How To Store Air Dry Clay After Opening (3 Key Tips)

Experimenting with air-dry clay is great for people dipping their toes into pottery and clay making. It’s an affordable hobby that doesn’t take up too much energy or require much attention. The issue, though, is that the costs of using air-dry clay can add up.

If it’s not stored correctly, it can dry up fast, which means you’ll need to keep buying more.

So how do we prevent this?

How To Keep It Fresh While You’re Using It

Most air-dry clay is water-based, which is why it tends to dry out so quickly. Once it touches the air, the water starts to evaporate, and you’re left with a dry crumbly brick.

To keep this from happening while you’re using it, it’s always handy to have a small pot of water nearby. When the time comes, you can just refresh the clay by dipping your hands in the water and kneading it.

How to Revitalise It After Opening

Sometimes, if you haven’t used your clay in a while, it can be a bit stiff and dry. The best way to refresh it if this is the case is to warm it up with damp hands.

Dip your hands in water and play with your clay, massaging the water in as you do so. Within a few minutes, it should be back to its normal shape, and you can start working with it!

How to Store Air Dry Clay After Opening

1. Store it Safely

Water can’t always save clay that hasn’t been stored correctly. Some might think that soaking it in water can revitalize it, but too much water can ‘drown it’. It can cause it to lose its structure completely, so it’s no longer clay but a floppy mess.

To keep the clay happy, it’s important that you store it correctly. If it’s properly taken care of, it can last for a long time, even years.

Generally, the safest way to store clay is to keep it in its packaging, wrapped up with cling film, and then put it into an airtight container.

2. Keep The Clay Room Temperature

Clay can be very particular. When storing it, you want to make sure that it’s being kept at room temperature, no hotter, and no colder!

If it’s held somewhere warm, not only will it be more likely to grow mold, but there’s also a possibility that it will melt.

If the clay is too cold then it will be dry, crumbly, and completely unusable. No amount of water will be able to save it.

3. Be Smart While Using it

If you’d like to use a little bit of the clay, make sure you use a small amount at a time. Not only will it ensure that your project won’t dry upon you as you’re creating, but it will also ensure that the clay is constantly fresh.

FAQ

Can You keep Air-Dry Clay Once Opened?

Of course! As long as you follow the tips in this post your clay will be fresh and ready to use every time you’re ready for it.

Does Air-Dry Clay Stick to Plastic Wrap?

It does, but that’s often what you want when storing it! You don’t want any air pockets to get to your clay and cause it to crumble up. Having plastic wrap stick to the clay will completely protect it from both air and water.

Can I Store Clay in a Ziplock bag?

You can definitely store clay in a ziplock bag, but to ensure you can use your clay, again and again, make sure that you store the bag in an airtight container too. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.