Make Clay

There are many ways you can make clay, and each way will give you a different type of clay. You can make clays that need to be baked in the oven and clays that dry on their own. You can even make clays that never dry out. This article will show you many different ways in which you can make clay.

Ingredients

Ingredients for No-Bake Clay[1]

  • 1 cup (225 milliliters) water
  • 4 cups (560 grams) flour
  • 2 – 4 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 ½ cups (420 grams) salt
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Glitter (optional)

Ingredients for Salt-based Clay[2]

  • 1 cup (280 grams) salt
  • 1 cup (140 grams) flour
  • ½ cup (112.50 milliliters) warm water

Ingredients for Cornstarch-based Clay[3]

  • 1 cup (180 grams) baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • ½ cup (65 grams) cornstarch (cornflour)
  • ¾ cup (168.75 milliliters) warm water

Ingredients for Cold Porcelain Clay[4]

  • 1 cup (225 milliliters) white glue
  • 1 cup (125 grams) cornstarch (cornflour)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon baby oil

Ingredients for Oil-based Clay[5]

  • 1 sheet beeswax (8.5x11 inches or A4-sized)
  • 4 tablespoons petroleum jelly
  • 6 teaspoons baby oil
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • ¾ cup (135 grams) limestone powder (calcium hydroxide)

Steps

Making Cold Porcelain Clay

  1. Place a pot on a stove and add the cornstarch. You will need 1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch. If you do not have access to a stove, you can use a microwave instead. Find a microwave-safe bowl and fill it with 1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch.
  2. Add the wet ingredients and mix. You will need 1 cup (225 milliliters) of white glue, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of baby oil. Mix everything together with a spoon or whisk.
    • The lemon juice acts as a preservative, which is important if you don't plan on using your clay all at once.[6] If you do not have lemon juice, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar instead.[7]
  3. Turn on the stove and heat the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken and come away from the sides of the pot.
    • If you are using a microwave, mix everything together first until you have achieved a paste-like consistency, then put the bowl into the microwave and heat it 1 minute and 30 seconds. Pause the microwave every 30 seconds and stir the contents before continuing to heat.[4]
  4. Take the pot off the stove and let it cool to touch. If you are using a microwave, take the bowl out of the microwave and give the mixture one final stir. Let the dough cool enough so that you can touch it without scalding yourself.
  5. Transfer the dough onto a flat surface and knead. To prevent the dough from sticking, dust the surface you will be working on with cornstarch. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth.
  6. Consider adding some color to your clay. You can either paint the clay once it has dried, or you can mix some color into it. Add a few drops of food coloring or acrylic paint and knead the clay until you get an even color.
  7. Let the clay cure. Before you can use the clay, roll it up into a ball and tuck it into a plastic, resealable bag. Zip the bag close tightly and let it sit in a cool place overnight.
  8. Sculpt with the clay. The clay will be ready to use the following day. You can sculpt with it and let it air dry. If you didn't color the clay, wait until it dries before painting it with acrylic paint. This clay does not need to be baked.
    • Consider massaging some cold cream onto your hands before working with the clay. This will help prevent sticking.[8]
    • If your clay starts to dry out, you can knead a little bit of cold cream into it to soften it up again.[8]

Making No-Bake Clay

  1. Find a large bowl and add the salt and flour. You will need 4 cups (560 grams) of flour and 1 ½ cups (420 grams) of salt. If you wish to add some glitter, you can do so now. You can use fine, scrapbooking glitter or chunky, craft glitter, but the fine glitter will be easier to mix. You can add as much or as little glitter as you like.
  2. Consider making some colored clay. Before you add the water to the flour and salt, you will need to decide whether or not you want your clay to be colored. If you want some colored clay, add a few drops of food coloring to the water and stir it with a spoon to mix it all together.
  3. Pour the water into the salt and flour, and mix. You will need 1 cup (225 milliliters) of water. Stir the mixture until everything is just combined into a dough-like texture.
  4. Add some cooking oil. The cooking oil will help make the clay soft and prevent it from becoming crumbly.[1] You will need 2 to 4 tablespoons, depending on how dry and crumbly your clay is.
  5. Knead the dough. Using your hands, press, squish, and knead the mixture until it turns into a dough. If it is still too dry, add a little bit more cooking oil.
  6. Play with the clay. You can use this clay to make fun shapes again and again.
  7. Store the dough properly. If you want to play with this clay later, put it inside an air-tight container. You can also sculpt a figurine and let the clay dry completely overnight.

Making Salt-based Clay

  1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You will need 1 cup (280 grams) of salt and 1 cup (140 grams) of flour. If you wish to add glitter to your clay, you can do so now. Start with 1 teaspoon of glitter. You can use fine, scrapbooking glitter or chunky, craft glitter, but the fine glitter will be easier to blend. Pour everything into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  2. Measure out the water. You will need ½ cup (112.50 milliliters) of warm water. If you wish make colored dough, you can add a few drops of food coloring into the water at this point.
  3. Pour the water into the salt and flour, and knead. Keep kneading until you have achieved a smooth, dough-like texture.
    • If the dough is too dry, add a little bit more water.
    • If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour.
  4. Transfer the clay onto a flat surface. Your clay is now ready to use. You can sculpt little figurines out of it, or roll it out and make ornaments out of it.
  5. Consider making some ornaments or keepsakes with the dough. Start by rolling your clay out flat using a rolling pin. Cut your clay into shapes using a craft knife, a cookie cutter, or a drinking glass. If you wish to hang the ornament, poke a hole near the top of the shape using a drinking straw or a toothpick.
    • Salt dough can make great keepsakes. Press your child's foot or hand into the dough until there is an imprint.
  6. Consider baking the dough. Transfer your creations onto a baking sheet and bake them in your oven at 212°F (100°C) for three hours. If the dough still hasn't hardened, flip the item over, and bake it for two more hours.[2]

Making Cornstarch-based Clay

  1. Measure out the baking soda and cornstarch, and add them to a pot. You will need 1 cup (180 grams) of baking soda and ½ cup (65 grams) of cornstarch. This clay will need to be heated over a stove, so adult supervision is recommended. You do not need to bake this clay, but you will need to finish your piece the same day you have made the clay.
  2. Pour some water into the pot and mix. You will need ¾ cup (168.75 milliliters) of warm water. Stir everything with a whisk until there are no more lumps or clumps.
    • Consider adding some fine, white or iridescent scrapbooking glitter. Start with 1 teaspoon at a time until it is as glittery as you want it to be.
  3. Place the pot on a stove and heat the mixture. Stir your mixture, and do not let it come to a boil. It will start to thicken and become sauce-like.
  4. Take the pot off the stove once the clay is ready and allow it to cool. The clay is ready when it becomes very thick, like mashed potatoes. Let the dough cool long enough so that you can touch it without burning yourself.
  5. Transfer the clay onto a flat surface. Your dough is now ready to be formed. You can sculpt little figurines out of it, or roll it out flat and make ornaments.
  6. Consider making some ornaments. Because this clay dries white, it can be used to make some beautiful ornaments. Roll the dough out until it is about ½ to 1 centimeter thick,[3] and cut it into shapes using a craft knife, a cookie cutter, or a drinking glass. Pock a hole near the top of the ornament using a drinking straw or a craft knife.
  7. Let the clay dry overnight. The next day, the clay will be a bright white color.

Making Oil-based clay

  1. Assemble a Use a Double Boiler. Fill a large pot with 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of water. Place a large bowl on top of the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water. Turn the stove on and let the water come to a boil. Lower the heat and let the water simmer.
  2. Wrap a sheet of aluminum foil around a baking sheet. You will need this as soon as your finish heating the clay.
  3. Melt the beeswax in the double boiler. Break the sheet of beeswax into smaller pieces. This will help the beeswax melt faster. Place the pieces into the bowl and heat until the wax is completely liquid and translucent. The beeswax will prevent the clay from ever drying out, making it similar to plasticine.
  4. Add the limestone powder and stir. Slowly pour ¾ cup (135 grams) of limestone powder into the wax. The mixture will be a little lumpy, so you will need to stir it until all of the lumps and clumps disappear.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir again. You will need 4 tablespoons of petroleum jelly, 6 teaspoons of baby oil, and 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Stir the mixture for 30 seconds.
  6. Consider adding some color to your clay. The clay will will be dull tan color once you finish making it. You can make it more colorful by adding in 1 tablespoon of powdered color pigment to the mixture and stirring to combine it.[5]
  7. Immediately transfer the mixture to the baking sheet. Once the 30 seconds have passed, take the bowl off of the pot and pour the mixture into the baking sheet. It will start to harden quickly.
  8. Let the mixture harden and test the texture. The clay will start to harden after about 10 minutes. During this time, you can test the texture and add more ingredients to resolve any issues.
    • If the texture is too crumbly, add in some more oil and stir to combine it. The oil will help soften the clay and make it less dry.
    • If the clay is too hard, transfer it back to the double boiler and let it soften. Add more of the oils and limestone powder.
  9. Wait for the clay to become firm before using it. Because the clay is made from oils and wax, it will never dry out or completely harden. Once it cools, you can take it off the tray and sculpt with it.
  10. Store the clay properly when you are not using it. Although the clay will not dry out or harden like most other clays, it can still collect dust and dirt. Keep your clay looking clean by wrapping it in plastic wrap, sticking it in a plastic bag, or storing it in an air-tight container. Keep the clay in a cool place, as heat may cause it to soften and become sticky.



Tips

  • If you are not going to use your clay all in one day, put it in an air-tight container and store it in a cool place. Keep in mind that some o these clays are perishable and will rot after some time.
  • Stir the mixture every 15-30 seconds to avoid burning/cooking the clay for too long. If you are using a microwave heat in 30-second intervals stirring between each interval.
  • Add some sparkle to your clay with glitter.
  • If the clay is too dry, add a bit of water, cooking oil, or cold cream (depending on what the liquid is in the recipe).
  • If the clay is too wet, add a bit of flour or cornstarch (depending on what the base of the clay is).
  • Change the color of your clay with a few drops of food coloring.

Warnings

  • Never leave your stove, oven, or microwave unattended.
  • If using a microwave, watch your mixture carefully. Every microwave is different and yours may require a much shorter cooking time.
  • Do not use the same pots, bowls, and utensils that you used to make your clay out of for cooking and baking.

Things You'll Need

  • Mixing bowls or pots
  • Whisks and spoons
  • Rolling pins
  • Air-tight containers
  • Baking sheet and foil

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 PBS Parents, No Bake Play Dough
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Imagination Tree, Salt Dough Footprint Keepsakes
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Imagination Tree, White Clay Snowflake Ornaments
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mashia Crafts, How to Make Cold Porcelain
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Instructables, Homemade Oil-based Modeling Clay
  6. ↑ Craft Me Happy, Making Cold Porcelain
  7. ↑ Monica la Porta, http://monicalaporta.com/2012/01/17/amazing-modeling-dough/ vinegar Amazing Dough]
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cynthia Howe Miniatures, Cold Porcelain Recipe

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