In the early 1900s, John Harry Stedman and Charles Angel invented pipe cleaners for cleaning smoking pipes, as the name suggests. This function explains the composition and design of the pipe cleaner. They are thin, flexible, and covered with fibers, allowing their user to clean the crevices within a pipe. After their invention, Stedman sold the rights for pipe cleaner to BJ Long, which has manufactured pipe cleaners since then. 

Pipe cleaners were typically used to clean pipes until the mid-1900s, while crafting was becoming more common as an educational tool. During this shift towards more arts and crafts curriculum, pipe cleaners were found by teachers to be ideal for children's crafts. More crafting was done using pipe cleaners, causing craft stores, rather than just hardware stores, to offer pipe cleaners as a product and to do so using a wider variety of features (color, shape, etc.). 

In today's society, pipe cleaners continue to grow in their uses, and have become a way for any individual, regardless of age, to use their imagination and create whatever they desire. This shift is due to the rise of social media and the idea of DIY (Do It Yourself). Social media allows aspiring crafters to see what other crafters are creating, causing them to reproduce the same creations or put their own spin on them. The DIY trend has lead to more individuals being interested in making their own products, rather than purchasing them. Pipe cleansers have been a useful tool for DIY projects since they are incredibly versatile and easy to use. 

Clay has been a part of human history since ancient times. Early civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks used it for everything from pottery to sculptures to building structures. Back then, most clay was fired in kilns to harden it. Before the development of air-dry clay as we know it today, people used various types of natural clay for modeling, often relying on unfired clay that would dry out on its own over time when exposed to the air or place under the sun, but it wasn’t as refined or consistent as the modern air-dry clay. (Lakeside Pottery, 2024) Early versions of air-dry clay were made to address the need for a medium that didn’t require a kiln in response to the growing popularity of home crafting and school art programs after 1940s and 1950s. 

In the mid-20th century, as air-dry clay became more popular for adults and artists, manufacturers began creating versions of it that were safer, softer, and easier for children to handle. These kid-friendly versions were designed to be non-toxic and light, making them perfect for young crafters who wanted to explore their creativity. Today, most children's air-dry clay is made from natural materials like clay minerals, cornstarch, fine sand, and natural fibers. It’s non-toxic, easy to work with, and dries naturally with the exposure to the air.

Another key differences between children’s air-dry clay and traditional clay is its texture. Unlike traditional clay, which can be tough and require more effort and skill to mold, air-dry clay for kids is soft and pliable. This makes it easier for children to shape and form creations without getting frustrated by the stiffness. It allows kids to dive into their creative projects and enjoy the process of sculpting without feeling limited by the material.