Air-dry clay makes molds that don't need to be baked in an oven.
Clay molds are handy shortcuts for artists who need to quickly make duplicates of an item. Molds can be simple shapes that allow the artist to create a unique design each time, or they can be more sophisticated with many intricate details. Making clay molds of simple objects such as shoes is easy because the objects usually do most of the work for you by creating the impressions in the clay. All you have to do is press the object into the clay in order to create a shoe mold that you can use again and again in your clay art projects.
Instructions
1. Select the shoe that you will use to create the mold. The type of shoe that you choose will depend on the level of detail you would like your mold to have. Shoes without embellishments such as jewels, bows or shoelaces will create the simplest molds.
2. Measure the length, width and depth of the shoe. Lay the shoe on its side on a flat surface before taking these measurements. Take note of each measurement.
3. Add a few drops of water to the air-dry clay so that it becomes soft and pliable. Crayola's website suggests that you do not add a lot of water as this will cause the clay to crack during the drying process.
4. Mold the clay into two large square slabs. Use the measurements you made as a guide for molding the slabs. Each slab should be at least 1 inch longer and wider and at least 2 inches deeper than the shoe you are using. Each slab must be exactly the same size.
5. Dust the top of the clay slabs with talc. This will act as a mold release and allow you to quickly remove the shoe from the clay without damaging the mold impression.
6. Press one side of the shoe into one of the clay slabs. The clay should cover about half of the depth of the shoe. Do not move the shoe around in the clay as this will make unnecessary impressions in the mold.
7. Press the other side of the shoe into the other clay slab. Make sure that the shoe is placed in the same position on both clay slabs so that the entire mold will be accurate when the two sides are put together.
8. Dry the clay molds by leaving them uncovered in a cool, dry place. Do not touch the molds during the drying process.
