Are you wondering which air-dry clay is right for your project?
If you have ever felt unsure about choosing between Modena and Artista Soft Deluxe, you are not alone. I get asked so much about the differences between the two pastes I sell that I thought I would write this to help you on your journey into Air Drying Clays.
BOTH ARE NON-EDIBLE! The clay decorations are safe to use on cakes for making flowers, as long as the decorations do not come into direct contact with any part of the cake that will be eaten. If you want to place clay flowers directly on a cake, I recommend using a posy pick to push the flower spray in so the flowers don’t touch the cake, keeping everything safe and food-friendly. This lets air continue to circulate around the flowers, while giving you peace of mind.
Let’s start with Modena: this is a polymer clay that I find very similar to flower paste if you are stepping over from sugar craft / Cake decorating into the clay world. We used to call this Cold Porcelain!
Modena dries opaque if you don’t add any white colour and has a plastic-like texture when dry, making it virtually unbreakable. It’s also waterproof, but I like to coat it with a sealant or varnish to be extra sure if I’m making a head dress or corsage.
I find Modena to work very well on its own, but it dries a little opaque. If you don’t want to add paint to fix this, add a little Artista Soft Deluxe to my Modena. I would say about 20% Artista Soft to 80% Modena is a good mix. To combine the clays, simply measure out your desired amounts of each, then knead them together by hand until the colour and texture are completely uniform. This only takes a few minutes, and you’ll notice the mixture becomes smooth and even. It’s really easy, and don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time—practice makes it simpler each time you try.
If you are new to mixing clays, try my “Test Tile Ritual” before starting your big project. Just take a small piece of Modena and add about one quarter as much Artista Soft (the 80/20 mix), then roll it into a little ball, a flat tile. Let it dry, then compare the colour and texture. Make a few test tiles with different ratios if you want. Keep notes on each one as they dry. This quick routine will help you discover exactly what works best for your project and build your confidence to experiment without worrying about wasting clay. Remember, mistakes and happy accidents are just part of the creative process, so don’t be afraid to try new combinations and see what happens. I use different mixes depending on how I feel on the day I’m working with the clay.
The flowers and foliage in the photo are all made with Modena, and a little Artista Soft was added.
Artista Soft, on its own, is super lightweight and brilliantly white. One thing that makes it really handy for beginners is that it contains its own glue, which means it sticks to itself, so it’s great for making roses without needing any extra adhesive. This makes it especially convenient for making bridal bouquets and card embellishments, and it dries with a paper-like feel. I created the puffins from just Artista Soft, over some chicken wire I shaped into the correct form, then airbrushed them to colour.
Now, if you look at the tulips in the photos, I have made the one on the left under the Modena packet with just Modena, so hopefully you can see the colour difference from the Tulip on the right, which is made from just Artista Soft. The Tulip in the middle of the photo is a mix of 50% Modena and 50% Artista Soft.
Here’s an easy way to remember:
Modena is “virtually unbreakable, strong, and opaque” while Artista Soft is “paper-light and brilliantly white with its own glue.”
When choosing your clays, consider what they’re being used for and how durable they need to be. For example, I recommend Modena or a Modena-Artista Soft mix for making realistic flowers, as they hold their shape and keep delicate details crisp. If you’re making lightweight figurines or models, Artista Soft on its own is perfect, as it’s easy to handle, dries white, and feels light. For jewellery, I suggest leaning more toward Modena for its strength and slight flexibility when dry, or a blend if you want something in between.
But let me tell you: the most popular is mixing both together; I sell them as a pack now to save you a few pennies.
So which do you think looks better? let me know!
Be inspired to create!
Love Cassie x
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