How to Make Paint Palettes with Air Dry Clay

These DIY paint palettes are fun to make and may encourage kids (and adults) to take the paint apart more often.

My son loves to craft, especially anything related to painting. So I made a few clay paint palettes that were perfect for his size. It is made from air-dried clay and does not require firing. Only a few ingredients are needed (most of which you probably already have at home).

Since it’s summer vacation, this seems like the perfect project to work on with the kids (or creative adults). And after everything is finished and dried, you may start painting more often. Click to watch the tutorial.

Eventually I plan to create a more elaborate paint palette that requires baking as well as air drying. But for now these are cute and functional. Especially suitable for children.

Not only is it fun to make, it’s a practical piece of work when you’re done, and it’s affordable. For less than $10 in materials, you can make some yourself. by the way…

material

• air dried clay (like This one Very affordable and comes in a reusable container)
• Wooden skewers or popsicle sticks*
• rolling pin – cheap stuff for crafting only
• sandpaper
• glass of water
• Sealer (acrylic sealer, clear polyurethane varnish, clear nail polish, etc.)
• An old cookie rack, screen, or similar for air flow while the clay dries

*You can use more fancy sculpting tools if you want, but I wanted this project to be as accessible as possible. In fact, I used wooden skewers for most of my clay paint palettes.

The pictures above were taken before or during the smoothing stage of the process.

how to make a paint palette

1. Roll the clay into a ball and roll it out with a rolling pin.

First, roll the palm-sized clay into a ball and roll it out with a rolling pin. Try to keep the thickness to about 1/2 inch or less.

2. Cut out the shape of the outer paint palette.

Next, use popsicle sticks, wooden skewers, or clay sculpting tools to cut the stretched clay into desired paint palette shapes (rectangles, squares, circles, abstract shapes, etc.). You can also use a large cookie cutter if you don’t want to freehand.There are many cool shapes Etsy and standard shapes (circles and rectangles) Amazon.

3. Smooth the surface.

Dip your finger in a little water and rub the edge of the shape to remove any burrs.

4. Cut out the paint well.

Next, carve out the shape of the inner paint well (you can use your fingers, carving tools, or the same wooden skewers or popsicle sticks as before). Another idea is to press a plastic spoon into the clay to create an oval paint well.

Once you’ve roughly sculpted, dip your finger in a small amount of water and smooth the entire surface of the paint well and paint palette.

5. Engraving, smoothing and drying.

Repeat engraving and smoothing until you are satisfied. After that, set aside and dry according to the package. A good rule of thumb is overnight or 24-48 hours depending on thickness.

You need to make sure that all sides dry evenly at the same time. So it is recommended to use a cookie rack or similar to create air flow during drying.

6. Smooth out rough areas with sandpaper.

Use sandpaper to smooth out the necessary areas, such as edges. Wipe off dust with a cloth.

Note: Be careful during the sanding process. I got a little too rough with the paint palette while sanding and it split in half. Photo above.

7. Seal the pallet to make it waterproof.

The final step is to seal the paint palette. The entire paint palette (top, sides, back) should be sealed. More than once. This protects the air-dried clay from water when the paint is washed off after use. This will make it last longer, prevent it from cracking or breaking, and keep the paint from absorbing into the palette’s surface.

For sealing, you can use acrylic sealer, clear polyurethane varnish, or my preferred method, 2-3 coats of clear nail polish (kind of like a clear topcoat). Surprisingly, I found the palette with clear nail polish (rather than his other two suggestions) to be the one that washed the paint off the best without smudging the palette.

If you use a clear top coat nail polish, you can use a nail polish brush or a real paint brush. Be sure to apply at least two coats (regardless of the sealant used) and ensure that each coat covers the entire surface (top, sides, bottom).

Once the sealant layer has dried, it is ready to use.

How much clay does it take to make a paint palette?

It depends on the size of your paint palette. However, a good rule of thumb is to start with a ball of air-dried clay, slightly larger than your fist, and roll it. If the size is not big enough, put the ball back, add more and roll it out again.

How can I speed up the drying time for air drying clay?

In general, we do not recommend expediting the drying time as it can lead to breakage and cracking. I’ve seen some suggestions for using electric fans such as ceiling fans and box fans. But I never tried it.

You want to have as much airflow as possible around the clay. Therefore, lifting the drying piece from the ground onto a small riser (a cookie rack is great for this) will help the clay dry more quickly on its own. It also helps keep it flat. Curled clay may air dry during drying if there is no air flow underneath.

Can I use polymer clay instead to make a paint palette like this?

yes! You can also use polymer clay/oven baked clay instead of air drying clay. But the process is different. For example, water cannot be used to lubricate polymer clay or make it more flexible. If the polymer clay is hard, put the hardened clay in a plastic bag, seal it, and soak the bag in hot water. However, do not let the water touch the clay itself.

Once shaped, bake according to package directions. Then, multiple coats of resin, varnish, or other waterproof material are applied to seal the surface. A dishwasher safe Mod Podge might work as well, but I haven’t tried it. So I don’t know for sure.

How do you clean those paint palettes?

We recommend cleaning the pallet immediately after use. So the paint doesn’t have time to dry completely or penetrate. I usually turn on the utility sink faucet in my garage and wipe off the paint by hand. For more stubborn paint, try a mild soap and water.

Dry with a towel and you’re ready for next time.

My paint palette has paint stains that won’t come off. So?

If the palette is dirty and the paint doesn’t come off, apply 2-3 coats of white paint before resealing. Like new.

We hope this DIY paint palette will inspire you and your kids to create something special. I love projects like this and will be using them for months and possibly years to come.