Do You Need to Seal Air Dry Clay Before Epoxy Resin? (My Results)

Epoxy resin is one of the best sealers you can use for your air dry clay project, which provides an ultra-glossy finish with long-term protection. ✨

It makes a hard shell around your project, not like other sealers like varnish or polyurethane. It waterproofs your project and improves the overall structural strength. 🛡️

I made a miniature air dry clay koi fish pond and sealed it with epoxy resin, and it gave me such an amazing result. The water looked so realistic. 🐟💧 I was so happy because I’m a beginner and this was my third air dry clay project after my first one was ruined completely due to my faults. I know you can imagine how that feels, right? Haha. 😂

But you just can’t simply apply epoxy resin over your freshly made air-dry clay project. If you don’t do it right, hours of work can be ruined because sealing with epoxy resin can easily go wrong. There is a pre-preparation.

Don’t worry, the procedure is easy. Let me tell you why and how to do that based on my experience. 💡

Do you actually need to seal air dry clay before resin?

Yes, you need to seal air dry clay before resin to avoid epoxy resin reacting with moisture inside and starting to peel, surface pitting and forming bubbles. Plus, it will give a dull look with dark, wet-looking stains to your project.

As we know, air dry clay is a porous material. It contains a porous structure that has air bubbles and moisture trapped inside. 

When you just apply epoxy resin over that surface with no sealing, those trapped air bubbles and moisture release into the curing epoxy resin layers.

This will form bubbles inside epoxy resin layers, and also, it won’t bond evenly with air-dry clay because of the moisture that does not let epoxy resin absorb evenly. 🫧

What sealers do?

When you apply sealer over air dry clay projects before applying epoxy resin, it works as a barrier between air dry clay and epoxy resin. It won’t let moisture and air bubbles from the air-dry clay sneak into the epoxy resin layers. 🧱

Think if your air dry clay hasn’t dried properly. Everyone on the internet says to let your air dry clay project dry for 1-2 days. But what if those days were rainy or high in humidity? Sometimes even though it felt like clay dried from the outside, it may not from the inside. Which means moisture is there right? That moisture quickly reacts with epoxy resin and causes trouble. 🌧️

But when you apply a sealer over it, it won’t stop that moisture from reaching epoxy resin even when your air dry clay project hasn’t dried fully.

But I recommend you check everything fully, whether your air dry clay project is completely dried before applying the sealer, because wet clay can ruin the performance of your sealer as well.

Because of above reasons, you must air-dry clay projects before applying epoxy resin. Never forget that guys and gals! Otherwise, all the work you put on that beautiful air dry clay project can be ruined. 🙅🏽‍♀️

Best sealants for air dry clay (before epoxy)

When you are selecting a sealer for your air dry clay project, don’t go with watercolors because they require too much water which can dissolve dry air-dry clay and weaken the clay. Plus, they won’t block moisture.

So, you basically need a sealer that can block the moisture, resists water, and gives beautiful appeal right? Here are the best ones:

• Acrylic paints: Acrylic paint is the sealer I use before epoxy resin. 🎨 It provides a water-resistant coating, beautiful vibrant appeal, and is available in lots of colors. Plus, colors are easy to mix and get the color we want. I highly recommend it.
• Mod Podge: Mod Podge is the popular one among clay artists as a sealer. 🖌️ It does not provide colors just acts as a protective layer. It is water-soluble and dries clear. Plus, it creates an excellent barrier.
• PVA Craft Glue: PVA glue is the budget-friendly option. Mix a little bit of water with Elmer’s glue and apply over your dried air-dry clay project as a sealer before epoxy resin.

It doesn’t matter whether you choose a matte or gloss finish from the above sealers because once you apply epoxy resin over it, it always comes as an ultra-glossy finish.

So, if you want your project’s final look in matte finish, better not to go with epoxy resin. I mostly go with a glossy finish because I love the shine. ✨

How to properly seal air dry clay for resin

1. First, let your shaped air dry clay project dry completely for 1-2 days or more. ⏳ This depends on the clay thickness and the weather outside. Don’t seal it when the clay is wet with dark spots. Plus, sealing wet clay causes it to rot or crack from the inside out.
2. Then, sand the clay project with a fine-grit sandpaper and remove all the dust and residue. A clean surface is a must for the best result.
3. Now apply your sealer. It can be acrylic paint or Mod Podge. If you use acrylic paint like I did the painting and sealing part both can be done in one shot. But if you go with Mod Podge, it works just as a sealer and once it dries on surfaces, apply the paint. I painted my koi fish pond with acrylic paint in vibrant colors and it came out so beautiful. Make sure to apply sealer in thin coats. Doesn’t matter whether it is matte or gloss finish.
4. Let the sealer dry fully for 1-2 hours. Once it dries fully, you can pour epoxy resin over your project and apply it evenly covering the whole area. You can apply epoxy resin even in layers. But make sure not to let it form bubbles. If bubbles are formed, use a heat gun. 🔥

Final thoughts

Now you know how to prepare your air dry clay project and why sealing matters before applying the epoxy resin.

Now it’s your turn to show me the projects you made with air dry clay and sealed successfully with epoxy resin. It’s ok if you made mistakes, because they make us perfect. Upload your projects to Instagram and tag @clayandmestudios. 📸 See you again with another useful tip! Cheers! 🤟🏾