How to Make Clay At Home for Pottery?
Clay is a valuable natural material in numerous decorative arts, such as pottery and ceramics. However, buying this sediment in a store can be costly, and going to nature to find it is time-consuming. Therefore, the alternative is to make clay at home, but how to make Clay at home for Pottery?
To make clay at home, you will need three basic ingredients, which your household already contains: salt, flour, and water. If you wish to experiment more, you can add other ingredients such as oil, cornstarch, or glue. The basic recipe will provide you with clay that molds and dries out easily!
Although making clay is relatively simple with the right recipe, I will also help you learn how to make clay that hardens and salt dough clay. Make sure to stick around to find out how to make high-quality clay instead of wasting your time!
How to Make Clay At Home for Pottery?
Clay is undoubtedly one of the oldest materials of its kind, and making it at home is not only fun but educational and economical as well! Making and modeling clay stimulates children’s brains to get more creative. However, adults enjoy taking part in such activities, too.
If you decide to make clay with the primary ingredients, make sure to use the correct measurements! To put together high-quality clay using cornstarch, salt, and water, you will need a saucepan as well. To get the perfect density, use one cup of cornstarch, two cups of salt, and some water.
Although using the right ingredients is of great importance, you will also need to follow the recipe. Firstly, put together salt and half a cup of water and stir it on a hot stove for 5 minutes. Then, move the pan from the stove, and add cornstarch and 2/3 cups of water into the mixture. Put the pan back on the stove and stir until you get the desired density.
Some Easy Ways For You To Make Your Own Clay!
Apart from the elementary recipe that I mentioned in the previous section, there are some other simple clay recipes. If you want to make timeless clay, you might want to add some glue to the mixture! I also recommend adding some vinegar to make the dough more durable. This will help you avoid cracks later on, but make sure to try it properly in the open air.
In case you do not have any glue around the house, baking soda is another excellent option. Here, you do not have to use any oil, just one cup of corn starch, one and a half cups of water, and two cups of baking soda. Mix them and stir until you get the consistency that you want.
Another popular type of clay is soft dough clay. This is a material that is mushy and moisturized, which makes it easier to mold. To make soft dough clay, you will need only two ingredients. Mix cornstarch and hair conditioner and stir it. When you get the desired consistency, knead the mixture for a few minutes, and it will be ready for use.
Ensure that you have put in enough conditioner because you do not want to make it feel like sand and fall apart. This recipe is great because you can modify it at all times. If the mixture is too dense, add conditioner, and if it is too soft, add more cornstarch.
A fun tip that you can use when making clay with your children is to add some food coloring to the mixture. Doing this will not ruin its density, but it will give you more options when you eventually model the clay. Additionally, make sure you do not overcook the clay, as this is one of the few problems you can run into with these recipes.
How Do You Make Homemade Clay That Hardens?
Once you finish making and modeling clay, you want your sculpture or a piece of pottery to dry and keep its shape. When your piece is done, you will be able to paint it and add final touches. However, not all types of clay are self-hardening.
For example, plastic clay will harden in the air, whereas you must bake polymer clay in an oven at a specific temperature. As I listed some recipes above, you should also know that those are for plastic clay. It will take about a day for your homemade clay to dry if exposed to open air.
On the other hand, make sure to store your home-crafted clay in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag. If not stored properly, you will not be able to use it as a material again. For this reason, some people opt for polymer clay as it only hardens when exposed to hot air. You can harden polymer clay in an oven, using a hairdryer, a heat gun, etc.
How To Make Salt Dough Clay?
Salt dough clay, as the name suggests, is a material that you can make using salt. It is especially popular among children as you can use it to create different shapes and ornaments. You can be creative with only 3 ingredients that you already have in your house!
All that you are going to need to make this type of clay is salt, water, and flour. Use one cup of salt, two cups of flour, and less than a full glass of water! Mix everything, stir until it combines, and then knead until you get the desired consistency.
Salt dough clay will be ready, and you can start molding your ornaments right after you make the dough. Once you finish your product, you need to put it in the oven to bake at 180C. You need to bake your product depending on the size, but you will notice when it hardens.
However, you can air-dry soft dough clay as well. This option might be more time-consuming, and you will not be able to decorate immediately. Whichever solution you choose, you can paint your clay as soon as it hardens. You can also store the clay in an air-tight container for later use!
