How to make clay at home as an alternative to polymers

Tired of running to the craft store to buy expensive ppymer clay? This article will show you how to make your own clay substitute for the store-bought ppymer. However, you should note that homemade clay will not be exactly the same as the commercially available product.

Table of Contents

Make clay with glue and cornstarch

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Use this recipe to make your own clay at home. This clay has a similar texture to the ppymer clay from the store but can shrink a bit (ppymer clay does not). This effect is small, but you need to keep this in mind when using clay to make some models, and consider testing a small sample first to estimate the shrinkage of the clay when molding.

You need to make the clay model bigger so that when it shrinks it becomes the right size.

Pour 3/4 cup glue and 1 cup cornstarch into the nonstick pot. You can place the pot on the counter or directly on the stove, but do not open the stove. Stir both ingredients.

Using PVA wood glue is most effective for this recipe, although the regular milk glue that children use is equally effective. However, milk glue will make the clay softer than the kind made from wood glue.

Add 2 tablespoons of mineral oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the glue and cornstarch mixture. Stir all ingredients. If you can’t find pure mineral oil, use crude oil (petrpeum oil, not wax) or baby oil instead.

If you want, you can add food coloring or acrylic paint to the mix right at this step to create color. Be careful not to add too much paint as this will change the texture of the clay. If you want a vivid color then just paint over the clay model you created.

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Place the pot on the stove. Heat the mixture over low heat. When boiling the mixture, stir well with your hands to move the ingredients around the pot. Do not let the mixture stand still as this will affect the overall texture of the clay.

Continue stirring the mixture until it has a texture similar to mashed potatoes. When you have a mixture like mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat and place it on a cool flat surface.

You can place pot pads or towels on the kitchen counter to protect the counter surface.

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Add some mineral oil to the soft clay. The oil will make your hands greasy when kneading the clay so the ingredients don’t stick to your hands.

Put the clay on the kitchen counter for easy handling and kneading. You should do this while the clay is still hot but at a level that your hands can handle.

You can also use rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Knead until the clay is smooth. You will need to knead the clay to a pizza dough-like texture that is thoroughly and evenly kneaded. Roll the clay into round balls when finished.

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Store the finished clay in a zippered freezer bag that can be used in the refrigerator. To keep the clay fresh and not harden, you should remove some air from the bag before storing.

If the clay is still warm, you should not seal it when you put it in the bag. Wait until the clay has cooled completely before zipping and storing.

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Use clay to create models. Now you have the clay and can use it to create any shape you want. When making clay, you should apply some hand cream to easily make the clay smooth.

Let the clay model dry for at least 24 hours or longer if it is still wet.
Paint your favorite color on the clay. Using Tempera paint and other paints is also very effective.
You should also paint in the areas that you want to keep white because the clay will have some transparency if you don’t paint it.

Make clay with glue and glycerin

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Use this recipe to make your own ppymer clay that won’t crack. This recipe has a high percentage of glue, which gives the clay a stickiness but won’t crack. In addition, glycerin is added to reduce the possibility of cracking of the finished clay.

The clay made with this recipe also dries faster, taking only about 30 minutes.
However, once done, you will need to wait at least 1 night and preferably 1 week to be able to use the clay. This way, the clay will be less sticky.

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Wear old clothes or wear an apron. You will keep your clothes clean throughout the process.

Mix water and glue in a nonstick pot and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes. Stir ½ cup water with 2 cups PVA wood glue in a nonstick pot. Always stir the mixture during the cooking process and remove the pot from the heat after boiling for about 2 minutes.

You can use baby milk glue, but wood glue works best with this recipe because it’s stronger.

Stir cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in small bowl and pour into pot. Put the cornstarch and water in a bowl and pour into the pot of the glue mixture that has just come to a boil. Stir all ingredients.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap while waiting for it to cool.
If using food coloring, you can add 1 to 2 drops or adjust to the color you want. Or you can paint the color after the clay dries.

Sprinkle cornmeal on the clay surface. Remove the dough from the pot and knead it thoroughly. Continue kneading and adding cornstarch until the dough is less sticky.

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Stop kneading when the clay is smooth and pliable. The purpose of kneading is to add the gluten in the cornstarch to the dough. Now the dough is ready to use.

Store the clay in an airtight bag so it doesn’t dry out. Put the clay in a bag so it doesn’t dry out while you wait until you can use it.

Make hard clay

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Use this recipe to make hard clay. You will need more materials, but the creation will have a clay so hard that even when dropped from a height of 1 meter, it will not break. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Mix ingredients, except cornstarch, in a nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Mix 1 cup PVA glue, 1/2 tablespoon stearin (stearic acid), 1.5 tablespoons glycerin, 1.5 tablespoons Vaseline cream, and 1/2 tablespoon citric acid in a nonstick saucepan and cook over low heat. Stir all ingredients.

Use the lowest heat to cook the mixture.

Add a little cornstarch at a time to the mixture and keep stirring. Add 1/2 cup cornstarch to the mixture a little at a time, always stirring. Add only a little cornstarch at a time so the mixture doesn’t clump. Continue stirring the clay mixture until you can remove it from the pot.

The dough will be sticky at first, then get heavier and harder to stir, but you’ll still have to keep stirring until you can easily remove it from the pot.

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Knead the clay for about 20 minutes. Place the clay on a table lined with non-stick paper (like stencils). The clay will be hot, slightly sticky and not yet smooth. Knead the clay for about 20 minutes until the dough is no longer lumpy and the clay becomes smooth, no longer sticky.

Let the clay cool for a few minutes if it’s still hot after you’re done kneading.

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Store the clay in a sealed plastic bag. Store the clay in an airtight plastic bag so it doesn’t dry out before use. You just need to push all the air out before closing the bag tightly. Use the clay to shape any shape you like and add acrylic paint.

Making clay Pasta Francesa

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This is the traditional Latin American clay recipe. This recipe is very popular in Latin America and is very effective for making clay. Many recipes call for 10% formaldehyde or formalin, but with this recipe, it’s safer and non-toxic to replace it with white vinegar. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Mix cornstarch, water, and glue in a non-stick saucepan. First, mix 1 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water in a non-stick saucepan and cook over low heat until the flour is completely dissolved. When the cornstarch has dissolved, add 1 cup of glue and stir well.

Add glycerin, cold cream, and vinegar to the pot and stir well. Add 1.5 tablespoons of glycerin, 1.5 tablespoons of cold cream with lanpine, and 1.5 tablespoons of white vinegar to the pot. Continue to cook on low heat and stir with your hands until the ingredients become a thick paste that no longer sticks to the pot.

Be careful not to cook too long for the dough to harden.
Glycerin is a common baking ingredient that you can find at the grocery store counter.
Buy cold cream with lanpin at the cosmetic store.

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Apply lotion to your hands to knead the dough. Let the dough cool by covering with a damp towel. You should knead the dough until smooth. Thus, you have clay to mold into different shapes.

Let the models you create dry completely after about 3 days.
Oil or acrylic paints can be used to paint the models once they have dried.

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Store the clay in a plastic bag. Use a plastic bag to store the clay and store it in a shady place.

Tips

Store dry clay in an airtight container or bag when not in use as the clay will dry and harden when exposed to air.
Have the clay ready before your child needs it to make the model. Non-toxic, easy-to-shape clay is most suitable for young children.
Wait at least 3 days for the clay to dry completely before painting. Some clays will dry faster, especially when it’s not too thick. The clay will dry quickly when you place it in a warm, dry place and in front of a fan. However, using the oven will cause the clay to dry too quickly, causing it to crack.
Clay from cornmeal is often called “cold porcelain”. Some of these clays are store-bought, but you can also make your own at home. Alternatively, you can also make your own cold porcelain in the microwave.

Things you need

Method 1 :

About cup regular milk glue (non-toxic, commonly used in schools)
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons mineral oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Non-stick pot (you can use any nonstick pot, but if you don’t have one, you can use nonstick spray on the bottom and sides of the pot to keep ingredients from sticking)
Wooden spoon

Method 2 :

3/4 cup water
2 cups PVA gỗ wood glue
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons glycerin
Food coloring (optional)

Method 3 :

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup ppyvinyl acetate glue or PVA wood glue
1/2 cup water
1.5 tablespoons glycerin
1.5 tablespoons cold cream with lanpin
1.5 tablespoons white vinegar

Method 4

1 cup PVA wood glue or milk glue
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tablespoon stearin (stearic acid)
1.5 tablespoons glycerin
1.5 tablespoons Vaseline
1/2 tablespoon citric acid

Steps