Clay in Stardew Valley is a useful resource tool to craft many things for your farm or home. Just like other resources in the game, you are going to need to use a few different tools and do a bit of work to find it. We're going to show you all of the ways that you can get clay.
How to get clay
There are quite a few different ways to get your hands on clay and we've listed them all below.
Tilling
The most common and easiest way to get clay is by using your hoe to till the ground before planting anything. When you are using this method, clay will appear randomly, so it's not a constant supply of the material. However, it does mean that you can get the material by accident while you're prepping the ground.
There is also a handy method to gain more clay from tilling soil, which involves tilling the ground with the hoe in a certain pattern. If you till the ground in a diagonal line, aiming up and right, with two spaces between each tilled spot, and then rinse and repeat in the lines above you, then you're guaranteed to start farming a good amount of clay. It's all in the maths!
Geodes
When breaking rocks with your pickaxe you have the chance to collect geodes. You can take these to Clint on the eastern side of Pelican Town at his blacksmith shop, and he will break these open for you for a small fee. You can get clay, but you're more likely to get a crystal or some type of ore this way.
Artifact spots
Wiggly worm-like growths can be found sticking out of the ground in and around Pelican Town. Keep an eye out for them, as they are markers for artifact spots. You can dig these up with your hoe and you may be rewarded with clay. However, you can find all sorts of things like missing books, artifacts, and rare types of ore buried in the ground. Even if you don't get clay, they're still worth digging up.
Ginger Island
Another way to get Clay is to unlock Ginger Island. On this idyllic paradise island, you can mine special rocks called clay nodes with your pickaxe.
A gift
In the winter season, Pelican Town hosts a festival called "Feast of the Winter Star". If you talk to Jas or Vincent (the two children) during this festival, they may give you a piece of clay.
So, there are all the ways to collect clay in Stardew Valley! Once you've got the basics of collecting materials, it will become far easier to craft a whole bunch of different items. If you're enjoying the game and want to create more items, we have a guide that shows you how to build a coop. Additionally, if you want to start farming with your friends, we have a handy guide on how to set up a multiplayer co-op farm. Have fun digging!