick though. It dries much harder and stronger than ceramic clay that needs firing, and it takes acrylic paint, model paint and tinted lacquer nicely. It is sticky so pressing into a form doesn’t work, but when I wanted a bowl shape I lined the bowl with saran wrap, pressed the clay, removed it with the wrap attached and the wrap peeled off nicely.

Bottom Line: Looks and feels like traditional firing clay but a little stickier, dries without cracking (even when speed drying), dries strong and takes most paint.

when sculpting, i found that if i dont let a thicker item get sufficient drying time, it will crack. it continues to dry after a week. i made little people [torso was about 1/2″ thick] and i thought it was dry.

so i painted it. it wasnt dry! it cracked in tiny lines right through the paint. i think i can just repaint it. but let your item get ALL the drying time you can before caving in to the urge to paint it.

make your own lamp out of an old ugly lamp: i made a tree lamp. i found that if you have dead space anywhere in your sculpture it will crack. basically, i use empty paper towel rolls for a base, but when there is any dead space, the drying clay cracked and pulled away from the rest of the item.

i guess im learning as i go. but im back for more! very fun. im going to make a tall tree lamp out of a floor lamp now! i recommend sealing the bag of unused clay in an air tight container to keep it over long periods of time.

i found out that wearing gloves, surgical type, is great. just peel off your gloves when you are done and there is no long hand-washing time. the clay dries out your skin! i put on lotion and then gloves.

after working on a project, just toss the gloves in the trash and you are left with no mess and soft hands. i also learned that using a SMALL amount of water, like just dip your fingertip in water, and smooth out your project is great.

water adds a pinch of wetness and helps you contour your project. too much water makes one terrific mess. *water -even a drop- makes the clay cling to you or makes your item goopy. it takes time getting used to manipulating the clay.

but its worth it after you have a little practice. if you use water, keep some paper towels around to wipe off your hands after smoothing your item. otherwise the rest of your project is very hard to work with [if your fingers or hands are still wet] after painting, be sure to seal with SEVERAL coats of clear acrylic [spray or brush on] to ensure longer lasting projects.

It is very convenient to have 25lbs of real ceramic clay come in a free delivery! Other art supply vendors would charge shipping by weight. (It is far cheaper to buy cone o4 clay from your local ceramic supply but you have to go there.

) That said I wonder at why Discount persists at calling it modeling clay. Real modeling clay is plastecine. This is the real deal ceramic clay from the earth – as is the red clay. you can fire it in a kiln.

How cool is that!.

We used this for our first craft in vacation bible school last night, for kids ages 6-13. They all loved it. It was much easier and less messy than I had originally thought it would be. The kids enjoyed flating it out and making small stepping stones, or whatever else they could imagine.

We used lots of different jewels to press into the wet clay, since we didn’t have time to allow to dry to paint. The jewels looked great. The first and second graders loved it and even did a better job than the older children.

I wish I had gotten some rolling pins and other tools for the kids to use, but we made do with what we had, hands are the best tool. I will buy again next year for sure!.