Making sculptures with clay is the right activity to practice on rainy days. You can make clay together with your children and then watch them play for hours with this non-toxic and cheap material. Clay that dries in air can even be painted when it is completely dry. Make it from scratch with baking soda and corn starch or try the quick version with vinyl glue. For artistic creations suitable for adults, try cold porcelain, which you can use to make more refined sculptures.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Making Clay Starting from Zero
Step 1. Gather the materials
This recipe for making air-dry clay involves the use of ingredients that you may already have at home. Check the pantry and gather the following materials:
- 2 cups of baking soda
- 1 cup of cornstarch
- 1 and a half cups of cold water
- Food coloring (gel or liquid)
- An old pot
- Kitchen whisk
- Bowl
Step 2. Pour the baking soda and corn starch into the pot
With a spoon or a whisk, mix them together until the mixture is completely blended.
Step 3. Add the water
Stir with a whisk until all lumps are eliminated and the mixture is completely homogeneous.
Step 4. Add the food coloring
Add a few drops of food coloring to change the color of the dough from white to red, blue, green, orange or any other color of your choice. A few drops are enough to obtain a paste of a pastel color. If you want a darker color, add more food coloring until the color suits you.
Step 5. Heat the dough over medium heat
Turn it constantly while it heats to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 6. Turn the dough with the whisk until it hardens
It will begin to boil, then thicken and form a ball after stirring it with a whisk for about five minutes. When it becomes difficult to turn the dough with a whisk, remove the pot from the heat.
Step 7. Let the dough cool
Transfer the hot dough to the bowl. Cover it with a wet tea towel to keep the atmosphere in the bowl moist and let it sit until the dough has cooled completely.
Step 8. Manipulate the dough until it is homogeneous
As you work it, pay attention to the texture. If the dough seems sticky, add more cornstarch to help it thicken. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of water.
Step 9. Shape the dough and let it dry
Build stars, fake food, dinosaurs, Christmas decorations or flowers. Who more has more put! When you're done, dry your creations on a tray.
- This type of clay needs 24/48 hours to dry completely.
- Once dry, you can decorate the object with acrylic colors.
Method 2 of 3: Making Clay with Glue
Step 1. Gather the materials
This quick, no-bake recipe is an easy fix if you don't want to spend too much time making your own clay. You just need to have the following materials available:
- 2 cups of cornstarch
- 1 cup of white vinyl glue
- Food coloring (gel or liquid)
- Bowl
Step 2. Put the cornstarch in the bowl
The right amount to start with is 2 cups. With this simple recipe, you can add cornstarch without any problems: just increase the amount of glue.
Step 3. Add the glue slowly
Pour the glue into the container a little at a time as you mix. Keep adding glue until the mixture reaches a suitable consistency (in the end it should be two-thirds cornstarch and one-third glue).
- If it's too crumbly, add some glue.
- If it's too sticky, add some cornstarch.
Step 4. Color the clay
Add some food coloring to the bowl and work the mixture with your hands. If you want the clay to have a more intense color, add dye until it has the look you want.
If you want to make clay in various colors, divide the compound into two or more parts and color them separately
Step 5. Use clay
Use the molds to play with sand and those for cookies, or free your imagination. When you are satisfied with your product, put it in a cool and dry place to let it harden. In a few hours you can paint it and voila! Here is your personal creation with clay that dries in the air.
Method 3 of 3: Making Cold Porcelain
Step 1. Gather the materials
Cold porcelain is an excellent alternative to polymer clay that dries in the air when it comes to artistic creations such as clay candlesticks, jewelry and other small sculpted objects. It is a delicate clay that shrinks slightly when it dries. Here's what you'll need:
- 1 cup of cornstarch
- 1 cup of PVAc glue
- 2 teaspoons of white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of canola oil
- Food film
- Bowl suitable for microwave cooking
- Additional oil to prevent the clay from sticking to the hands
Step 2. Place the ingredients in the microwave bowl
First add the wet ingredients: glue, vinegar and canola oil. Subsequently, add cornstarch until the mixture is completely blended and free of lumps. The consistency will be sticky.
Step 3. Put everything in the microwave on high power for 15 seconds
Remove the bowl and flip the mixture, which will be hot and still sticky.
Step 4. Put everything in the microwave on high power for another 15 seconds
Remove the bowl and mix the mixture. The surface should now be slightly firm rather than tacky.
Step 5. Put everything in the microwave on high power for the third time
Leave the mixture in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the bowl and check. The clay should have thickened and formed a sticky and lumpy ball.
If the clay still seems sticky, put it in the microwave for another 15 seconds. The finished product should still be sticky and pliable, otherwise it has been overcooked if it appears dry
Step 6. Model the clay
After leaving it to dry for a few minutes, grease your hands with cooking oil and manipulate the clay for about three minutes until you have a homogeneous and elastic consistency. Give the clay the shape of a ball, then tear it up to try it out. The dough is ready when it stretches and forms a point when a piece is pulled off. If it breaks into small pieces, it means it has been cooked for too long.
Step 7. Wrap the clay in cling film to preserve it
If you are not going to use it right away, keep it wrapped tightly in cling film to keep the moisture content high.
Advice
- Add food coloring to the mixture if you want the clay to be colored!
- Wait patiently for your creation to dry. The larger the object, the longer it will take to dry.
- Clean your kitchen worktop as soon as you're done to prevent bits of cornstarch and glue from sticking to it.
- When it dries, it hardens and could crack and break.
