DIY Sprinkles From Scrap Clay

I work in air dry clay and I often end up with a lot of "scrap". What happens is that I work on a piece, but gradually the clay ball that I am pulling clay from starts drying up when it is exposed to air. I am very careful about trying to only have out little bits at a time, but it still happens often that I have clay that is starting to "go bad" as I say.

One time when I was working on a project and had clay "going bad" (drying out), I decided to just roll the bad clay out into thin sheets and set it aside. I have found that occasionally these scrap pieces turn out to be useful (but a lot of times it is just me hanging on to them because I feel bad throwing clay away...).

I discovered that thin sheets of scrap clay can be turned into sprinkles! It is very simple and easy way to reuse clay that would otherwise be thrown out, and it means that you don't have to use extra clay to make the sprinkles that you want for a cupcake, ice cream, or cake.

If you work in polymer clay, you can still use this tip. Keep reading and I will explain!

I have also included how to make sprinkles out of excess raw air dry clay and excess raw polymer clay bits you may not know what to do with.

Supplies

METHOD ONE: Rolled out thinly scrap pieces of air dry clay (already dried or bone-dry)
Small hole punch (needs to be as small as you want the sprinkles to be)
Small jar for holding sprinkles

METHOD TWO: OR polymer clay scraps that you roll out very thinly and bake prior to making the sprinkles.
Small hole punch (needs to be as small as you want the sprinkles to be)
Small jar for holding sprinkles

METHOD THREE: Unbaked polymer clay/raw air dry clay
Clay extruder with small hole blank
Knife tool
Small jar for holding sprinkles

Vaseline/petroleum jelly

Small brush

Method One: Dried Thin Air Dry Clay

Whenever I am going to have scrap clay, I have a tendency to roll it into a thin strip. When I figured out this sprinkle method, it made sense to roll it out, before then I don't know what I thought all those thin strips of clay were going to be helpful for.
Anyway, you need scrap clay that has been rolled thinly. It should be dried or bone-dry. Take a small hole punch and just punch the clay like you would paper. When you empty the punch, you will have a bunch of little circles of clay, or sprinkles! Gather them up and store them for later use.
Notes: you will probably have some that aren't whole shapes. Keeping these is up to you.
You can get little hole punches in a variety of shapes. Then you could punch little shaped sprinkles!

Method Two: Thin Baked Polymer Clay

The same as Method One, but roll your scrap polymer clay out very thinly and then bake it. Then punch the sprinkles and store.

Method Three: Extruder

You need a clay extruder with a disc that has very little holes for this method.
Your clay should be well conditioned (very well kneaded).
I use Vaseline brushed on the inside of the extruder to help the clay not stick.
Fit the small hole disc to the extruder. Roll your clay in a log shape and put it in the extruder. Push the clay out of the extruder to get clay spaghetti.
With the knife tool, cut off the strands and separate them. If using air dry clay, let them dry, if polymer clay, bake to half-baked. Then cut them to desired length with the knife.
Finish baking them for polymer clay. Store the sprinkles in little jars.

Sprinkles

Now you have little sprinkles to use on your baked creations! I put some on a little cupcake for an example.
I hope this was helpful to you. Have a great day and go clay today!