How to Repair a Broken Clay Sculpture

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Things You'll Need

  • School glue

  • Masking tape

  • Toilet paper

  • Popsicle stick

  • Sandpaper

  • Clear spray paint

  • Paint brush

  • Clear gloss sealant or epoxy glue

Simple household items like toilet paper can be used to fix broken clay sculptures.

Clay sculpture is fragile; it breaks easily if hit or dropped. Repairing a broken sculpture can be easy or extensive, depending on the severity of the damage. If it breaks into two or three pieces, fixing the sculpture goes pretty fast. But if you're dealing with multiple broken parts, you will need a lot of time and patience. However, most everybody can do the job, and the materials needed to restore your piece of art into a like-new condition are common and inexpensive.

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Step 1

Piece together the broken parts of the clay sculpture using school glue. Let the glue dry thoroughly before working on another piece.

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Step 2

Hold the pieces together with the masking tape.

Step 3

Leave the tape on the sculpture overnight. Remove the tape carefully the next day.

Step 4

Make a paste by mixing 1 cup of small pieces of toilet paper with 1 tablespoon of regular glue.

Step 5

Fill in gaps and cracks in the sculpture using the paste. Use a Popsicle stick to apply the mixture. Let the filled areas dry overnight.

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Step 6

Sand areas that are rough or overfilled with the repair mixture.

Step 7

Paint or glaze the repaired areas and let them dry. If the sculpture was painted, spray it with clear spray paint. If the object was glazed, paint the damaged area with a clear gloss sealant or epoxy glue.

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