Impressive Impressions
Make decorative discs by pressing shapes into Crayola® Air-Dry Clay. The possibilities for making detailed impressions are endless!
1. Not so long ago, farmers molded butter with designs. Find out how and why they made butter molds from clay. Sometimes today, fancy butter pats are made in small molds.
2. What everyday items do you know about that are made by molding, pressing, or printing? (coins, license plates, leather, gelatin, candles) Do you enjoy making footprints in mud, sand, or snow? Then you’ll really enjoy making prints with Crayola Air-Dry Clay.
3. Gather several objects such as marker caps, shells, and other items that have either a raised or indented design. Be inventive! The clay is so smooth you can make very fine designs in it.
4. Use a clean, washable surface. Roll the clay into a ball about as wide as the object you are going to use to make an impression. Press the ball into the object (or vice versa) and gently pull them apart. Is your design raised or indented? Concave or convex?
5. Wash the clay off the objects you pressed before the clay dries. Air-dry your impression for at least 3 days.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—
- Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
- Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
- Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
- The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
- Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
- Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
- Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
- While the clay is still soft, poke a hole in the top of the piece. When dry, thread it with string or ribbon for a hanging decoration or pendant.
- If you like, paint the dry, impressed clay sculptures with Crayola Watercolors or Tempera. They make wonderful paperweights or decorative pieces.
- Young children or those with special needs could press their hands in the clay. It makes a finer handprint than other media.
- Assessment: Students try to identify the objects that were used to make impressions in other children’s sculptures. A lunch bag could be displayed with each sculpture. Children write their ideas on small pieces of paper and place them in the bags. Which items stumped everyone? Which were easy to identify?
Voyages in a Bottle
Coming Attractions Theater
Kindness Castle
