Last year, I shared a project I did with air dry clay (you can find it at the craft stores). This stuff is great for fixing little boo-boos around the house. I used it to fix a broken handle on an urn in that post and recently did a couple more things with this versatile stuff. You can mold and shape it into whatever you want and this time I used it on paper mache and pottery, so take a look at the results.
I forgot to take a before pic of this trashcan, but you get the idea. I gave my sister a monogrammed paper mache trash can (blogged about the shop here) just like mine a couple of years ago for Christmas from The Royal Standard (unfortunately, they closed the store here in Birmingham, but are still in LA). Her rambunctious and young at the time dog, Holly, decided to take some chomps out of it (why, I don’t know?), so it was pretty ugly looking with the paper showing through and a big bite out of it in 2 places and wouldn’t you know it, it was right on the monogram?!
I also had this cute pottery bird piece that I picked up at a yardsale and the tail was broken, so I figured while I was at it, I’d fix this too. So, out came the air dry clay and I molded it to fit both pieces. It smooths out to the touch and you can really make it do anything you want. I thought the little bird’s tail looked pretty realistic and much like the other one. Let it all dry well.
Then, get out the craft paints or leftover wall paint, whatever matches and paint right over the white clay after it’s dry. I used my wall paint that was a pretty good match. I didn’t try to get the glazing streaks in there, since it was a pretty good match without it.
Then, my Ralph Lauren Turett Stairs was a perfect match for the chocolate brown monogram. Filled that in, as well as the edging on the trash can and it really looks almost new again, don’t you think? My sis was thrilled that I fixed it for her.
You can hardly tell that it’s been repaired and touched up at all.
Same with the birdie’s tail, I got out my craft paints (which I’ve had for years) and found a blue to match him.
Paint it on and let dry well and they’re both good to go now. I even added some glossy mod podge on his tail so it would be shiny like the rest of him. Clever, huh?
I’ve got plenty of craft paint around for things like this and can usually match up just about any color.
So, do you have anything broken that needs to be fixed? This air dry clay is great stuff and I’d urge you to give it a try!
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Rhoda,
You’re great! You’ve did it again. I found you when I googled painting grout lines. I have a white tiled bath floor with white grout lines (the only bathroom) & four chilren under the age of eight. After reading your answer I ran to Michael’s to get some paint. It turned out perfect. In fact we have a builder putting in some new doors in the bathroom who commented on it. He said he only noticed it was painted because he had to move the shelving that was in there. ( I hadn’t painted there because you can’t see it. ) 😉
Now I bought a new to me table & six chairs from GW for $100. It is the kind that opens with one hand& has two leaves hidden inside. The only problem was a dog had chewed the trestle in the center just enough to take the peak off & two of the chairs spindles. I knew I could sand the chair legs, but what to do about that trestle?
Answer: go to Rhoda’s blog read the post & go find paper clay! Thanks so much. I can’t wait to get this started!
Thank you for putting up another post about this clay–I remember the first post you wrote on it, but couldn’t remember the exact name. I have an urn lamp that fell victim to a cat and I think this clay will do just the trick to repair it!
HobLob here I come…
I was JUST thinking about that post this week. Sunshine and her friends watch TV and play video games in the loft…maybe I should say they DID watch TV up there until I went up the other day and realized someone had broken a piece off my little Goodwill lamp up there and broken a piece off the little wicker table that belonged to my grandmother. One of the few things I have that belonged to her. After I stressed over the lamp, I realized that you had a post on this and I could fix it. Not sure if I can match the ugly yellow color but I can always paint the whole thing so…thanks for redoing this post!
hello do you think I can use this method to fill in a missing piece on a ceramic lamp that has a hole of missing piece? the owner dropped it and has gifted it to me would love to repair it .Thanks in advance
Hi Janette, I do think it would work for that. You would then need to try to paint over it to blend in with the rest but it might work just fine. The clay is very pliable and dried hard.