The best way to get Clay in Stardew Valley

Clay for days

Of all the resources in Stardew Valley, Clay is perhaps among those you’ll need the most. Mainly, it’s because the material is used to craft a Silo, where you can store grass to feed your animals. Here’s how to get Clay. 

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Realistically speaking, there are a few ways to get Clay, but like in most time management games — there’s a work smart, not hard way to do it. You can mine it in the Mines, or at Clay nodes at the Ginger Island Dig Site. However, if you want to get a lot of Clay fast, there’s really only one way to go about it, and it’ll make you feel like a Knight in Chess. 

The best way to get Clay in Stardew Valley

There’s a trick embedded in Stardew Valley that allows you to gather a lot of Clay in a short time. To utilise this trick, go down to the beach towards the south with your Hoe, your Pickaxe, and plenty of food to keep your energy up. 

Then, follow these instructions – don’t worry, I’ve included pictures of the entire process:

Pick a spot, preferably somewhere towards the bottom left of the beach, and use your Hoe to till the sand, then use your Pickaxe to get rid of the hole. Repeat this until you are rewarded with Clay. It might take a while, but persevere and eat some food to keep going. 

The beach in Stardew Valley, where you can mine a lot of Clay fast for building things
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you’ve got your first Clay, move up one square and two squares to the right (the same way a Knight does in Chess) and dig again. Repeat this until you have six diagonal holes. Once you have six holes, move until you are directly to the left of your sixth hole and directly above your first hole. Dig here and repeat the one up two across method, but only making four holes this time.

The best location for mining Clay in Stardew Valley fast, on the beach

Dig again directly above the second hole you dug in this entire process, so that the two holes are joined together. Continue this process with each hole you’ve already dug. 

Using the hoe in Stardew Valley to quickly gather Clay
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you get to the end of this process, dig again one diagonal square downwards and to the right of the second hole you dug (shown above) and simply repeat the process from the first step. You’ll end up with something that looks a bit of a mess, but you’ll also have a lot of Clay.

Strange patterns left in the sand for gathering Clay quick in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

This process is a little confusing and can take some time (and a few trips back and forth to the beach) to perfect, but it’s worth persevering if you’re looking to get a lot of Clay. If you’re in need of Gold, Clay sells for 20 Gold a piece and you can easily earn enough through Clay Farming to get the first Backpack Upgrade, or whatever you want to treat yourself to.

About The Author
Paula Vaynshteyn
With her first experience of gaming being on an Atari ST, Paula has been gaming for her entire life. She’s 7,000 hours deep into Final Fantasy XIV, spends more time on cozy games than she would care to admit, and is also your friendly resident Whovian. Juggling online adventuring with family life has its struggles, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
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