4 easy air dry clay projects

Join Joe as he walks you through some easy air dry clay projects. Learn how to weave, mould and roll clay into display-worthy home decor. Check out the lesson PDF and materials list down below! 

1. Decorative tray

Open the clay and cut a 2cm edge off the of the block using a butter knife. Cut this into strips about 2cm wide. Flatten the remaining clay to 1cm. Cut out the supplied template, lay it on to your flattened clay and cut around it with the butter knife. Wrap the clay strips around the oblong shape and smooth the join. While the clay is still damp create a few small rolls of clay and create shapes on the face. If the clay becomes dry, dampen it with a bit of water. You can then let it dry in a warm spot. If the clay shrinks slightly you can fill the gaps with some wet clay when it is dry.

2. Creating the woven dish
Slice the block of clay in half. Join the 2 halves and roll it out to a thickness of approximately 1.5cm. Ensure that the clay is square. Cut it into strips 2cm wide with the butter knife. Line a bowl with cling film and lay 5 strips across the inside of the bowl. Then lay 5 strips in the other direction and weave this set through the ones already in the bowl. Press the areas of clay firmly together where they join and allow to completely dry.

3. Plaited planter
Cut the clay into strips and roll them out into 6 long tubes, approximately 2cm in diameter. Lay three of the tubes together and plait them together. Repeat this with the remaining three tubes. Once you have created the plaits you can wrap them around your chosen pot. Press the clay onto the pot so there are no air gaps between the clay and the pot.

4. Incense burner
Cut the end off the clay and roll out it to a thickness of 1cm. Use a coffee mug or cup as a cutter and cut out a round shape. Create a ball of clay and wrap it in cling film. Use this as a mould to lay the clay circle on so that it dries to a domed shape. Allow it to semi-dry, or enough so that it holds the shape and then add a small cylindrical shape into the middle. Use a stick of incense and press it in the cylinder, then let the whole piece dry.