How to Make Self-Dry Japanese Clay

Self-drying clay isn’t actually made from clay, but it’s also cheap and easy to make. If you want to learn how to make self-drying clay, read this wikiHow article to get started.

Table of Contents

Ingredient

1 cup (120 g) cornstarch or cornmeal
1 cup (240 ml) milk glue or clear glue
2 tablespoons (30 ml) baby oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice or vinegar
Lotion (optional)

Use the microwave

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Mix 1 cup (120 g) of cornstarch and 1 cup (240 ml) of colloidal milk. Mix in a microwaveable bowl.

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Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of baby oil and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice. You can substitute with other ingredients listed above. Mix until the mixture is no longer lumpy.

Lemon juice isn’t essential to the texture of the mix, but you really should, as it helps prevent mold.

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Alternately heat and stir the mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time. Microwave the mixture for 15 seconds at a time, stirring between batches. Depending on the power of the microwave, this step takes about 3-5 times, 15 seconds each time. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The mixture will start to clump when heated. You should try to stir as thoroughly as possible between microwaves.
When the mixture becomes sticky and messy, that’s it. You will be more recognizable after doing it once.
It is better to boil the heat a little bit than to overheat, because that will be easier to cure.

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Apply lotion to your hands and the clay kneading table. Lotion will help prevent stickiness. You can take advantage of the time to prepare the work surface while heating the mixture in the microwave.

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Knead the mixture until cool. Remove the hot dough from the bowl and start kneading.

Usually it will take 10-15 for the mixture to cool to room temperature. You need to knead the dough during this time.

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Cover the mixture and let it sit for 24 hours. Use plastic wrap to seal the self-drying clay mixture. Store in a cool and dry place for 24 hours.

You can rub lotion on food wrap to prevent sticking.
For easy wrapping, you should shape the mixture into a log shape and wrap the wrapper around, then twist at the ends.
The refrigerator is a good place to store the mixture, but anywhere without direct sunlight, high heat, and humidity will do.

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Check the texture of the mixture. After a day of letting it sit, take out the dry clay and see how it goes. Now is the time to use it.

Gently pinch a piece of clay. A satisfactory batch of clay will form a teardrop shape, as it stretches and loosens. ^{[2] X Research Source}
If the inside looks sticky, you need to knead more cornstarch.
If the inside is crispy and dry, you’ve probably overcooked it. You can try adding a little more oil or make another batch with a lighter flame and knead the two batches together.

Using the kitchen

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Mix ingredients in saucepan. Place 1 cup (120 g) cornstarch or cornstarch, 1 cup (240 ml) milk glue, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

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Stir the mixture over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Lift the pan when the mixture starts to come off the sides of the pan. When it’s done cooking, the mixture looks like cottage cheese.

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Knead the mixture until cool. Wait a bit for the mixture to cool down so it can be handled and knead continuously until it reaches room temperature.

Self-drying clay

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Knead the clay with oil or acrylic colors. ^{[3] X Research Source} If you are interested in modeling colored clay, you can knead the color of your choice into the clay thoroughly before you start molding.

You can add color when kneading the dough for the first time when making clay, but this will reduce the durability of the clay.

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Knead each piece of clay before molding. Each time you use a new piece of clay, you should knead the clay to increase its elasticity.

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Shape the clay into the desired shape. Well-kneaded and well-kneaded dry clay is easy to mold and can create intricate shapes.

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Use water to attach pieces of clay. To stick two pieces of clay together, press them together and run your fingers down the seam.

Pieces of dry clay can be held together with ordinary glue.

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Use cores for large pieces of clay. Self-drying clay will shrink considerably as it dries, and large pieces may not dry inside. Instead, wrap a layer of clay over another material.

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Wait for the finished product to dry. Self-drying clay does not require heating and will harden simply by exposing it to air.

The drying time depends largely on the size of the statue, the temperature and humidity of the air. You should check it from time to time until it hardens.

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Apply a protective layer of self-drying clay. Without a protective coating, your work will easily “melt” when exposed to heat or water. However, you should still keep the covered statue in a cool, dry place when possible. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

There are many types of clay coatings and paints available in glossy or matte finishes. Clear acrylic coating is a simple choice.

Advice

Store unused clay in a cool, dry and airtight place.
To repair cracks on self-drying clay figurines, you can mix milk glue with water in a ratio of 1:1 and use your fingers to rub this mixture on the cracks.
You can use self-drying clay to create textures like a cake frosting to decorate cakes made with self-drying clay.
If you plan to make the clay dry on its own many times, you should purchase a separate pot and tool specifically for making clay for safety.
Self-drying clay is safe for children, as long as the paint color is non-toxic.

Warning

The drying process of clay will stain pots and pans. Remember to rinse everything well before the mixture dries, and don’t use too fancy tools.
You must use cornstarch or cornstarch. Wheat flour or any other starch cannot be used.
Clay will be very hot after heating.

Things you need

Bowl can be used in the microwave
Mixing tools
Food wrap
Microwave or saucepan