How do I paint memorial clay paw prints?

I sprayed mine with a clear poly.

I used Zinser 123 then painted.

I would seal it first.

Yes you need to seal. Poly, primer, Mod Podge.

You can use Mod Podge to seal it.

Seal them after you paint them

The clay might be soaking up the paint. Try a primer before the paint or a different type of paint

I agree. The clay is porous and needs to be sealed first. I primer/sealer would do the trick for you. These sound so cute.

Seems the clay is sucking up the paint. Yes try a matte finish sealer and paint on top of that. THEN seal again.

Thanx so much for the suggestions! I tried several different sealers...& even after a week they were still tacky. The smell almost did us in

...my Service Dog & me. I did the sealing in the bathroom with the fan on & the door closed...& left it closed with the fan on for a week & the whole house had the smell of the 2 different sealers for over a week. I have severe Asthma.

I still have 4 more PawPrints to do but need to find something else to use. Again thanx for the suggestions!