Printed Tiles with Air-Dry Clay

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Similar to Christmas ornaments, these small clay tiles are a great way to decorate potted trees and garden plants. But instead of holiday wishes, these summery little baubles are a great way to spread some hot weather joy. This is a fantastic project for kids to do on a hot afternoon when an indoor activity is in order. And don’t just stop at garden themed tiles though, empty out your stamp drawer and let them stretch their imaginations!

Things you need:
Air-dry clay
Large cookie cutters or plastic lids
Assorted stamps
Small knitting needle or skewer
Wax paper or freezer paper

Things to do:
1. Spread the wax paper or freezer paper out on your work surface, shiny side up. Roll out clay to a thickness of 1/3″ and cut out shapes or press clay into your lids or cookie cutters making sure it gets into all corners and edges for a clean shape.
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2. Carefully peel the clay shape out of the lids or cutters and lay flat.
3. Without pressing down, arrange the stamps on top of your clay cutouts to make sure everything fits then press down firmly but not hard to make the impression in your clay.
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4. Using your knitting needle or skewer, poke a hole thought the top of the cutout.
5. Set the tiles out to dry according to the package, usually around 36 hours for a project of this thickness.
6. If you want the tiles to be more colorful, paint with acrylic paint and then a coat of polyurethane, otherwise, hang in the garden, pop into potted plants or dangle from window latches and get a big smile every time you pass one!
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7 Comments

  1. I love this idea..hey did you get my interview I did for you..haven’t heard anything back from you…Julia asked me to do an interview…;)

    1. Hi Gina,
      Yes I did receive the interview and it’s all written up. It will be posted within the next couple weeks. We have a line up of posts ready to be sent out. Sorry for the delay. Thanks so much for the interview. Love your story though and Im sure our readers will also!
      Jessica

    2. Hi Gina,
      Just wanted to let you know that your interview will be up today around 2:30pm EST so keep an eye out for it =) Again, thank you so much for the interview!

  2. If using these in the garden or on potted plants, will the turn to mush is in the rain? If so, do you know what type of air dry clay to use for durabillity?

    1. I am not aware of any air dry clay that is “waterproof.” But there are several things that you can try to seal your works of art. Any basic clear acrylic sealant would work. You can try a product called “Amaco All- Purpose,” it is mainly used with different types of clay. It is a water-based sealant that will seal and protect any surface.

      You could also try experimenting with Mod Podge, Royal Coat, or even clear polyurethane which would be the strongest clear coat you could use. You can find it at your local hardware store with different types of finishes such as indoor, outdoor, gloss, semi gloss, etc etc. And finally, you can always try acrylic mediums such as, Diamond Glaze, clear embossing powders, epoxy resin, etc and see if that works as well. lol soooo you have a tons of options out there that should be very helpful with your project! Best of luck and let me know which would out better for you!!