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Best Clay Modelling Kits for Adults in 2023

Best Clay Modeling Kits for Adults

If you ever wanted to make models or cultures with clay, but missed the opportunity when you were a kid, don’t worry. You can always buy a clay modelling kit for adults and enjoy the pottery and clay modeling craft while also having a lot of fun.

It’s also a great way to spend quality time with your kids too.

Clay modeling/sculpting is one of the best methods to bring your creative ideas to life. Although it was invented almost 20, 000 years ago, clay sculpting is popular to this day, it is one of the most creative and entertaining art forms to exist.

There are many clay modelling kits for adults available in the market today, they vary in price, size, quantity as well as quality. Even though the process of buying this product may sound simple, it’s quite important that you don’t take quality lightly, especially if you want to get the best out of your efforts.

In order to make this task easier, we have provided you with a list of things that you need to know when purchasing clay modelling kits for adults. You will also find information on some of the best brands you must keep an eye out for, methods to maintain your clay, and so on.

Points to Consider Before You Buy a Clay Modelling Kit for Adults

When shopping for your favorite clay modeling kits, there are a few things you should consider and keep in mind. However, most of it is to do with the clay more than the other equipment included in the clay modeling kit. This is because modeling clay is considered to be one of the most important parts of the entire package.

Workability

When you’re planning on purchasing clay, it is important that you keep in mind the purpose of your purchase. If you are planning on sculpting something that has a lot of detail, it is best you choose oven bake clay as it is soft and does not harden. But if it’s a sculpt that lacks detail and consumes less time, purchase air dry clay or earthen clay.

Color

If the type of sculpting that you’re planning on making requires only one solid color, the best option is earthen clay. But if you’re planning on creating jewelry, key tags or anything that requires a wide variety of colors, the most suitable type of clay would be Epoxy clay or air dry clay which can be colored after it dries.

Adherence

Depending on your sculpture, if it contains many small parts that must be adjoined, you must keep in mind to purchase a type of clay that has high adherence or stickiness. In this case, the best option is air dry clay or oven bake clay.

Texture of the Clay

Lastly, this point depends on your experience. If you are well experienced in working with clay, different textures of the modeling clay will not affect your overall result. But if you’re a beginner this is something you might have to consider. Generally, polymer clay is quite soft and easy to work with, air dry clay is the same.

However, if you’re working with air dry clay the amount of time left for you to sculpt might be limited as it dries out in about 20 minutes. Further, many beginners also find earthen clay a bit difficult to work with as it’s sticky and hard at the same time. Therefore, you must make your choice depending on your level of experience.

So, if you’re a beginner the best option is to choose polymer clay for your first clay modeling kit.

How to Find the Best Clay Modelling Kits for Adults

As mentioned previously, identifying the best brands of clay modeling kits is quite important, especially if you have ideas of sculpting at a professional level. To make your job easier, below we have identified four of the best models that could provide you with great value for the money and lots of fun.

1. Arteza Polymer Clay kit

The first brand on our list is the Arteza polymer clay kit. This particular clay modeling kit is a versatile medium that is perfect for both beginners as well as professionals.

This product comes with a variety of 42 unique clay colors along with 5 different sculpting tools. Furthermore, the Arteza polymer clay kit also comes with home decor items and assorted jewelry which helps you to design your very own jewelry including necklaces and bracelets.

When working with this particular product, many people claim that they enjoyed spending hours molding, mixing, and sculpting it into their unique favorite designs. Furthermore, a lot of hobbyists found that the sculpting tools were of great benefit when carving and designing too.

Previous users have also mentioned that the varieties of colors in the clay enhanced their creativity and gave them wider options of what they want to create. Furthermore, the Arteza polymer clay kit is non-toxic and of course very safe to use and bake in your home oven.

However, on the other hand, previous buyers have mentioned that the baking time for the clay takes a little longer than what’s mentioned on the packaging. Some people have also claimed that they found this brand slightly difficult to work with in comparison to other types.

Overall, this product is rated 4.6/5 on Amazon and is among one of the highly rated clay modelling kits for adults on the platform and holds the “Amazon’s choice” title.

2. Ifergoo Polymer Clay Starter Kit

The second best brand according to our review is the Ifergoo polymer clay starter kit. This particular brand comes with 46 pieces of modeling clay with a wide variety of colors along with a rolling pin, 5 sculpting tools, mica powder in five different colors, and 40 jewelry accessories!

Being suitable for beginner adults as well as kids, this product is well known for being odorless and for the soft and smooth texture it carries. Unlike most modeling clays, it does not fade, crack, or lose its shape after baking.

The Ifergoo polymer clay starter kit can be used to create beautiful and lovely artwork which helps to enhance your creativity. Many people claim that they are impressed at the great value this product carries for the money you spend on it.

It ranges from a variety of unique colors which also includes shimmering colors such as gold. And not forgetting, the tools are of high quality as well, being easy to use just like the clay it is a great value for the money.

However, the Ifergoo polymer clay starter kit does have its drawbacks just like other clay modeling kits for adults. Previous users claim that they had a hard time hardening their sculptures even after baking and others state that when baking it has the tendency of bubbling.

Overall, this brand is rated 4.6/5 on Amazon with 75% 5 star ratings.

3. CiaraQ Polymer Clay Starter kit

Being a great item for adults as well as kids, this product comes with 36 different colors of polymer clay, accessory pack, 5 sculpting tools, storage box and a project booklet.

Some of its main features include the smooth and non-sticky texture it carries. This texture makes it easy to shape and mold. It also does not harden on the process of sculpting which gives you plenty of time to include small details and designs.

The variety of vibrant colors that it consists is quite impressive. These colors help many users to keep their options open for various designs and sculptures as the colors aren’t limited.

Furthermore, all the items in this product are safe to use for adults as well as kids as it is Eco-friendly, non-toxic and complies with the ASTM D- 4236 standards.

However, previous users have mentioned that this item tends to be a bit oily in comparison to other brands; due to this the tendency of it sticking to surfaces is high. Some others have also mentioned that the portion of clay is not sufficient and is quite small.

Overall, this brand is rated 4.6/5 on Amazon with 75% five star ratings.

4. Artsity Air Dry Clay Modeling Set

The last item on our list is the Artsity air dry clay modeling set. This clay modelling kit is suitable for adults as well as kids, and it’s a perfect choice for anyone that’s looking to create unique sculptures and designs. Which you can use for pretty much anything or for decorating your homemade snow globe for example.

This product comes with a variety of 24 colors and 3 sculpting tools. All 24 colors of clay are said to be quite supple which helps you to knead it without any difficulty.

However, the best feature of this clay is that you don’t need to deal with the hassle of heating it in the oven. In order to harden it, all you have to do is let it sit for a couple of hours to dry.

Further, even though it consists of only 24 colors, you can mix two or more colors to get the color you are looking for.

In addition, when working with this clay you won’t have to worry about it sticking to your hands or the surface, as it’s designed to be non-sticky and lightweight in texture.

However, previous users claim that since it is air dry clay, after around 20 minutes of sculpturing the clay begins to harden. Due to this, you need to work fast. Some others also state that the clay can be a bit too soft making it a bit difficult to work with.

Overall, this brand is rated 4.5/5 with 75% five star ratings.

Tips To Maintain Your Clay Modeling Kits

Clay is a malleable, natural material that can be shaped into different forms and is great for sculpting.

Unfortunately, clay can be very difficult to work with at first and it may break easily in the process of sculpting. It is important that you know how to maintain it as well as the other materials you use for your sculptures.

If you are interested in taking up clay modeling, it is important that you keep up with it and keep your kit properly stored and maintained.

After you make your purchase, you should know how to maintain your clay as well as your finished sculpture. The following list are some of the best tips you can follow in order to maintain your clay and your finished product.

So, here we go:

Preparation Of Your Clay Kit For Work

Clay is a versatile medium that can be transformed to take on almost any form you can imagine. To create a beautiful piece of work, there are some important steps that you should take before you start sculpting

For best results:

The first step is to knead the clay well before starting off. This will help create a smooth texture, which is easier to work with. If the texture is too rough it will cause problems when you are sculpting.

The second step involves adding some water to the clay which helps make it smoother and more malleable.

The last step is applying cooking oil or vegetable oil so that your sculpture doesn’t dry out or crack while in the oven.

Wrapping clay for multiple sessions

If the sculpture you are working on requires a lot of time, in order to keep it fresh and workable for days you can wrap it in a damp tea towel. And in order to make it air tight, you can wrap a cling film on top. This will help you to work on your sculpture without the clay drying out.

Storage

After you finish sculpting there’s a high chance that you will have leftover clay, in this case wrap it in a cling film and store it in an air tight container. This will avoid the clay from drying out and will also help to reduce a lot of wastage.

Fixing dried out clay

In a case where you left out your clay and it has dried out, there’s a small trick that you can use in order to recover it. Put the dried clay into a zip lock bag and add some water to it. Thereafter, lock the bag and leave it for at least 2 days.  Once the 2 days are complete remove the clay from the bag and knead it well.

In order to avoid wastage it is best you follow the above tips. However, don’t limit yourself for the above. Become creative and explore what other options you can try in order to maintain clay as well as your finished sculpture.

Conclusion

Overall, sculpting is one of the most creative methods of art. However, if you’re planning on sculpting at a professional level it is important that you carefully follow each and every point mentioned in this article. Starting from the selection of the best brands on amazon to methods in which you can maintain your clay is very important.

This is only the start of your sculpting journey, so choose your favorite one from the best clay modelling kits for adults we reviewed and just get started.

Have fun!

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