At a glance
- Total spend: $18.40
- Items needed: 5
- Already in your kitchen: 4 of them
- Can wait a year: pasta machine, cutters, kiln
Craft supply lists are written by people who sell craft supplies. The genuine minimum for air dry clay is much shorter than the internet suggests, and most of it is already in a drawer in your kitchen.
What to actually buy
One kilo of air dry clay, a cheap set of wooden modelling tools, a pack of assorted sandpaper, a small pot of matte sealer, and a plastic sheet to work on. That is the whole list.
| Item | Cost | Buy or skip |
|---|---|---|
| 1kg air dry clay | $8.00 | Buy |
| Wooden tool set | $4.50 | Buy |
| Sandpaper, assorted | $2.40 | Buy |
| Matte sealer | $3.50 | Buy |
| Pasta machine | $38.00 | Skip |
| Cutter set | $22.00 | Later |
What you already own
A rolling pin. A fork. Drinking straws for punching holes. A butter knife for cutting. Between them these cover about eighty percent of what a beginner tool kit claims to do.
If you find you are enjoying it after a month, buy a proper loop tool. It is about $6 and it does something no kitchen object approximates.
What to ignore for now
Pasta machines, extruders, texture rollers, silicone moulds and anything described as a starter kit. Kits are almost always a small amount of clay bundled with tools you will not use, sold at a premium.
