Make an Air Dry Clay Octopus in 5 Steps

Materials you'll need

• White air dry clay
• Blue acrylic paint
• Black fine-tip marker

 

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1: Squeeze a small amount of blue paint onto a piece of white air dry clay. Knead and fold the clay until the paint is fully mixed in and you have an even, light blue color. Add more paint a little at a time until you reach the shade you want.

Step 2: Pinch off a larger piece of blue clay and roll it into a smooth, slightly flattened oval for the body. Then pinch off 8 smaller, equal pieces and roll each one into a small ball.

Step 3: Press the 8 balls around the underside edges of the body to form the tentacles, 4 on each side. Gently press each one to make sure it sticks.

Step 4: Use a black fine-tip marker to draw two small dots for eyes and a little curved smile on the front of the body while the clay is still soft.

Step 5: Set your octopus aside and let it air dry completely — usually about 24 hours. Once it's dry and firm, your clay octopus is ready to display!

Learn more

Air dry clay hardens through a process called evaporation — the same thing that happens when a puddle dries up on a sunny day! Clay is full of tiny water molecules, and when you leave it out in the air, those molecules slowly escape into the surrounding air, causing the clay to shrink slightly and become firm and solid. Unlike traditional pottery clay, which needs to be baked in a super-hot oven called a kiln, air dry clay does all its hardening work on its own — no heat required!