Yep. We have all been there.. bought Air-Dry Clay in bulk.. used some.. but over time it has become quite hard and stiff! This is particularly a problem when using air drying clay with kids! Their fingers are not strong enough to knead it back into softness and they will have problems connecting pieces, so that their creations do not later fall apart. It is actually incredibly EASY to soften hardened air-dry clay – as we will show you here! I think this is the easiest way to revive dry clay.
Our favourite Air Dry clay projects have been our Nature Art Projects, and our Monster Pinch Pots. Simple and fun. But there are MANY uses for air drying clay and we look forward to sharing more ideas with you over time.
Do watch this short video (which is part of our handy “Crafts Basics” series on YouTube – let us know what else you would like to see in this series.. we have everything from basic sewing stitches, to removing labels from jars here!).
So.. how do you soften air drying clay??
- Basically…. you get your clay. You get a couple of plastic bags (with no holes in them) and a cup of water.
- Place the clay in the bag. Poke a few times with a knife to make some holes.
- Add the water.
- Seal the bag and leave for a day.
- You will now have very soft clay indeed.
NOTE: It is best that you get your clay out and ready to be used maybe a good half an hour before use. As you WILL want it to harden a little bit again. Depending on whether you are doing this in Winter or summer.. you may want to leave it out resting under a damp art rag. But it WILL be a little too wet for use immediately!
Katie Osborne says
October 4, 2017 at 12:36 amWill this work for oven baked clay
Red Ted Art says
October 4, 2017 at 7:24 amOh that is a good question. I don’t know. I would suggest experimenting?
Mason says
October 21, 2017 at 9:40 amI used too much water and now my air dry clay is like chocolate mousse…ive left it to dry, I’ve tried kneading it, I’ve hung it up in an old pillow case but nothing is working..have I ruined my clay?
Red Ted Art says
October 21, 2017 at 6:35 pmNo, it should still dry out.. it may just take a while? How long have you left it? (I know people who “make” clay from mud in river beds.. so you can definitely salvage it)
Hannah says
February 13, 2018 at 3:52 pmHello what happens if you forget and it goes hard again
Red Ted Art says
February 13, 2018 at 3:56 pmYou can soak it in water again!
ELLENA says
March 2, 2018 at 2:04 amUm my clay was model magic clay, will it still work?
Red Ted Art says
March 2, 2018 at 12:41 pmNo, I don’t think so..
ELLENA says
March 3, 2018 at 5:09 pmOk thank you for telling me?
Emma says
July 4, 2018 at 2:59 pmShould we put water with the holes, won’t it leak?
Red Ted Art says
July 4, 2018 at 3:52 pmI keep it all in a big plastic bag and it helps soften the centre.. once you start working with it, you need to drain any excess water anyway
Anonymous says
December 14, 2018 at 1:19 amHi
Anonymous says
August 13, 2018 at 2:57 pmI Don’t get it
Why do I have to get a bag with no holes then poke holes in it
Red Ted Art says
August 29, 2018 at 9:56 amYou don’t poke holes in the bag, but the clay!
Anonymous says
September 13, 2018 at 1:25 pmThank you!!!!
Anonymous says
November 29, 2018 at 4:47 pmCan I use Clay from the grown
Red Ted Art says
November 30, 2018 at 10:30 amYes, but it needs to be cleaned first
Avril17 says
December 17, 2018 at 6:02 amCan you drill a hole in a project made from air-dry clay after it has dried? Will the project crack?
Red Ted Art says
December 17, 2018 at 9:32 amOoh that is a good question!!! I think if done carefully it should work. However, I would probably NOT try it. So risky!