Creative Pinch Pot Ideas for Kids

We love working with Air Drying Clay. Many people are uncertain what to make with it, but it is a great medium for beginners and children to try at home or in the classroom. It is tactile and great for fine motor skills. I realised that over the years we had created a Creative Pinch Pot Idea for all seasons!

So why not share them all in one place? There are some gaps.. but we plan to filled those soon!

To make Pinch Pots you will need:

• Air Drying Clay
• Acrylic paints

We like to buy clay in bulk – and usually get clay like this:

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• grey clay (US/ UK) (the best for buying in bulk)
• terracotta clay (US / UK) (great for earthy projects)

But this white clay is also popular

• white air drying clay (US/ UK) (a lovely clay for when you want that clean white finish without painting, however it is MUCH more expensive and therefor best for small projects such as ornaments)

If you have some harden air drying clay, this is how you can soften air drying clay to reuse. It only works for natural clay though and not polymer clays.

How to make Pinch Pots all year round

All our pinch pots are made with air drying clay for home crafting. this does however mean that they are not waterproof and not as durable as pinch pots made from kiln fired clay. The crafts are suitable for either process.. and if you do have access to a kiln, do have a go at using it.

Spring Pinch Pot ideas

The Pinch Pot Hearts are easy to make and great to make all year round.. but especially lovely as Valetine’s Day Craft for Kids, or a Mother’s Day Craft!

Hop over (get it.. hehehe) to my friend’s blog Make It Your Own and check out these rather adorable hatching egg and Bunny Pinch Pot combo! Love it!

We also made some Easter Pinch Pots – and decided to turn ours into a little Chick Pinch Pot and Easter Egg Pinch Pots!

Late Summer & Autumn Pinch Pot Ideas

Our very pinch pot how to, has to be these Apple Pinch Pots that the kids and I made a few years ago. I think the contrast of the white and red is simply lovely. And the pot shape is easy for the kids to manage.

As we move along the seasons, you have to have some gorges Leaf Pinch Pots! Again, as with all our pinch pots, this is an easy shape to manage, and afterwards the kids can have fun exploring colours and mixing shades of green or red. You may also like these leaf print clay bowls! Another fantastic technique with great results!

As Autumn continues we have some cute Pumpkin Pinch Pots. I love these as they make great decor throughout Fall, can be adapted to suit Halloween or use as Thanksgiving decor too!

Winter Pinch Pot Projects

The basic shape of this Reindeer Pinch Pot, is once again easy. However, this is for slightly more confident children to make – as you need to be able to join the Reindeer Antlers and Nose neatly to the base shape.

Similarly – the baseshape of these Snowman Pinch Pots for Christmas or Winter is also easy – it is basically you basic how to make a pinch pot shape! You do hoever need to join the shapes well together. A great lesson in joining clay!

Evergreen clay bowls

These where one of the first of Pinch Pots that the kids an I madew. We experimented with shapes, add ones and animals. Here we have a Monster Pinch Pot, Heart pinch pot, turtle pinch pot and hedgehog pinch pot!

Clay Pinch Pots with faces, from Pink Stripey Socks for Handmade Charlotte!

See many more fabulous Air Dry Clay Projects for Kids here – including many more fabulous DIY Clay Bowls tutorials: