Do you feel left out during the Mid-Autumn Festival because you can’t enjoy mooncakes due to allergies or just don’t like them? I don’t like mooncakes but I still find myself getting caught up in the nostalgia of the holiday. Mooncakes are such a huge part of the Mid-Autumn festival that it doesn’t feel right without them. This mooncake craft will create treats that are too beautiful to eat!
When the kids were younger, making playdough mooncakes was a fun activity to introduce the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival pastry. My kids have outgrown playdough but still love to play with the mooncake molds. Clay mooncakes are just as fun as playdough but the finished craft is beautiful enough to present as gifts to loved ones or friends with gluten or nut allergies.
This activity is suitable for ages 5 and up.
Mooncake Craft Supplies
- mooncake mold
- air-dry clay
- cornstarch
- paint
- paint brushes (smaller/fine tip)
- Modge Podge (optional for glossy finish)
- activity mats (optional)
Tip: Slightly drier clay works best. If the clay is too wet, it will stick to the mold.
Directions
- Prepare the work area with a non-stick surface. I like to use these thin cutting sheets as activity mats. Each person is assigned a color which helps to prevent arguments between siblings. They are easy to clean and protect our wooden table from the kid’s craft tools.
- With clean hands, roll the clay into balls about 1.5″ in diameter. You can adjust the amount to your preference.
- Important: using a fan brush or similar delicate brush, dust the top and sides of the clay ball with cornstarch. This will prevent the clay from sticking to the mold.
- Use the mooncake mold to press the design into the clay ball. Then carefully remove the clay mooncake from the mold.
- Let the clay mooncakes dry for 3-5 days.
- Once the clay mooncake is fully dry, seal it with a coat of white paint. I do this to ensure a good base for the colors to adhere to but this is optional. Paint your desired color. I mixed the paints to create the traditional mooncake colors.
- Optional: paint with Modge Podge to add a glossy finish and seal the paint.
