What Is Rainbow Clay?

Rainbow clay, also known as Crayola Model Magic, is a lightweight, air-drying modeling compound made by Crayola. It is a brightly colored, soft, and lightweight clay that air dries to a dense, foam-like consistency.

Unlike traditional clays like polymer clay or pottery clay, rainbow clay does not require baking or firing to set. It air dries to a finish that is solid yet still slightly flexible and spongy. This makes it easy to mold and shape by hand without requiring any special tools or equipment.

The clay is made from a proprietary mix of water-based ingredients like cornstarch, glue, and various dyes and pigments. This gives it a soft, pliable texture when moist that gradually hardens as it dries via evaporation. The resulting pieces keep their shape and color brightness over time.

History of Rainbow Clay

The origins of rainbow clay can be traced back to the 1980s in Japan. Craftspeople were experimenting with creating colorful modeling compounds for children by mixing together white air-dry clay with powdered pigments and dyes. These early rainbow clays were quite delicate and prone to flaking and cracking as they dried. It wasn’t until the 1990s that polymer clays stabilized with PVC became widely available in the United States and Europe.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, specialty clays that incorporated metallic mica powders started appearing on the market. These clays had a distinctive shimmery, iridescent quality when baked according to package directions. The first mass-produced rainbow clay blend was released in 2003 by a company called Rainbow Art. It combined translucent polymer clay with a precise proportion of mica pigments to create a lightweight, colorful modeling clay that air-dried to a smooth, durable finish.

Since then, dozens of companies worldwide have developed their own proprietary mixes of rainbow clay in a whole spectrum of vivid metallic and non-metallic colors. Advancements in colorants, plasticizers, and drying agents have made modern rainbow clay versatile, strong, and easy to use. It continues to grow in popularity for artists, crafters, and children for modeling, jewelry-making, and general clay craft projects.

How Rainbow Clay is Made

Rainbow clay goes through an extensive manufacturing process in order to achieve its bright, vibrant colors. The main ingredients used to create rainbow clay are:

Clay – The base of rainbow clay is natural white clay. The clay provides the texture and allows the clay to be molded.
Colorants – To give rainbow clay its signature rainbow colors, professional artists use high-quality color pigments and dyes. These colorants are non-toxic and specially formulated to mix well with clay.
Glitter – For extra sparkle and shine, ultrafine glitter flakes are added to the clay. The glitter catches and reflects light, giving a shimmery look.

Here is an overview of the manufacturing process:

The natural white clay is mixed with water to reach an optimal consistency for working the clay. All air bubbles are removed.
The clay is divided into separate batches, and the color pigments and dyes are added to achieve the desired rainbow shades.
Glitter flakes are mixed in for a subtle sparkly effect.
The colored clay batches are then hand-kneaded thoroughly to evenly distribute the colors and achieve a smooth, consistent texture.
The finished rainbow clay is packaged into sealed blocks to retain moisture and prevent drying out.

From sourcing top-quality ingredients to hand-blending each color, great care goes into making rainbow clay. This results in a colorful clay that has a wonderfully smooth texture and keeps its bright hues even after baking.

Types of Rainbow Clay

There are many different types and varieties of rainbow clay available. The main difference between types is the color. Rainbow clay gets its name from the wide spectrum of bright, vibrant colors it comes in. Here are some of the most common rainbow clay varieties:

Original Rainbow Clay

This is the classic rainbow clay, made from a blend of colored clays like red, blue, yellow, and green. When blended together, these clays create a marbled, rainbow-like effect. Original rainbow clay is smooth and easy to condition. It’s a good choice for beginners.

Neon Rainbow Clay

Neon rainbow clays feature bright, saturated versions of colors like pink, orange, green, and purple. They almost seem to glow or fluoresce. Neon clays are fun for creating playful, vibrant pieces.

Pastel Rainbow Clay

For a softer look, pastel rainbow clays include lighter, desaturated versions of colors like lavender, mint, peach, and sky blue. Pastels work nicely for more delicate or feminine projects.

Metallic Rainbow Clay

Metallic rainbow clays incorporate glittering mica powders to create shimmery, iridescent colors. Popular metallics include gold, silver, copper, and pearl. Metallics add shine and luster to any creation.

Glow-in-the-Dark Rainbow Clay

These rainbow clays use phosphorescent pigments to create colors that glow brightly in the dark. They are available in green, blue, and purple glow colors. Use them to make jewelry, night lights, haunted houses, and more.

Properties of Rainbow Clay

Rainbow Clay is known for its unique tactile properties that set it apart from other types of clay. It has a smooth, silky texture that is enjoyable to knead and shape. The clay itself has an airy, lightweight feel to it – it is much less dense than traditional clay. Yet Rainbow Clay still retains a satisfying amount of strength and flexibility when sculpting.

When left to dry, Rainbow Clay hardens while still maintaining a slight squishy, spongy quality. The drying time can range quite a bit, from just an hour or two for small creations up to 24 hours for large, elaborate projects. Drying time depends on factors like thickness of the clay body, exposure to air circulation, and ambient temperature/humidity.

Unlike some clays, Rainbow Clay doesn’t become brittle or crack as it dries. It keeps its elasticity and shape without warping. And if the clay happens to dry out prematurely, a light misting of water restores its workable texture once again.

Uses of Rainbow Clay

One of the most popular uses of rainbow clay is for pottery and sculpture making. The vibrant colors blended throughout rainbow clay make it perfect for creating beautiful, multicolored pottery pieces like vases, bowls, mugs, and more. Sculptors also love working with rainbow clay because they can mix the colors together to create stunning, unique works of art.

Another common use for rainbow clay is to create jewelry like beads and pendants. Jewelry makers can shape the clay into interesting organic forms or cut out geometric shapes. When baked, the finished rainbow clay jewelry pieces have an eye-catching, polished look. The clay can also be painted over with glazes or other acrylic paints to add patterns, textures, and designs.

In addition to pottery, sculpture, and jewelry, rainbow clay is also popular for making figurines, cake toppers, ornaments, wall art, and home decor items. The bright colors are perfect for creating cheerful decorations. Rainbow clay is also used frequently by children for arts and crafts projects at home or in the classroom because it’s easy to mold and shape.

There are endless possibilities for projects using rainbow clay. Its versatility and vibrancy make it a great choice for pottery, sculpture, jewelry, decorative items, and DIY crafts.

Working with Rainbow Clay

Rainbow clay is a fun, colorful modeling compound that can be shaped, sculpted, baked, and painted to create a wide variety of arts and crafts projects. Here are some tips for working with rainbow clay:

Shaping and Sculpting

Rainbow clay is soft and pliable right out of the package, making it easy to shape by hand. It doesn’t harden or dry out, so there’s no need to rush while sculpting. Use your fingers to mold simple shapes like balls, coils, and teardrops. For added texture, press items like buttons, seashells, or plastic forks into the clay. Combine and attach shaped pieces to build more complex creations.

Baking

While air drying sets rainbow clay creations into a solid state, baking them in the oven produces a harder, more durable finish. Bake rainbow clay creations at 275°F for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness. Let all projects cool completely before handling after baking. Baking also sets acrylic paints used to color rainbow clay.

Glazing

Before baking, rainbow clay can be painted with acrylic paints. For a glossy finish, glaze baked pieces with a thin layer of glaze or varnish designed for clay. Let the glaze dry completely before handling the finished piece. Glazes help protect clay surfaces and make colors appear more vibrant.

Rainbow Clay Projects

Rainbow clay is versatile and can be used for many fun crafts and projects. Here are some ideas for beginner and advanced rainbow clay projects:

Beginner Rainbow Clay Projects

If you’re new to working with rainbow clay, start with simple projects like:

Rainbow clay charms – Make miniature rainbow shapes like hearts, stars, butterflies that can be baked and turned into charms for jewelry or bag clips.
Rainbow beads – Roll pieces of clay into bead shapes, bake them, and string them together to make rainbow clay necklaces and bracelets.
Rainbow clay figurines – Sculpt simple animals, creatures, food items or whatever you’d like out of rainbow clay and bake them.
Rainbow clay magnets – Cut rainbow clay into interesting shapes, bake, and glue magnets on the back to create decorative magnets for the fridge or magnetic board.

Advanced Rainbow Clay Projects

Once you have some experience, try your hand at more complex rainbow clay projects like:

Rainbow clay sculptures – Sculpt detailed rainbow animals, characters, abstract sculptures to showcase your artistic skills.
Rainbow clay jewelry – Use techniques like caning and mokume gane to create stunning rainbow patterned jewelry pieces.
Rainbow clay dishes – Make functional bowls, plates, cups by sculpting slabs of rainbow clay and baking.
Rainbow clay planters and vases – Construct unique planters and vases to hold small plants, flowers, pens and other items.

Get creative and make your own original rainbow clay designs! The possibilities are endless with this colorful and flexible modeling clay.

Storing and Caring for Rainbow Clay

Properly storing rainbow clay is important to keep it soft and pliable for future use. Here are some tips for storing rainbow clay:

Store unused rainbow clay in a sealed airtight container or ziplock bag. Make sure to press out any air bubbles before sealing to prevent the clay from drying out. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

If rainbow clay does start to dry out and become hard, don’t throw it away! You can revive dried clay by kneading it for several minutes. If it is very dry, soak the clay in room temperature water for 10-30 minutes, then knead thoroughly until soft again.

Avoid extreme temperature changes when storing rainbow clay, as fluctuations from very cold to very hot can alter the clay’s consistency. Freezing clay can make it crumbly.

Be sure to keep rainbow clay clean when not in use. Avoid touching it excessively with dirty hands, as the oils from skin can discolor the clay over time.

With proper storage and care, rainbow clay can last for many months or even years without drying out. Just be sure to check it periodically and revive with kneading or soaking if needed.

Where to Buy Rainbow Clay

Rainbow clay can be purchased from a variety of online and brick-and-mortar shops. Here are some of the best places to find rainbow clay:

Online

Many online retailers carry rainbow clay, often with a wider selection of colors and varieties than local craft stores. Popular online shops for rainbow clay include:

Amazon – Wide selection of rainbow clay brands and colors. Offers convenience of fast shipping.
Blick Art Materials – Large selection of Sculpey and Fimo brand rainbow clays. Good prices on bulk orders.
Michaels – Carries Sculpey, Fimo, and Sculpdite clays. Frequent sales and coupons available.
JoAnn Fabrics – Sells Sculpey, Fimo, Crayola Model Magic, and Makin’s clay. Can order online and pick up in store.

Buying clay online is great for finding specialty colors or seasonal varieties. Be mindful of shipping costs for heavy clay packages.

Craft Stores

Major craft store chains like Michael’s, JoAnn Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby have rainbow clay in stock at most locations. Selection is often limited to basic Sculpey and Fimo colors, but stores may carry special releases seasonally.

Local independent craft shops will also frequently have rainbow clay for sale. These stores often have knowledge staff who can make recommendations if you need help selecting colors.

The benefit of shopping in-person is you can see and touch samples. Check clay packages for freshness and signs of drying out.

What Is Rainbow Clay?