How to Make Clay Paint Palettes
My son is big on crafting and especially loves anything related to painting. So, I made a handful of clay paint palettes that are just his size. They're made of air dry clay, so there is no firing required. And they require just a few materials (most of which you likely already have at home).
With summer break, this feels like the perfect project to tackle with kids (or a creative adult). And after everything is done and dry, it may even encourage them to paint more frequently. Click through for the tutorial.
Cost: $10
Equipment
- air dry clay (I like this one bc its super affordable and comes in a reusable container)
- wooden skewer or popsicle stick* You can use fancier carving tools if you want, but I wanted to make this project as accessible as possible. And I actually used a wooden skewer for most of the clay paint palettes I made.
- rolling pin - an inexpensive one that you use only for crafting
- sandpaper
- cup of water
- sealer (like acrylic sealer, clear polyurethane varnish, or clear nail polish)
- old cookie rack, screen, or something similar for air flow while clay is drying
Instructions
Roll clay into ball and then roll it out with a rolling pin.
- Start by rolling a palm size amount of clay into a ball and then roll it out with a rolling pin. Try and keep the thickness to about a 1/2 inch or thinner.
Carve out the outer paint palette shape.
- Next, use a popsicle stick, wooden skewer, or clay carving tool to cut the rolled out clay into the desired paint palette shape (rectangle, square, circle, abstract shape, etc). You can also use a large cookie cutter if you don't want to freehand it. There are lots of cool shapes on Etsy and standard shapes (circles and rectangles) on Amazon.
Smooth the surface.
- Dip your fingers into a little water and rub the edges of your shape to get rid of any jaggedness.
Carve out the paint wells.
- Then, carve the interior paint well shapes (you can use your fingers, a carving tool, or the same wooden skewer or popsicle stick from earlier. Another idea would be to use a plastic spoon to create oval shaped paint wells, by pressing the spoon into the clay.
- Once you have them roughly carved, dip your fingers in a tiny bit of water and start smoothing the paint wells and the entire surface of the paint palette.
Carving, smoothing, and drying.
- Go back and forth with carving and smoothing until you're happy with it. Then sit it aside and let it dry according to the packaging. Overnight or 24-48 hours depending on the thickness is a good rule of thumb.
- You want to make sure that all sides are drying evenly / at the same time. So using something like a cookie rack to create air flow while drying is recommended.
Smooth any areas that are still rough with sandpaper.
- Use sandpaper to smooth out any areas that need it - like the edges for example. Wipe away any debris with a rag.
- Note: Be careful during the sanding process. I got a little too rough with a paint palette, while sanding, and it broke in half. Photo above.
Seal the palette to make it waterproof.
- The last step is sealing the paint palette. You need to seal the ENTIRE paint palette - top, sides, and back. Multiple times. So that when you wash the paint off, after each use, the air dry clay is protected from water. This will help it last longer, help prevent cracking / breaking, and keep the paint from absorbing into the palette surface.
- For sealing, you can use an acrylic sealer, clear polyurethane varnish, or my preferred method: which is 2-3 coats of clear nail polish (like a clear top coat). Surprisingly, I found that the palettes I used clear nail polish on (instead of the other 2 suggestions) were the ones that the paint washed off of the best, without staining the palette.
- If you decide to use a clear top coat nail polish, you can use the nail polish brush OR an actual paint brush. Just make sure you do at least 2 coats (regardless of what sealant you use) AND you cover the entire surface with each coat (top, sides, and bottom).
- After the sealant layers are dry, its ready to use!