Cold porcelain is not actually porcelain, but it is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Once it's ready, you can craft whatever you want. Let your creativity run free!
Ingredients
- A cup of cornstarch
- A cup of white or clear glue
- 2 tablespoons of baby oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of lime or lime juice or vinegar
- Moisturizer (optional)
Steps
Part 1 of 3: use a microwave oven
Step 1. Mix the cornstarch and glue
Pour a cup of cornstarch and a cup of white glue into a microwaveable container and mix them together.
Step 2. Add the other liquids
Stir two tablespoons of baby oil and two tablespoons of lemon juice into the mixture. You will find other products that you can use in the list of ingredients at the beginning of the article. Mix all the ingredients until the whole is perfectly homogeneous and there are no lumps.
Lemon juice is not essential for texture, but it is advisable to use it, as it prevents mold growth
Step 3. Heat the mixture
Heat it in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring at each interval. Depending on the power of your appliance, it will take about three to nine shots of 15 seconds for the preparation to be hot enough.
- The mixture will agglomerate on heating. Stir it and try to incorporate as many lumps as possible at each interval.
- When the dough is sticky and comes together a lot, it is ready. You will be able to identify the right consistency more easily after seeing the result of your first try.
- It is better if the mixture is undercooked rather than overcooked, because if you do not heat it enough, you will be able to adjust it more easily.
Step 4. Apply moisturizer
Put some on your hands and a clean surface for kneading. It will prevent the dough from sticking. You can prepare the work surface while you heat the mixture.
Step 5. Knead the dough
As soon as it has the right consistency, take it out of the container and start kneading it on the prepared surface. Continue until it cools.
Usually, it takes 10 to 15 minutes for the preparation to reach room temperature. Knead it all this time
Step 6. Let it sit
Wrap the cold porcelain tightly in stretch film so that it is completely air-protected and let it sit in a cool, dry place for 24 hours.
- You can coat the film with moisturizer to prevent it from sticking.
- To make an airtight package easily, shape a sausage with the dough, wrap the film around and twist its ends on themselves.
- The refrigerator is perfect for resting the mixture, but any place out of direct sunlight, heat and humidity is fine.
Step 7. Check the consistency
After allowing the dough to rest for 24 hours, unwrap it and examine the result. It should now be ready to use.
- Take a piece and gently tear it apart. If it takes on a drop shape as it stretches and breaks, the mixture is well done.
- If the preparation is sticky inside, stir in a little more cornstarch while kneading the dough.
- If the cold porcelain is dry or brittle, it has probably been overcooked. You can try to incorporate a little oil or prepare an undercooked dough then mix the two preparations.
Part 2 of 3: using a stove
Step 1. Mix the ingredients
Pour a cup of cornstarch, a cup of white glue, two tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a saucepan and mix them together.
Step 2. Heat the mixture
Heat it over low heat, stirring it for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. It should look like ricotta when ready.
Step 3. Knead the dough
Wait for it to cool enough so that you can touch it without burning yourself, then knead it constantly until it reaches room temperature.
Step 4. Let it sit
Put it in a plastic bag with zip closure or wrap it in stretch film and put it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Step 5. Use it
After letting it sit for 24 hours, you can adjust its consistency by incorporating oil (if it's too dry) or cornstarch (if it's too sticky).
Part 3 of 3: shaping cold porcelain
Step 1. Stir in paint
If you want to color cold porcelain, add acrylic or oil paint and knead the dough until the color is evenly distributed before starting.
You can add paint when kneading for the first time, but cold porcelain will last less
Step 2. Knead the dough
Each time you use a new piece, knead it first to make it more elastic.
Step 3. Shape the desired shape
If the cold porcelain is well made and well kneaded, you will be able to model it easily and achieve complex shapes.
Step 4. Attach pieces
To tie two soft pieces together, press them together and run your wet finger over the part where they meet to smooth it out.
If you want to attach pieces that are already dry, you can glue them together with white glue
Step 5. Use a stand
Choose a base for large shapes. Cold porcelain shrinks a lot as it dries and if you make a very large object it may not dry completely inside. Instead, cover another material with a layer of dough.
Step 6. Let the object dry
It is not necessary to cook cold porcelain after shaping it. It will harden naturally in the open.
The drying time required depends on the size of the sculpture, the temperature and the ambient humidity. Check the result regularly until the cold porcelain is hard
Step 7. Varnish the sculpture
If it is not protected, it may melt from heat or humidity. Even once varnished, it is advisable to keep it in a cool and dry place.
There are all kinds of varnishes with matte or glossy finishes formulated for clay. If you want a simple transparent product, use clear acrylic varnish
Advice
- Keep cold porcelain that you are not using in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- To repair a cracked object, mix equal volumes of white glue and water and spread the mixture over the crack with your fingers.
- You can use cold, lightly baked porcelain with a frosting consistency to decorate cake and cupcake sculptures.
- If you plan to make cold porcelain more than once, you can purchase pots, utensils, etc. which will only be used for this in order to avoid any danger.
- Cold porcelain is safe for children to use as long as the paint it contains is not toxic.
Warnings
- Preparing cold porcelain stains used bowls, utensils and pots. Clean them before the mixture dries on their surface and do not use expensive kitchen equipment.
- You absolutely must use cornstarch. Do not use flour or any other type of starch.
- The dough will be very hot when cooked.
