The 20 Best Things to Make with Modeling Clay

We’ve come a long way since our Play-Doh days, which you might have noticed if you’ve seen cute, fun, and creative air-dry and polymer clay creations trending all over TikTok. So, if you’re getting into the clay crafting craze, what exactly can you make? If you’re looking for unique or even functional ideas for your clay projects, you’ve come to the right place—below, you’ll find a detailed list of the coolest clay ideas for kids, adults, and beginners of all ages.

Visual Examples for Modeling Clay Projects

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Real-life images of different modeling clay project ideas, such as a cookie heart coaster and croissant phone holder.

Section 1 of 7:

Modeling Clay Ideas for Kids

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Fairy Garden House Grab a leftover metal or tin can that’s the right size and shape for your fairy house. Roll out an ultra-thin (1 centimetre (10 mm)) layer of white clay, making the shape large enough to cover the sides of the can. Optionally, use a vine- or flower-patterned clay roller to add texture and decoration.^{[1]
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Anna Knight
Nature-Inspired Arts and Crafts Expert

Expert Interview} Gently wrap the white clay around the tin can and press to adhere. Roll out a small, thin square of green clay and cut out 2-4 bushes. Roll out a small, thin square of yellow clay and cut out a door. Roll out a small, thin square of blue clay and cut out two windows.^{[2]
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- Gently place and press each decorative item onto the white clay that’s on the can. Arrange the bushes to sit on either side of the doors. Feel free to add more decor if you want—add red clay hearts, a black clay doorknob, or anything else you can dream up!
- Depending on your clay type, place the entire can (covered with the clay) onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake according to your clay’s package directions. Take your project out of the oven and let it cool completely before handling. If you’re using air-dry clay, let it sit for 24 hours until dry.
- To make the roof of your house, cut out a circle of aluminum foil that’s about 8 inches (200 mm) in diameter. Cut a slit from one edge of the circle into the center, then overlap the cut ends to create a cone. Stuff the inside of the cone with pieces of aluminum foil so that it’s sturdier and can sit upright.
- Cut out about 30-45 petal-shaped pieces of clay in whatever array of colors that you like. Layer the petals in rows from the bottom of the foil cone to the top. Allow your clay to air dry or bake this piece in the oven according to package directions, then allow it to cool before using super glue to attach it to the top of the house.
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Bees & Flowers Tic Tac Toe Board Make the bees by rolling 6 pieces of yellow clay into small cylindrical shapes. Roll 6 small pieces of black clay into snake shapes, then wind these “snakes” around the yellow cylinders to create a bee’s stripes. Roll 12 tiny circles of black clay, then gently press two of each onto one end of each bee's body to give them eyes. For each bee, make two small balls of white clay and press them between your thumb and forefinger to make wings. Gently press them on top of the bee bodies.^{[3]
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- To make the flowers, roll 30 mini balls of pink clay (5 for each flower). Roll 6 mini balls of yellow clay (1 for each flower).
- For each flower, press the 5 pink balls (the petals) around the yellow ball (the flower’s center) to create a complete flower. Repeat until you have 6 full flowers.
- Roll a large ball of green clay into a circle that’s 1.5 centimetres (15 mm) thick and at least 12 by 12 centimetres (120 mm × 120 mm) wide. Cut the clay into a 9 by 9 centimetres (90 mm × 90 mm) square, then use black or brown acrylic paint to draw a 3 x 3 grid onto the square.
- Let the clay air dry or bake each piece separately according to your package directions, then allow them to cool before handling.
- If bees and flowers aren’t your thing, there are tons of variations on the tic-tac-toe board! You can do peppermint candies and marshmallows on a brown “cocoa” board, blueberries and butter on a brown “waffle” board, or frogs and toadstools on a green “lilypad” board.
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Fantasy Dragon Eggs Choose a main color of clay for your egg—we recommend earth-like fantasy colors like green, blue, or purple. Form a wad of aluminum foil into an egg shape. Roll out a ball of clay into a circle that’s at least ¹⁄₂ inch (13 mm) thick. Wrap the aluminum egg in the clay. Pick out an assortment of rocks, seashells, beads, glass, and any other trinkets you have collected. If you’re using oven-bake clay, only use items that are marked for safe use in the oven.^{[4]
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- Push your treasure trove of items into the clay egg, deep enough so that they stick in the clay and don’t fall out.
- Cure your clay according to package directions. Optionally, once they dry fully or come out of the oven and cool, you can add more trinkets or decorations to your eggs with acrylic paint or super glue.
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Handprint Clay Ghosts Roll a handful of white clay out flat with a rolling pin, then place a handprint (yours or your child’s) in the center of the clay. Use a dull knife to carefully cut around the handprint, and use your fingers to smooth around the edges. Use a straw, pencil, or other small and circular object to make a hole at the base of the palm. Let your clay dry or bake it according to package directions. Then, paint the clay with a layer of white paint.^{[5]
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- Let the white paint dry, then use a black Sharpie to draw on a smiley face. Orient the face so that the bottom of the handprint is the top of the ghost’s head.
- Use pink acrylic paint to create two dots under the drawn-on eyes—these are the cute ghost cheeks!
- Let the paint and Sharpie fully dry, then brush Modge Podge all over the ghosts to seal them. String a ribbon through the hole, then tie it so that you can hang your ghost like a wall hanging or ornament.^{[6]
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Leaf Imprint Decorations Roll a handful of white clay into a ball. Place it on a mat and use a rolling pin to roll it into an oval shape. Place a leaf on top of the clay oval and go over it again with the rolling pin. Then, carefully peel the leaf off of the clay and use a pencil or straw to add a hole into the top of the oval.^{[7]
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Anna Knight
Nature-Inspired Arts and Crafts Expert

Expert Interview} Let the clay dry, or bake it according to package directions.^{[8]
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- Once the clay has dried completely, dilute some acrylic paint in your chosen color with a few drops of water. Lightly brush the paint over the clay oval, making sure to paint in the crevices left by the leaf imprint.
- Apply Modge Podge or a similar varnish to the entire surface area of the clay. Use a small paintbrush to varnish the nooks and crannies of the leaf imprint.
- Thread a piece of twine or a ribbon into the hole and hang the clay decoration around your home or classroom!
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Clay Gnomes Roll a small piece of gray clay into a cylindrical shape. Pinch one end of the cylinder so that it tapers at the top. Then, choose a colorful piece of clay (e.g., purple, blue, red, green, etc.) and roll it into a ball. Press this ball over the tapered end of your gray cylinder to create a hat shape. Next, shape two pieces of white clay into two triangles—one to be the beard and one to be the nose—and gently press them into the gnome's body.^{[9]
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- Place the hat over the beard and body, then use a thin skewer or clay carving tool to score lines into the clay beard.
- Let your clay air dry or bake it according to package directions, then seal it with Modge Podge once it has dried and cooled completely.

Section 2 of 7:

Modeling Clay Ideas for Adults

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Color-Blocked Earrings Roll out two different colors of clay into two short and thick cylinders. Lay the cylinders side by side, then gently push them together with your hands until they’re lightly stuck together. Flatten the colors together with a rolling pin, creating a single color block that’s about ¹⁄₁₆–¹⁄₈ inch (1.6–3.2 mm) thick throughout. Now that you have this block, use a clay cutter in your desired shape (e.g., circle, square, star, heart, etc.) to cut the earrings out.^{[10]
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- Take an empty earring post and use the sharp end to gently create a hole at the top of each shape. Wiggle the post around a bit to make a large enough hole.
- Remove the earring posts and lay your earrings completely flat on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Following your clay package’s instructions, let the earrings air dry or bake until set.
- When your earring shapes are dried and/or cool, put a dab of super glue and place an earring post at the top of each one. Hold each post firmly for at least 30 seconds.
- Once you get the hang of forming earrings out of polymer or air-dry clay, you can make more earrings in pretty much any shape, style, or color that you want! So, if these particular earrings aren’t your favorite, then you can DIY your own with ease.
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Popsicle Charms Choose your preferred clay color and pull off a small piece. Mold the clay into an oblong oval shape, then use a rolling pin or other flat object to press down on it. Once it reaches your desired thickness, round the top of it with your fingers and flatten out the bottom to make a popsicle shape. Use the bottom of a spoon to create two vertical, parallel lines on the flat sides of your popsicle.^{[11]
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- Next, use a toothpick to carefully poke a hole into the bottom of your popsicle. Make a small, snake-shaped roll out of some light brown clay. Insert the end of this tubular shape (the popsicle stick!) into the hole you made.
- Take an eye pin and carefully place it into the top of your popsicle—if needed, shorten the end of the pin with a pair of scissors.
- Bake or dry your clay popsicles according to package directions. Once they’ve cooled completely, apply a clear and glossy acrylic sealer to the popsicle part of the charm (not the “stick”).
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Mini Vegetable Basket Use brown clay to make a small round ball and a long, snake-like rod. Gently flatten the ball with the pad of your finger. Attach one end of the “snake” to any edge of the flattened ball, then wrap it around and on top of itself until your basket is built up as tall as you’d like. Optionally, create a shorter brown “snake” and attach it as a basket handle.^{[12]
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- Now, it’s time to make the veggies to go into your basket!
  - Roll tiny pieces of orange clay into tapered cones to make carrots. Add super small and thin green “snakes” to the top of each “carrot.” Carefully score each carrot with the tip of a knife.
  - Roll tiny pieces of white clay into balls to make onions. Add long but thin green “snakes” to the top of each “onion.”
  - Roll tiny pieces of red clay into balls to make tomatoes.
- Arrange each vegetable and basket individually on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Follow your clay’s package directions to air dry or bake your clay until set and cooled.
- Decide if you want to be able to remove your veggies from the basket or if you want to have them attached. You can also do some attached and some removable!
- If you’re certain that you don’t want some (or all) of your veggies to be removable, add a drop of super glue to them and place them in the bottom of the basket. Assemble any other loose veggies on top of the fixed ones.
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Cowboy Hat Roll out a large amount of white clay until it’s about 1 centimetre (10 mm) thick. Then, print out a cowboy hat template that you like. Place your templates onto the rolled-out clay and cut out the shapes from the clay with plastic modeling tools. Use one of these modeling tools to score the areas where you’d like to add details (this will give you a 3D effect in these areas).
- If you’re using a multi-part template where you need to assemble the base, brim, and top of the hat together, apply clay slip to the base before pressing the hat’s brim and top to the base.
- Depending on your clay’s instructions, leave it out to dry or bake it in the oven until firm.
- Once your clay is completely dry and/or cool, paint it in your preferred color with acrylic paint. Let that base layer dry, then decorate however you’d like. For a classic look, use a cotton bud to paint cow print onto the hat in a different shade than the base one.
- Once your paint has dried, apply varnish or Modge Podge to seal the paint and clay.
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Stone Age Cooking Fire Roll 10-12 small balls out of gray clay to resemble stones and 10-12 cylinder shapes out of brown clay to resemble campfire logs. Make a circle with the “stones” and arrange the “logs” inside the circle to create a campfire. Roll out three snake-shaped strips of clay in red, yellow, and orange. Pinch the three “snakes” together at one end, then twist them together so that they create a single sausage-like shape. Twist small flame-shaped pieces from this “sausage” and place them on top of the “logs” to complete the fire.
- Use different colors of clay to create more food items, like a blue fish, a pink fish, a grey rat, an orange carrot, etc.
- Create a “drumstick” by rolling a brown piece of clay into a ball, then attaching a cylindrical bone-shaped piece of white clay to the end.
- Tie together a pair of craft sticks with twine to create a bottomless triangle shape, then repeat. Secure the untied bottom of each popsicle stick in gray clay rocks.
- Poke a skewer through the piece of clay meat to create a hole—if you’re using oven-bake clay, remove the skewer and popsicle sticks before baking, then reinsert them once the clay has cooled.
- Once dried and/or cooled according to package instructions, assemble your Stone Age cooking scene. Use the popsicle stick triangles as frames for the skewer (or “cooking spit”). Hang the other foods on the skewer or set them on the ground around the campfire.

Section 3 of 7:

Animals to Make Out of Modeling Clay

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Magic Caterpillars Roll about 10 small balls in any color you like for each caterpillar you want to make. Make each ball progressively smaller than the last. Gently press the balls together in size order, with the largest ball being the head and the smallest one being the end of the body. For each caterpillar, make two small white balls and two smaller black balls out of clay. Press two white balls onto the head of each caterpillar to create the eyes, then press each black ball into the center of the white ones to create the pupil.^{[13]
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- Cut two short lengths of colorful craft wire. Curl one end of each wire slightly, then stick these “antennae” into the head of each caterpillar.
- If you’re using air-dry clay, let your caterpillars sit until set. If you’re using oven-bake clay, remove the craft wires, bake according to package directions, and then reinsert the craft wires once the clay is mostly cool.
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Bluebird Roll a 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) ball of light blue clay. Create a gradual taper at one end of the ball and flick it upward slightly to create the tail of the bird. Press your fingers against the other end of the ball to flatten it slightly. Continue sculpting this end of the clay to create a domed shape that sits opposite from the tail—this is the head of the bird.^{[14]
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- Roll a very small ball out of dark blue clay. Flatten this ball with dark blue clay so that it creates a nickel-sized disc. Place this disc onto the “stomach” of the bird and press gently to adhere.^{[15]
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- Roll another very small ball out of the same clay you used to make the body of the bird. Roll it into a cylindrical shape, taper one end upward, and continue to manipulate it until you achieve a wing shape.^{[16]
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- Score two lines into the wing with a toothpick, then press it gently against one side of the bird. Repeat this step to create and attach a second wing.^{[17]
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- Roll two tiny pieces of black clay into a ball and one tiny piece of yellow clay into a cone. Gently press them into place on the bird as the eyes and beak.^{[18]
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Snowball Cat To make your clay cat, roll white clay into a small ball and then split it into two equal sections. Take one of the pieces and roll it into a new, smaller ball (this will be the head). Take a new, even smaller piece of white clay—roll it into a ball, flatten and shape it into a diamond, then cut it in half across the middle (the triangles you’re left with will be the ears). Gently press the ears into the top of the head. Roll two tiny balls out of black clay and press them into the front of the head to make the cat’s eyes.^{[19]
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- Make an even tinier ball of black clay and press it into the center of the head to make the cat’s nose.^{[20]
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- Roll an extremely thin piece of black clay into a snake-like shape. Cut two very short lengths of the snake and drape each one in a U-shape, coming from opposite sides of the nose. This shape should form the cat’s mouth.^{[21]
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- Take the second piece of white clay that you set aside in the very first step. Roll it into a ball, then taper one end to be the neck. Press your fingertip against the taper to flatten it, then press it against the cat's head until it adheres.^{[22]
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- Roll a piece of white clay into a long cylinder, then cut it into three pieces. Attach two of them to either side of the body to be the arms, then attach the final one to the back to be the tail—it should appear like the cat is lying on its stomach with its arms outstretched and tail in the air.^{[23]
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Section 4 of 7:

Functional Household Items to Make Out of Modeling Clay

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Painted Coil Flower Pot Add a few drops of water to soft clay and mix it with a fork to create a clay slip. Then, tear off a large piece of dry white, brown, or terracotta-colored clay and roll it into 3-4 long snake shapes that are about the same width as your pinky finger. Roll one snake shape into a spiral to create the base of the pot. Use a clay modeling tool to smooth out the top of the spiral, then use scoring tools to create texture around the edge of the base. Brush a small amount of clay slip over the areas where you scored the clay.^{[24]
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- Take another snake shape and bond one end to the open end of the base—if they’re not bonding easily, score both ends and apply some clay slip before trying again. Repeat this step, each time winding the coils in slightly wider circles in order to build the walls of the pot outwards.
- Once you’ve achieved your desired pot height, use modeling tools and your fingers to smooth the surface of the pot all over. Follow your clay’s package instructions to dry or bake (and cool) the pot.
- Then, paint the pot with your desired colors and patterns. You could draw stripes, squiggles, or polka dots. You could also paint the pot a solid color or add a fun word or message. Alternatively, make the pot look something else, like painting it red with black dots and a green border to look like a strawberry.
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Croissant Photo Holder Roll a large amount of white clay out to approximately 0.5–1 centimetre (5.0–10.0 mm) thick. Use a ruler and plastic modeling tools to cut a tall isosceles triangle out of the clay. Starting at the widest part of the triangle, roll the clay toward the narrow point. Once the clay is rolled up completely, curve the ends gently to sculpt it into a croissant shape.
- Then, take a thick 4 by 6 inches (100 mm × 150 mm) piece of plastic or cardstock and insert it into the top of the croissant to create a slit. This slit is where the photo will be held once the croissant is cured.
- If you’re using air-dry clay, leave the paper or plastic in the slit until the clay completely dries. If you’re using oven-bake clay, remove the paper or plastic before baking according to package directions—if you’re worried about the slit losing shape in the oven, replace the paper or plastic with a thick piece of aluminum foil.
- Once the clay croissant has set, dried, and cooled completely, paint it with acrylic paint. For a more realistic look, paint the entire item a light brown color, then paint each folded edge with a slightly darker brown shade for a “baked” look.
- Optionally, paint a smiley face onto the croissant with pink dots for cheeks, black eyes, and a black smile. Varnish the croissant with Modge Podge to give it a shiny finish—just don’t fill in the slot where your photo will sit!
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Mini Cherry Magnets Tear off two small pieces of red clay and roll them into balls. Slightly flatten each ball between your finger and thumb. To make the stem, roll a piece of green clay into a long sausage-like shape, then fold and pinch it in the center to create a “V” shape. Attach each red cherry to one end of the V-shaped stem. Roll one small green ball, then carefully flatten and taper it into a leaf shape. Gently attach that leaf shape to the folded corner of the stem.^{[25]
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- For a more realistic look, add one tiny crescent-shaped piece of white clay onto each cherry to make it look shiny.
- Bake your clay or let it dry according to package directions. Allow your clay to fully set and/or cool before handling it.
- Lastly, use super glue to attach a small disc-shaped magnet onto the back of the cherries.^{[26]
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- You can really turn any food (or other item!) you want into a cute magnet using clay. Consider making an avocado, croissant, sushi roll, donut, fried egg, carrot, hot dog, pizza slice, pop tart, or bowl of spaghetti.
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Sugar Cookie Coasters Roll out a large ball of white clay to a thickness of about 1 centimetre (10 mm). Use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a heart from this clay. Roll the clay some more until it reaches a thickness of about 0.5 centimetres (5.0 mm). Use a slightly smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a second heart. Lightly score the center of the larger heart with a clay modeling tool to create a textured surface. Use a paintbrush to apply a small amount of water onto this textured surface, then place the smaller heart directly on top. Let the clay dry overnight or bake it according to package directions.^{[27]
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- Once the clay is set and cooled, paint the visible parts of the larger cookie a light beige color. Then, paint the smaller heart (“the icing”) with your favorite fun color.^{[28]
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- When the paint dries, use clear clay varnish to cover the clay sugar cookie. Before the varnish is completely dry, cut small pieces of colorful scoubidous strings to make sprinkles. Scatter them in the varnish to resemble sprinkles.^{[29]
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- If you don’t have cookie cutters, you could free-hand trace and cut out the hearts or use a paper template.
- Once you’ve finished your sugar cookies, feel free to get creative! Pretty much any circular (or square) item could be redesigned into a coaster. Try designing clay coasters that look like circle rugs or circular slices of citrus fruits (e.g., limes, lemons, grapefruits, etc.).
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Trinket Tray Roll out a large lump of white clay to a thickness of about 0.5–1 inch (13–25 mm). Cut the clay into a roughly circular shape, then use a modeling tool to score and create texture around the edge of the circle. Mix a small amount of water with some soft clay in a bowl to create a clay slip—then paint some of this slip over the scored area. Take a new hunk of white clay and roll it into a sausage shape.^{[30]
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- Wrap the sausage around the outside of the circle and cut it to length where the ends meet. Score each end of the sausage, brush them lightly with slip, and gently press both ends together until they bond.
- Use plastic modeling tools and your finger to smooth the inside and outside of the tray, then allow the clay to dry completely or bake it according to package directions.
- Paint the tray in a base layer with your chosen shade. Then, you can paint on squiggles, daisies, polka dots, a checkerboard pattern, or whatever you’d like! Finish with a varnish to seal in your design.
- Once you get the hang of making DIY trinket trays, you can get creative and try some variations. For instance, paint the base beige to look like sand, then sculpt a cactus to sit in the middle and hold jewelry. You could also make a rectangular tray and paint it to look like a playing card.
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Hanging Flower Vases Roll a large chunk of white or beige clay until it’s about ¹⁄₄ inch (6.4 mm) thick. Cut your clay into a rectangular shape that’s about 4 inches (100 mm) wide and 15 inches (380 mm) long. Optionally, paint a design onto your clay or stamp it with a rubber stamp roller. Take the bottom 10 inches (250 mm) of the rectangle and fold it upward to create a pocket. You’ll need to place some sort of solid object inside the pocket to keep it from collapsing.^{[31]
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- Use a pencil or straw to cut 2 small holes into the top of the rectangle.
- Then, let the vase dry or bake according to the instructions on your clay. If you’re using oven-bake clay, be sure to remove the support piece before baking (unless it’s oven-safe!).
- Once your clay has set, dried, and cooled, place a piece of twine through the holes so that you can place some pretty flowers inside and hang it on the wall!

Section 5 of 7:

Best Modeling Clay Kits & Projects to Buy

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If you want to start off with a beginner-friendly modeling clay kit and instruction manual, there are quite a few highly-rated DIY kits and projects available on Amazon. These kits usually come with a full set of supplies as well as instructions for beginners to clay sculpting. Here are some of the most-loved and top-reviewed modeling clay kits online:
- Delicious Desserts Art Kit for Beginners (Rated 4.6 stars on Amazon).
- Glitter Clay Charms Craft Kit (Rated 4.4 stars on Amazon).
- Light-up DIY Clay Lanterns Making Kit (Rated 4.4 stars on Amazon).
- Clay Dinosaur Craft Kit for Kids (Rated 4.3 stars on Amazon).
- Make Your Own Mini Desserts with Air Dry Clay (Rated 4.8 stars on Amazon).
- Pet Paradise Air Dry Clay Kit (Rated 4.6 stars on Amazon).
- Happy Circus Air Dry Clay Kit (Rated 4.6 stars on Amazon).
- Cars & Trucks Air Dry Clay Kit (Rated 4.4 stars on Amazon).
- Create Your Own Refrigerator Magnets with Modeling Clay (Rated 4.7 star on Amazon).
- Complete Modeling Clay Kit for Kids (Rated 4.7 stars on Amazon).
- Complete Air Dry Clay Kit for Adults (Rated 4.7 stars on Amazon).

Section 6 of 7:

Best Practices for Modeling Clay Projects

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Prepare a non-porous work surface with the appropriate tools. Both polymer and air-dry clays can be sticky to work with, and they may get stuck in porous materials (like wood or cardboard). For these reasons, it’s a good idea to use a laminated mat made for clay sculpting. Alternatively, you can use another hard plastic, glass, ceramic, or metal surface that you’re willing to dirty up.^{[32]
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- Set yourself up with a good set of tools as well, like a ceramic rolling pin and a set of plastic or metal clay sculpting tools.
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Warm up the clay between your hands before trying to sculpt it. Modeling clay can be very stiff and difficult to work with when it’s first removed from its packaging. You have to condition and soften the clay before working with it. Cut it into a small slab and knead it with your hands. The oil and heat in your hands will naturally soften the clay after a brief period of time.^{[33]
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- If you’re working with air-dry clay, you can also keep it moist and pliable by covering it with a damp cloth or spritzing it with water to prevent cracking or drying.
- You can also use a polymer clay press to soften your clay quickly and easily.
It’s easy to leave fingerprints in modeling clay as you sculpt, shape, and smooth it. To remove any fingerprints, dab a cotton swab in isopropyl rubbing alcohol and gently slide it over the fingerprints to blur and remove them before letting the clay dry.^{[34]
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Rehydrate clay by kneading it with oil or letting it sit in water. If you’re working with polymer clay that’s been dried out, you can simply knead it with your hands to rehydrate it. If that doesn’t work, place a few drops of mineral or baby oil onto the clay and continue to knead it. You can also try combining it with a softer clay before kneading. If you’re using air-dry clay that’s dried out, break it into smaller pieces and place them in a sealed bag with water.^{[35]
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- Let the bag sit for a few days, and check it periodically to see if the pieces have softened sufficiently.

Section 7 of 7:

Polymer Clay vs. Air Dry Clay

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Air-dry clay is also softer, cheaper, and easier to work with, while polymer clay is more durable and waterproof once cured. Consequently, polymer clay doesn’t necessarily require sealing, while varnish is recommended for air-dry clay to make it more protected and less fragile. While both are technically modeling clays, polymer clay is more of a traditional and professional option.^{[36]
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