Q&A for How to Make Homemade Polymer Clay Substitute

Yes, you can. White glue or PVA or PVC or wood glue are all the same. Any thick white glue should work fine.

If you have an oven, you could but it's not necessary. Alternatively, find a very warm spot in the house, such as on the porch or in a windowsill that gets very hot during the day. Or, use a hair dryer on the clay (which will require about an hour, so set the hair dryer up on a stand).

You can but it can result in many cracks in your final product. Cornstarch will give you a much better result.

The clay should be about room temperature. You want to get it into the fridge as soon as possible, but you also don't want it to be too warm. If the clay is too warm, your fridge will use more energy to cool it down. The heat could also cause the plastic wrap to melt.

Citric acid (C6H807) is a low-pH compound commonly found in fruits such as lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits. A chemist/pharmacist is the best source for cleaning and laboratory uses; oranges won't provide you enough for making a homemade polymer clay substitute, at least! Stearic acid (C18H36O2) or Octadecanoic acid is a waxy solid and is often used as a soap, cosmetic, and detergent. Again, check a chemist/pharmacist for a bottle.

It should do. If not, leave it out overnight in a warm and dry environment.

No, this cannot be dried in the microwave.

You could probably add a bit of acrylic paint and knead it into the clay.

No, you should seal it with some sort of spray coating if you want to make it waterproof.

No, only use baby oil. It will be too oily with olive oil, and you won't be able to shape it.

It can, just make sure to put a sealer over it, like modge podge, or even just thick glues.

White vinegar is often substituted for lemon juice. These ingredients help to prevent mold.

If stored in a sealed Ziploc bag, it can last for about a week.

Any oil will work. You can also use Vaseline or petroleum jelly, lotion, or cold cream.

No. Cornstarch is the only kind of flour that will work.

No, because glue and water just results in diluted glue, you need to add fibers of some sort.

Glycerin is a common baking ingredient that you should be able to find in the baking section of the supermarket. Stearic acid you should be able to find it at your local pharmacy.

I have seen people use potato or tapioca starch on YouTube. Try searching for those videos and using one of those methods. (I would recommend the potato starch.)

No, cornstarch is white, but some substitutes for cornstarch like potato starch can sometimes have a yellow hue, depending on where you are buying it from.

You could use any clay, as long as it's nontoxic.

You just have to add a protective top coat.

You can usually find PVA glue at craft stores. You could also find it at most hardware stores.

Yes. It could be used for jewelry. I suggest adding a protective top coat to protect your art.

Corn flour can be yellow or white depending on the type of corn used to make it. Most often it is yellow.

Yes, you can. You can even use arrowroot powder.

It depends on your exact question. You can apply varnish or transparent acrylic paint as a sealer after making your desired shape in porcelain, but if you are asking to make a transparent batch of dough, then that's not possible since your starch is opaque.

You could use any water-protective sealant, or even Mod Podge. If you bake it in the oven afterward, it should become hard and be safer.

No, you could try making it with a rubber spatula.

Yes, it explains in the article.

Lemon juice, though it may make your clay smell like lemons. You could also use salt and vinegar.