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When you’re getting started working with air dry clay, it’s common to wonder what some good air dry clay projects for beginners are. There are lots of pictures of amazing projects available online, but they’re not always accessible for people who are new to working with clay (and sometimes they aren’t even real).
This collection of easy air dry clay projects for beginners should get you started with confidence.
Pinch Pots
Probably the most basic of all air dry clay projects is making a pinch pot. This is a great air dry clay project for kids and adults alike, as it doesn’t take a lot in terms of supplies or time.
Just take a ball of clay and shape it into a small bowl or plate type shape, let it dry and decorate.
You can find more detailed instructions as well as a video tutorial in my post about how to make pinch pots.
Ring Holder
If you can make a pinch pot, you can make an air dry clay ring holder. This is just a pinch pot with a little addition that holds rings.
I embellished mine by stamping in a word before it dried, but you can embed beads or other trinkets, paint it to look like an animal or leave it plain.
Beads
Play with shapes with air dry clay and channel your inner child to make air dry clay beads.
If you haven’t played with playdough in a while, the basics will come right back to you as you make spheres, cubes and other shapes and turn them into beads.
Added to the fun, you can decorate these in lots of different ways and use them in other projects, too. Crafts on crafts!
Magnets with Air Dry Clay
Another craft that might take you back to playing with dough as a kid is these air dry clay magnets. They’re super simple to make, too, because you just have to flatten out the clay and use cookie cutters to make the shapes. Or you can cut out or form shapes on your own.
These are so fun because if you happen to have animal cookie cutters you can give your magnets personalities with how you decorate them.
They’d be great to make for seasonal decor as well, and make great gifts for teens and tweens with magnet boards in their rooms.
Air Dry Clay Diffusers
Little clay diffusers are a great way to use essential oils in the home without having an electric essential oil diffuser. You can even make these into little pendants and wear your favorite essential oil around your neck.
All you need is a small shape you can cut with to make these air dry clay oil diffusers.
Air Dry Clay Ghosts
These adorable ghosts are really easy to make with air dry clay. You’ll need some extra supplies, including something to roll out clay, something for the clay to dry on and something to poke holes with.
It’s worth the effort, though, for these adorable Halloween decorations made with air dry clay.
More Tips about Air Dry Clay Projects for Beginners
If you’re looking for air dry clay projects for beginners you might also be wondering about the best air dry clay to use.
While of course you can buy air dry clay at a crafts store or online, my favorite air dry clay is the one you make yourself.
The best air dry clay recipe only has three ingredients and takes just a few minutes to make on the stove. It’s easy to make and lasts a decent amount of time if you keep it in a zip-top bag.
A common problem with air dry clay crafts is that they tend to crack as they dry. This happens because of uneven drying, and it’s not always possible to prevent, but I also have some tips on how to avoid cracks in air dry clay.
And I mentioned there are lots of ways to finish your air dry clay projects. I have an overview of a few different ways including paint, markers, decoupage and more. These ideas are sure to get you inspired to try some new air dry clay projects!
