These cold porcelain clay recipes are great when you need some clay, and you don’t have any paper or polymer clay! Cold porcelain clay is for a number of crafts, such as adding noses to snowmen or ornaments for your Christmas tree.
Although you can buy air-dried clay in a package, these recipes will save you money. I saw how expensive the air-dried clay is since many are imported. At some point, I would like to experiment, comparing different brands against these homemade clay recipes. There are several different recipes to make this kind of air-dried clay. And each has a different look to it based on the ingredients.
It may take a few tries to get your clay just right. Cooking time can vary. Our first two recipes are cooked in a microwave. Cook at 30-second intervals to avoid overcooking. It will be sticky so you can use some corn starch or body lotion on your hands to help stick less. Be careful. These are hot, so you may need to them cool a minute before you can knead it into a ball.
Recipe # 1:
This may be my favorite method because I don’t have to worry about handling hot clay since this one doesn’t need heating. See how close the above recipe is to this one? Just a little change in ingredients makes it possible.
- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
- 1 cup school glue
- 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil (olive oil) or baby oil
- 1 teaspoon of body lotion
In a large bowl, mix your ingredients together. Stir until it’s thoroughly combined.
It will have a sticky consistency but start to form a shape. Remove your clay mixture from the bowl onto a surface sprinkled with cornstarch. Knead the clay, mixing in a little addition of cornstarch as you go until it forms a smooth ball and stops being sticky.
Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. Like the following two cold porcelain clay recipes, this is meant to be air-dried, not baked.
Recipe # 2:
1/4 cup of each: water, cornstarch, and baking soda.
Mix all your ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring until a ball forms. This happens quickly! Remove it from the pan and mix thoroughly with your hands on a cornstarch surface. Put in plastic wrap and seal in a plastic bag. DO NOT Refrigerate. Air dry; don’t bake.
Recipe #3
This 3rd recipe is also very nice…because my glycerin also contains rosewater, and the cold cream has a soft scent giving the clay smell pretty. This recipe results in quite a bit of “clay.”
- 3/4 cup white glue
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cold cream
- 1 teaspoon glycerin
Mix wet ingredients until smooth over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, and add Cornstarch. Stir constantly until it forms a ball. This doesn’t take long!
Remove from the pan and mix thoroughly with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and seal in a plastic bag. Do Not Refrigerate! ~AIR DRY…don’t bake.
In a large bowl, mix your ingredients together. Stir until it’s thoroughly mixed. It will have a sticky consistency but start to form a shape. Remove your clay mixture from the bowl and onto a surface sprinkled with cornstarch. Knead the clay, mixing in a little addition of corn starch as you go until it forms a smooth ball and stops being sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. Like the other two cold porcelain clay recipes, this clay is meant to be air-dried, not baked.
Final Thoughts
- The first recipe gives you “clay,” which is very dense white in color, while the other recipes have an almost translucent quality, which I really like.
- You can add color with a few drops of acrylic paint. Also, the paint makes the clay more opaque/less translucent.
- Add fragrance to your clay with a few drops of a candle or soap fragrance oil.
- The clay will shrink as it dries over the course of a day or two. Dry time depends on thickness and humidity. Avoid putting it near a cold draft; it can your clay crack.
- When stored in an airtight Ziploc bag, the clay lasts over 2-3 months. I stored mine for at least that long, and it was still like new. I double-bagged it, making sure all the air was out of the bags.
FAQs
Cold Porcelain is air dry clay, predominantly used for flowers. Contrary to what you may expect based on its name, it is flexible to touch when fully dry.
Do you bake cold porcelain clay? ›
Natural Cold Porcelain Clay is a perfect substitute for toxic polymer clay, and it allows for even finer detail and ease of sculpting. It's also incredibly inexpensive and super simple to make. The clay is air-dried so no need for baking, and it dries to a light weight, luminous, stone-like texture.
Does cold porcelain clay crack? ›
* Cold porcelain clays tend to shrink to 15%-30% in size. * Its recommended not to sculpt solid thick pieces as they tend to crack. Envelope thinner sheets around an armature eg squashed ball of aluminium foil or wire armatures padded with aluminum foil or other light-weight materials such as styrofoam or cardboard.
What are the disadvantages of porcelain clay? ›
Porcelain tiles are very dense and difficult to install. We suggest that you seek professional help to do this. As we said before, porcelain tiles are denser and heavier than other types of tiles. The weight of porcelain is one of its negative characteristics.
What is the difference between porcelain and cold porcelain? ›
Cold porcelain is a crafting material most commonly made from cornstarch and white glue, not from porcelain as its name would suggest.
How do you add color to cold porcelain clay? ›
Cold porcelain can be tinted very easily by kneading in a small amount of paint or food colouring. The balls on the left side in the picture were tinted with liquid food colouring, the ones on the right with acrylic craft paint.
How to make cold porcelain clay waterproof? ›
As cold porcelain will absorb slight amounts of moisture and is not entirely waterproof, it may need to be protected from moisture or humidity once thoroughly dry using some type of waterproof acrylic varnish. A thorough coating of acrylic paint over the surface may also act as a protectant.
Is cold porcelain clay air dry? ›
“This DIY air dry clay is as easy as pie to make,” Clay It Now writes of this 'cold porcelain' baking soda clay recipe, “and the results are absolutely fantastic – sturdy & crack free.” Cold porcelain is a clay that resembles the smooth white appearance of traditional porcelain.
How long does it take for cold porcelain clay to dry? ›
How long does it take for Cold Porcelain clay to dry? Cold porcelain requires at least 24 hours to air dry. Items that are thicker than 1/4 inch (6mm) may require much longer.
What is the best glue for cold porcelain clay? ›
The white glue known as "school glue" is not the best quality for cold porcelain, use a glue that has more consistency, like white carpenters glue. Use a Teflon pan and wooden spoon.
Be sure the clay dries in a non-cold, non-humid place and with plenty of air circulation all around. Put it in front of a fan if desired. (Don't put in oven though since too much heating can cause air-dry clays to crack.) Also, the thicker the clay is the longer it'll take to dry (thoroughly).
How do I prevent my cold porcelain from cracking? ›
Do not blow dry your clay with a hair dryer, do not leave near cold air, open window, or draft and do not place pieces in front of a fan. Do not condition your clay with water.
Is cold porcelain clay good? ›
It is fairly soft and does not hold sharp detail although it can be shaped into very thin sections with some transparency. It "frills" and waves easily along fine edges so for the crafting of flower petals in floral miniatures, it works well.
What is the difference between cold porcelain clay and air dry clay? ›
Another distinctive difference between cold porcelain and other air dry clay is the hardness and durability when dried. Cold Porcelain gets very hard when dried. It's as hard as if it was fired in a kiln. Cold porcelain can also be made into thin pieces without breaking.
Is cold porcelain clay durable? ›
Cold porcelain is notable for its exceptional durability and toughness; even thin pieces resist snapping and shattering. However, its glue-based composition, rather than being water-based, makes it more challenging to work with.
What is the difference between cold porcelain and polymer clay? ›
Strength: Cold porcelain clay is weaker and more brittle than polymer clay once it is dry. Polymer clay is stronger and more flexible, and it is less prone to breaking or cracking. Finishing: Cold porcelain clay can be sanded and painted once it is dry, while polymer clay can be sanded, painted, or glazed after baking.
