Clay & Ceramic Repairs

How to Do Repairs to Clay Based Objects

How to Repair Clay Objects

"This little piggy went to market... This little piggy cried ‘wee-wee-wee' all the way home." Well, just about.

My friend Pam and I took my two-foot tall darling clay pig to a culinary exhibit. When I got him back home safe and sound, lying on the back seat of my car, Pam opened the car door and out he tumbled - onto the concrete.

His right ear broke off in several pieces; one corner of his chef's hat suffered a major chip; a corner of the base broke off; and there were smaller chips up and down his right arm.

My friend, who had asked to use the pig for the exhibit, was so upset she was close to tears. I told her not to worry; I could fix it just fine. Pam said, "No way!"

The detail picture shows the right ear back in place. Even close up, Pam couldn't see the repair. And it was really very simple.

How to Repair Unglazed Clay

Unglazed Clay Repair Supplies

• White PVA glue (such as Elmer's)
• Spackle
• Acrylic paints

Clay Repair Instructions

Use white glue to replace all the pieces you can.

With spackle, fill in any gaps and chips. Be sure to smooth the spackle level to the surface being repaired.

Your finger is the best tool for this. I also use my finger to touch up the paint. It gives better control than a brush on this type of work and allows you to blend the paint into the "background".

How to Repair Ceramic Objects

This is one of a set of four beautiful (and quite valuable) Talavera pots which one of my customers brought back from Puebla, Mexico.

She wasn't even sure how the lid of this one got knocked off and broken. Perhaps one of her cats; perhaps a repairman.

Anyway, she mentioned the accident to me and had no idea where to get it repaired. I said, "Bring it in with all the pieces you were able to salvage. I'll see what I can do."

It's tricky to hide the cracks when you repair glazed clay; but I've developed a technique that works very well.

Clay Repair Materials

• White PVA glue (such as Elmer's Glue-All)
• Sculpey Polymer Clay
• Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel paints
• Cushioned nail files

Ceramic Repair Instructions

Glue whatever pieces you can back together. Minimize visibility of cracks by spreading a thin layer of PVA on both surfaces and waiting a few minutes until they become tacky.

Then carefully put the pieces together and hold until the glue sets. It doesn't take too long.

If you set the object down to dry, slippage is almost inevitable. A little patience goes a long way here.

If any sections are missing, rebuild them with Sculpey clay. [ I had to rebuild a section of the rim shown in the detail photo. ]

Use the Sculpey to fill any chips as well. Cure in your oven following label directions. [ Thank goodness it was only the lid that broke. I might have had a hard time getting the pot to fit in my oven! ]Let cool. Use cushioned nail files to smooth and level any rough spots.

Paint with Delta PermEnamel paints.