How to make a clay paw print

First, you'll need to grab some clay. We recommend Sculpey III clay as it is the softest to work with. You'll need about 2 oz. for each paw print (this may be more or less depending on the size of your animal).

Take the clay out of its wrapping and begin to roll it in your hands to soften it. Once it's soft and easy to bend and mold, roll it into a ball, then press it down into a flat disk shape with a flat, solid surface (something like a clipboard).

Once your clay is in a flat disk, poke two holes into the top for a bow, if you'd like to add one. The holes don't need to be big, just large enough to fit a ribbon through. Then bring your pet over to your clay and press their paw into the disk. Press hard enough to leave an impression, but don't rip through the clay.

After you have your impression, you may want to write your pet's name on the clay. If you'd like to do so, take a fine point and gently etch your pet's name at the bottom of the print. Or if you'd like to write their name in marker, wait until after baking.

Now it's time to bake! Baking temperatures and times depend on the type of clay, so look on your clay's packaging to see its baking instructions, or you can check out our baking instructions page.

After you've baked your clay, pull your ribbon through the two holes you made at the top and tie a bow. Congratulations! You've made your own clay paw print! Yours should look something like this: