DIY naturalistic hides, water bowls and decor

[Faith.luu]

Hey guys, just wanted to share a DIY project I did using air dry clay. With air dry clay you can make absolutely anything. The biggest trick was figuring out how to waterproof it. But hope you guys find this inspiring. This is how I created a water bowl:


Make shape however you’d like it, grooves and slight cracks are okay, just make sure there are no holes in your clay. Imperfections make it more realistic. You can see I made large ones at the corner there. Those are serving a purpose for me later.


After finishing its dry period I went ahead and painted it with acrylic paint. I’m sure there are other mediums you could use but I find acrylic is the most accessible.

Note: you can also make it look more realistic by enhancing the cracks in your clay using either a darker or lighter colour. For mine I used white paint.


After the paint dried, I then coated it with a transparent waterproof/water resistant glue, and then finished it off with 4 layers of varnish(just to be extra safe). If you are making something that isnt submerged in water, then jus the layers of varnish should be fine.

Make sure to test your piece before using it. I left mine out for 24 hours with water in it and it held it fantastic. I also made sure none of the varnish started to deteriorate into the water. Because that would be VERY bad.


Lastly, I filled in my holes to put in these fake plants. You can do this with any structure, just make sure it doesn’t cause any cracks when it dries.

Please be sure to check what products you use to make sure it is safe to use when dried. I hope this DIY helps you, and saves you some money as well