Turn on the oven to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a very low temperature, that will create a warm airflow around the Sculpture baking the water out of the clay. You can make anything from jewelry, figurines, and masks with this medium making air dry clay a great choice for kids and adults alike. Markers: Non-Permanent & Washable Markers may not provide optimal coverage if you are coloring a large area of clay since the clay tends to clog the marker nib. Permanent pigment-based markers work well for writing words on the clay. So I turned off the oven and let them cool in the oven. It was clear that they had hardened a lot—yay! But I set them in the windowsill to finish drying overnight. I wanted to be extra sure they were ready to seal the following morning. No! It’s not. You can’t put air dry clay projects outside in the elements or expose them to water or moisture without messing them up. It’s the same reason I seal clay terracotta pots before painting them.

You can also consider increasing the airflow around your piece. For example, putting a fan in front of it or turning on a ceiling fan. Flip the piece over after a bit to ensure all areas on the clay pieces are getting air flow. Can you bake air dry clay? Air-Dry Clay is similar to a porcelain clay body when wet and can be thrown on a potter’s wheel by intermediate and advanced students. However, it should never be fired in a kiln or painted with traditional glazes. You can mold air dry clay into all sorts of shapes and sizes using your hands or molds. It’s especially good for air-dry clay craft projects that require painting because air dry clay dries super hard. Also, air dry clay is very easy to work with making it a perfect choice for kids since there won’t be any frustration during crafting sessions. You can use most traditional clay sculpting techniques with Air-Dry Clay, such as coil, slab, pinch, score-and-weld. The wet clay takes impressions well from rubber stamps or textured materials. You can also press beads, small stones or other decorative items directly into the clay. When joining two pieces together, score or roughen both surfaces, then apply slip before pressing firmly together. To make slip, mix together clay and water until it's the consistency of heavy cream.First, I grabbed a sheet pan and put a layer of aluminum foil down. Then I put my creations on the pan and put them in the oven before turning it on. Wondering how to use air dry clay? It’s a great, cheap, and simple crafting medium for kids and adults alike. Learn how to use air dry clay, including tips for working with it and drying it faster (including the pros and cons of baking it), as well as sealing and painting air dry clay! How to use air dry clay: Drying, sealing, & painting air dry clay designs! Crayola air dry clay is the cheapest air dry clay option and a good choice for kids because it’s so easy to mold into shapes. But, this air-dry clay might not be as durable or strong as other types of air drying clays, like polymer air-dry clays which are typically stronger and more durable.

As a final note—store air dry clay in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place. I personally like to buy clay in smaller amounts that I think I’ll probably use up for one craft. Using a base varnish also leaves room for you to leave parts of the creation the lovely white/tan natural clay color instead of painting everything. If you use a high-quality craft paint and let it dry/cube completely, it will be a very durable finish. Keep at a distance of at least 3 inches to avoid heating up one area of the clay too much and too fast.

3. Crayola Air-Dry Clay

I have a full guide on how to properly work with air dry clay that you can read right here. It is the perfect start if you never worked with air dry clay before.