I overworked my clay and now it's too soft. I want to leave it out to harden but it's air dry and I don't want it to dry permanently. Is it okay because it in a pile? Should I do something else?

Hi all :)

I plan on making ashtrays out of clay to sell. I want them to be good quality and I want to ensure that they don’t crack easily. I want to be able to paint on them, aswell as apply a sealer for a glossy finish. I also want to make sure that it’s fire-retardant for obvious reasons. I don’t have any special equipment, just a regular oven so perhaps air dry clay would be the best? I’m not sure.

What type of materials would be best for the job?

Thanks for any recommendations!

I don't know why google is having a hard time with this (google is getting worse every year - I've had to change my locations to find results). Anyway, I saw it on a youtube video from Eastern Aisa (China/Japan etc) and I looked it up, there are various brands on Aliexpress and amazon, and some blogs. There's some called Cosmos and Grace, and others. I can't tell if this is just some kind if air dry clay (it is air drying/hardening and not baking) or if it's similar to resin putty like milliput. It doesn't come in 2 parts though so I doubt it. It sort of reminds me of the Sculpey air-dry they sell at Michaels (I've never tried it but it seems similar maybe), although it's supposed to be very smooth and soft. It's commonly used for small delicate things like miniature dolls and flowers/objects. Here's one video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MC9KuAxUc there's many like this. I wonder what it's made from! And does anyone know what are the best brands?

Im new to air dry clay does anyone have any project ideas or tips

Air-dry clay, painted with acrylic and sealed using an acrylic finisher. There’s a hole in the pupil that can hold incense, still debating if I hang it on the wall instead.

I’ve been wanting to make a mask for my cosplay. I haven’t done anything with clay. Does anyone have any clay suggestions for starters trying to make a mask???

NEED AN ANSWER ASAP PLEASE AND THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️

i wanna start working with clay but idk how to start, like where do i get good clay? any help / tips are appreciated!! <3

Hi! I bought DAS Wood air dry clay to make chess pieces for my bf's birthday (which is tomorrow 😭). Although the package said the drying time is everything between 24h and 7 days. So, I didn't expect it to take this long (getting closer to 7 days) for so small things as chess pieces. I thought could I maybe speed up the drying process if I put them into my oven to like veeery low temp like 30 degrees with the fan setting on?

Any suggestions for sealing clay pieces? I used Americana Acrylic Sealer/Finisher for this. I also had an issue with placing it down anywhere prior to sealing while the paint was drying, it kept pulling off the paint layer. Overall, I’m relatively happy with it but open to any critique!

i’m new to claymaking and i’m making a sculpture involving a sphere

Hello! I am very new to the clay medium and was wondering if you guys would have any tips/wisdom for a clay baby such as myself.