Clay art and craft are the best ways to bring out the creative talents in you and are therapeutic and relaxing. Pottery helps to create an outlet for all the bottled-up stress. It helps to improve agility in adults and children and develop their fine motor skills. Scroll down to find some of the best crafting ideas with clay that help strengthen your eye-hand coordination.
These terracotta teacups make beautiful gifts and make it fun to enjoy your tea or coffee in the morning. Make use of clay crafts at home to bring out the beauty of these plain cups.
Speciality: Get ready to take a sip out of these gorgeously painted teacups
Material:
Terracotta teacup
Acrylic paint (white)
Brush
How to Do:
Take terracotta teacups and clean them well.
Take a brush and use your imagination to create unique designs, as shown in the image above.
The designs can range from simple to intricate ones.
This type of drip design on pots makes them look very colorful and gorgeous. They can be painted with eye-catching colors, which makes this handicraft a ready favorite among all.
Speciality: This clay craftwork is based on a drip painting trend that can be done by adults and children and creates quality bonding time.
Material:
Readymade clay flower pot
Acrylic craft paint colors of your choice.
Line the cookie sheet with aluminium foil
Brushes
How to Do:
Turn the clay flower pot upside down on the cookie sheet
Now begin by dripping the paint on the bottom of the pot
Allow it to drip on all the sides of the pot, one color after the other, covering all areas of the pot
Once done, allow the painted pot to dry completely.
This clay craft idea gives us a fantastic pencil desk organizer for personal use and anexcellent and useful project for your kids. These pencil holders make awesome gifts and are easy to make in different shapes, colors, and sizes.
Speciality: Get ready to make this surprisingly easy pencil holder that keeps your workspace neat and organized.
Material:
Air-dry clay
Acrylic color of your choice
How to Do:
Take a big lump of clay.
Roll into a ball and make it in the size of your choice
Dip your hands in water to dampen the clay and smoothen it
Once you get the shape you want, quickly stick pencils into it to make respective holes in the holder.
Allow it to dry, and if cracks appear, use your wet hands to smoothen them.
Next, remove the pencils and paint them with black acrylic paint all over.
You can use shimmering color over it to make it look attractive.
Paper clay is very versatile and super fun to work with and can be made with shredded paper. This makes this clay eco-friendly, too, as it is difficult to recycle paper that has been shredded.
Speciality: Make a clay craft with paper clay to create colorful bowls, colorful pencil toppers
Material:
Shredded paper
Big bowl
Hot water
Flour and pulp – 1:4
Salt
Mixie or a hand blender
How to Do:
Fill a bowl with hot water.
Now add shredded paper to this and leave it overnight.
The next day, use a blender on this soft mixture.
Squeeze to remove water and add flour and salt.
You can store this dough in your fridge for two to three weeks.
This mixture can be used to create bright and colorful artefacts and bowls.
Who would not like to wear these cute clay pins on their bags or even their clothes to celebrate Halloween?
Speciality: Halloween need not always be scary and dark; these cute pins can be shaped easily with cookie cutters and can be made in bright colors with clay children’s crafts.
Material:
Glue gun
Hair clip
Cookie-cutter
Googly eyes
Rolling pin
Clay.
How to Do:
Knead the clay well with your hands until it is soft
Now use the rolling pin and roll them out about 1/4” inch in thickness.
With a cookie cutter, cut out the shapes.
Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake them according to the given instructions on the package
No Indian festival can be complete without lighting diyas, and these can be made with clay at home, painted and decorated, ushering in happiness and joy.
Specialty: Clay craft for beginners helps make simple earthen diyas, which can be handmade with clay or terracotta with just a few simple and easy-to-follow steps.
Material:
Air dry terracotta clay
Acrylic paint
Glue
Clay tools
How to Do:
Lightly roll a lump of clay between your hands and warm it.
Now make it into a smooth ball.
Use your fingers to shape it to look like a diya, or use an old diya as a mould to shape it.
Use your creativity to make designs or paint them with bright and vibrant colors.
These types of cute key chains can be made easily as part of clay children’s crafts and make welcome gifts. Kindergarten and preschool children can make these with these simple-to-follow tips.
Speciality: This creates a sense of achievement as they create something beautiful and instil a sense of joy in them.
Material:
Air-dry clay in colors of your choice
Rolling pin
Bottlecap
Keychain ring
Acrylic paint
Toothpick
How to Do:
Roll out a lump of clay and make a circular impression with a bottle cap
Use water to smoothen the edges.
With a needle, make a hole.
Make designs with the toothpick and paint them in the color of your choice.
Make beads for your necklace with colors and the shape of your choice to match your outfits, and this clay art project also makes good gifts to give to your family and friends.
Speciality: These necklaces made with clay make good gifts as they are inexpensive and, at the same time, carry a personal touch as they are handmade, which increases the value of the gift.
Material:
Terracotta or air dry clay
Skewer
Thread
How to Do:
Roll clay to warm the dough between your hands.
Divide them into small bead-like shapes.
Use a skewer to make a hole.
Bake and cool the beads.
Thread the beads and make a necklace of your choice.
These cute black and white cats are very easy to make and make good gifts to give your friends. These clay craft projects are better appreciated as they are handmade and carry a personal touch.
Specialty: These handmade animal figurines make excellent giveaway gifts.
Material:
Polymer Clay
Marker pen
A tool to carve shapes
Toothpick
How to Do:
Warm the dough between your hands.
Roll them with your fingers to make smooth balls.
Use a marker to make the eyes.
Stick a toothpick through the body to support the head.
Shape the ears and tail and mold them to create two cute cats in black and white.
This clay craft from India is an ideal gift for Father’s Day or Mother’s Day and a gift that will melt the heart of a baby’s grandparents. Nothing can be unique or have more value than this.
Speciality: You can make a handprint of your child or baby and can create unforgettable memories with your loved ones
Material:
Air-dry clay
Plaster of Paris
Stick to help mix
Rolling pin
Scissors
Knife
Old gift box
Sandpaper
Newspaper
How to Do:
Roll out the clay on a newspaper about 2 cm thick
Press the hand on this firm to get a nice handprint
Now cut off the bottom part of your gift box and place it over the imprint pressing down hard so that the clay is in place and does not spread.
Now mix the plaster of Paris and pour over it.
Allow the whole thing to dry well.
Gently remove the gift box away from the imprint.
Trim it with sandpaper all around for a few days without touching the print.
Valentine’s Day is the celebration of the affection and love between two people, and affection between two people and gifts are exchanged to make this day more memorable and as a sign of commitment, and this clay art and craft do just that.
Speciality: These simple clay charms can be worn as a pendant on a thin chain or as a charm on your bracelet and carries a personal touch.
Material:
Air-dry clay in colors of your choice
Thin wire
Glue, toothpick, knife
Heart shape pattern
Bottlecap for cutting out circles
How to Do:
You can either make a single heart or a double heart design.
Roll out the clay to the desired thickness
Place the heart pattern on it and trace out the design.
Cut out the heart and round the edges so that it is smooth.
Make a hole so that you can insert the thin wire and round it to wear it on your chain.
Paint the heart in the color of your choice and allow it to dry.
Clay roses make interesting gifts, especially for Mother’s Day, and they look so realistic. These clay craft ideas can be made in different sizes and colors. You can use them to embellish broaches, pendants, earrings, or even hair grips.
Speciality: These roses are very easy to make, and with practice, they can look as real as the roses. Unlike real flowers that wilt, these flowers can last a lifetime to commemorate a special occasion.
Material:
Air-dry clay
Tools to shape and mould
How to Do:
Roll out almost the same size balls of clay
Next, flatten out a piece of clay to form a single petal and roll it to make it look realistic.
Hanging stars is a beautiful DIY project in clay craftwork that can be made with a few easy-to-follow steps and can look appealing in any home décor. You can innovate by alternating the stars with other shapes too.
Speciality: Creating hanging stars make ideal gifts for any occasion, especially a housewarming event. You can personalize them by using different colors and shapes.
Material:
Air-dry clay
Cookie-cutter
Needle
Thread
A branch or a stick to hang the stars
How to Do:
Roll out a lump of air-dry clay.
Use a cookie cutter and cut out star shapes.
Make a hole with a needle to help hang the stars and tie this to a branch.
Making a clay craft like this is relatively easy as this is a DIY clay project that can add more appeal to your garden. They can be painted in bright, vibrant colors with easy-to-do steps and pictures.
Speciality: Get ready to make these whimsical planters to adorn your garden and get a host of compliments.
Material:
Air-dry clay (white)
A ball made of tin foil
Stick
Acrylic paint (black)
How to Do:
Roll out some air-dry clay
Place this over a ball of tin foil.
Shape three legs for the planter
Let it remain for not more than 24 hours to completely dry.
Draw eyes and eyelashes with a stick
Cut a piece of a ziplock bag in a round shape to place inside the planter as water tends to break air-dry clay.
Your pot is now ready to house some of your choice succulents!
This is one of the perfect things to hold your favorite plants and succulents, and looks bright and cute. They make wonderful decorative additions to your garden.
Speciality: These are extremely easy to decorate, and you can use bright colors to make your garden look pretty and colorful with these clay pot crafts.
Material:
Terracotta pot and saucer
Aerosol spray can (Red)
Different-sized sponge brushes (small, medium, and big)
Acrylic paint (black and white)
Thick brush
How to Do:
Spray paint the pot and saucer in red.
Use a medium-sized sponge brush to make white circles on the rim of the pot.
Next, while it dries, use a thicker brush to draw lines on the pot and the border at the pot’s bottom.
Finally, use a smaller sponge brush to add centres to the eyes, as shown in the image.
Allow the paint to dry completely, and you will have attractive ladybug planters for your garden
Easter brings to our memory Easter eggs and bunnies, and this easy DIY clay craft gives us simple steps to make bright and colorful Easter eggs that are sure to bring a smile to children’s faces.
Speciality: No Easter celebration is complete without Easter eggs, and it is nice to have ornamental ones made and kept on display
Material:
Air-hardening clay
Knife
Acrylic paint colors of your choice
How to Do:
Cut the air-hardening clay with a knife into equal squares.
Knead and roll them into balls and stretch them to elongate them to resemble eggs
Allow it to dry, and once done, they are ready for painting.
Use bright colors to make them look attractive.
Decorate the eggs using polka dots, a design of your choice, or stripes, as shown in the picture above.
If you are looking for an ideal Mother’s Day gift, then this handmade clay craft at home would be just what a mother needs to keep her trinkets on her bedside table.
Speciality: This handprint gift can be made in different colors and sizes, and it would hold a lot more meaning when your child makes it for you with his or her handprint.
Material:
Air-dry clay
Ball
Needle
Kitchen knife
Rolling pin
How to Do:
Roll out the dough around 1 cm thick
Place the child’s hand gently on the clay and ensure that you do not press too hard
trace around the impression and carve it out with a knife
Next, turn it over to rest on the ball overnight
Once dry, it can be removed from the ball and painted in the color of your choice
Here are the cool clay pot crafts to make. The cactus plants in a cute little pot are made in various colors too. You can have the prickly cactus or colorful smooth ones. The miniature plants can be fun to gift to people as well.
This cuddly puppy dog is made from clay and then air-dried. The white and brown dog is detailed well with the use of clay tools for modelling. You can make these little puppies for gifts as well. This one decorative piece looks funny and gives a cool effect to showcase.
Here is a nice mother’s day gift that you can make using polymer clay. The clay craft ideas use white clay to make three birds with yellow beaks. The family of birds looks nice when set on a table.
These awesome clay children’s crafts ideas are perfect for little hands. You need to give them round clay pieces to form the colorful turtle. They will be amazed at the result and would love to play with their new handmade toy.
This clay candle holder is a brilliant way to make a clay lantern. The hollow clay mould is decorated on the outside and can have little holes to let the light out. This is a rustic craft idea that looks stunning when the candle is lit. You can bring this stuff on any outing plan or any outside garden dinner plan.
Today pottery is creating quite a revolution in the benefits it provides health-wise for adults and children. Get ready to enjoy the DIY clay crafts and the outlet it provides for self-expression. It is crucial that you introduce your children to this wonderful world of pottery and use their hands and imagination to create something beautiful. Please do let us know which crafting ideas impressed you the most in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:
1. What are the basic tips for a beginner in air-dry clay crafting?
First, ensure that you begin your project on wax paper to avoid sticky messes and while rolling out the clay, see to it that the thickness is not too thin as it can crack. Leftover clay powder/dough must always be stored in an airtight container. Make use of the umpteen DIY projects available online to get you started without any hitches.
2. Can clay for crafts be made at home?
Home-made clay can be made with these easy-to-do steps. In a bowl, add half a cup of salt, followed by half a cup of water. Mix them both well and add one cup of maida to this. Next, add a tablespoon of any cooking oil and mix well. If the consistency is too runny, then add some more maida to it. Knead this dough for about 15 minutes until you get a soft and pliable dough. Keep the dough in a zip-lock cover to store it for later use.
3. Can polymer clay be baked in our oven at home?
You can safely bake clay at home in an oven, but ensure that it is placed in baking soda or cornstarch and is covered so that the fumes do not affect the food you bake later.
Disclaimer: The ideas and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only. The main aim is to create awareness and suggest crafting ideas that can be done easily at home to help make inexpensive gifts at home with a personal touch.
Yashasvi developed a deep passion for writing ever since she was completed her Master’s in Mass Communication and Journalism from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and has chosen a career that is driven by creativity. A Parenting expert who believes in communicating effectively with a personal touch, she writes about pregnancy, baby care, lifestyle, and just about anything else.
Save
