How To Make Clay Ganesha At Home

Learn how to make Clay Ganesha at home with supplies you can easily buy at the craft store. This is an eco friendly option that takes up just an hour of your time.

Growing up in Bangalore, I remember vividly, how the streets would be lined with colorful Clay Ganeshas awaiting the festival. Living in Minnesota now, I miss that fervor, but in my own way have started traditions with my kids for celebrating this festival. We also try our best to do Diwali Crafts at home.

Ganesha is Hindu Deity and he is worshipped widely around the world. He is usually identified as the Elephant Headed God and is believed to be the remover of all obstacles.

ALSO READ: How to Make a Clay Diya at Home

Hello Friends! Each and every year around August I start my Clay Ganesha making at home and it is my favorite time of the year. I love that my kids can get involved in this as we celebrate Ganesha Chathurti at home. Below are my tips for making an eco friendly ganesh idols in usa

Next week, we celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi (Ganesha Festival) where we worship an idol of Ganesha for 5 to 10 days and then immerse it in water. My husband and I both grew up celebrating Ganesha Festival grandly each and every year. And in the US I make a Clay Ganesha for this festival.

Which Clay is used for Making Ganesha in USA? How much Clay will you need?

Since we want our Ganesha idol to dry easily without firing it in a kiln, I find that basic Air Dry Clay itself works wonderfully.

I would recommend using this Air dry clay by Crayola Terracotta or Air dry clay by Crayola White. You will also find this Clay Tool Set useful.

eco friendly ganesh idols in usa

Here are some close-up images of my Clay Ganesh making at home. I used basic air dry clay and started with a sketch in mind and just went from there.

Update: This year (2020) I used a different clay. The DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay 2.2lbs in the Terracotta color. It also comes in a white color if you would prefer that. I needed about half the packet only, so about 1lb of clay for a small Ganesha.

I just tightly folded and wrapped up the rest of the clay using plastic wrap and tape. If you store it in a cool place (like the basement) the clay will easily last a year and will be usable for next years festival too.  

5 Tips on How To Make Clay Ganesha At Home

1. Place your ball of clay under a damp towel to keep it moist longer. Air Dry Clay will dry quickly. If you find that you are working slower take just a small ball of clay out of the box/bag each time. Place that ball of clay under a damp towel to keep it moist longer.
2. Always pull out a small ball of fresh clay to make smaller details like the jewelry. If you use clay that has sat on the table and been exposed to the air for even 5 or 10 minutes, you will not be able to create finely-detailed jewelry. Even if you do manage to knead the clay and create a thin rope of jewelry- it will most likely develop cracks while drying. 
3. Use liquid glue or small toothpicks to create structure. Since I am a slow and meticulous sculptor, I have a few hacks that I use to ensure that Ganesha holds together nicely. I cut a toothpick into bits and insert that as support between joints- Like where the hands join the body, etc. You can also add a tiny teenie drop of glue if you are not certain. 
4. Place your idol on a paper plate to dry. Allow enough time for your Ganesha to dry. It can take anywhere from 12hrs to 3 days depending on the size you choose to make. To speed up the drying I like to place my Ganesha on a paper plate instead of any other surface. The paper will absorb some of the moisture from the bottom of the idol as it dries.
5. Paint or seal the Clay Ganesh only after it is completely dry. If you plan to paint your Clay Ganesh, you want to use craft acrylic paints and paint the idol only after it has completely dried. Many times I just let the clay dry and enjoy the natural terracotta look.

How long does Clay Ganesh Making at home take?

This Clay Ganesh Sculpture took me about 2 hours from start to finish because I added so many tiny details and decorations. On an average, it should take about an hour.

This year, my kids sat at the table with me and were very curious about how the idol was being made. They helped me with the smaller pieces and made the “laddoos” and tusks for the idol themselves. The idol needs to dry thoroughly, and I would say it needs 4 to 5 days at least. If it dries completely in time for the festival, I might paint the idol. If not, I like it just the way it is too.

I was really ambitious and wanted to try and make a 4 armed Ganesha. If you a beginner, maybe stick to an easier two armed Clay Ganesh instead 🙂

More Clay Ganesha Idols:

Below are my favorite Musical Clay Ganesha idols. After forming the idols in clay, I let them dry for a few days and then decorated them using acrylic paint. I hope these Clay Ganesha Idols inspire you today and if you have any questions leave a comment below and I can answer more there!

More Ganesha Tutorials:

• How To Draw Ganesha In 6 Steps
• Ganesha Bookmark Tutorial
• Free Ganesha Coloring Pages
• 3 Ganesha Paintings Videos
• Free Printable Rangoli Designs