How to Make A Clay Fish

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Things You'll Need

  • Clay

  • Paints

  • Paintbrush

  • Water

  • Glue

  • Knife

Kids love to get their hands dirty and what better way than by making a clay fish. Kid's get to use their creativity while making an animal they love. They also get the added bonus of painting the fish whatever colors they like when they are done creating their fish. Parents can make it educational by reading a story about a fish before they begin the art project.

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Step 1

Start out with a lump of clay and begin to mold it in to the shape of a fish. You can make your fish flat or you can make your fish three dimensional. If you are a younger child you should try out the flat fish first.

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Step 2

Use your knife to cut away any extra parts of the clay that you don't need. You can also use the knife to draw in some extra lines on the fish or to carve out a fish eyeball. You can draw in your fishes scales with the knife. Whatever you like, just use your imagination.

Step 3

Leave your clay fish out to dry. You will know you will be able to move on to step #4 when your clay fish is hard and can not be molded any more.

Step 4

Paint your fish. Go ahead and go crazy with your paints and the paintbrush. Fish are known for their many colors so feel free to make the fish as many colors as you like. If you are making a three dimensional fish don't forget to paint all sides. When you are finished painting set your fish out to dry.

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Step 5

Take out your glue and add some water to it. Use a clean paintbrush and brush the glue mixture all over your fish. It will look white at first, but I promise it will dry clear. This extra step will protect your fish and help it live a long life.

Tip

Check out some pictures of fish online or in a book so you get an idea of what kind of fish you would like to create.

Make sure you cover your work area with some newspapers.

Warning

Don't get upset if you think you messed your fish up. Clay is easily moldable and all you have to do is roll the clay up in to a ball and start over.

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