Q&A for How to Make Modelling Clay at Home

Make a small ball of clay that you don't need and let it soak in a cup on water for a few minutes. If you take it out and it either crumbles or becomes malleable again, it is not waterproof.

No, it smells perfectly good. If you want it to smell better, add natural oil.

The best type of surface to mold clay is a cold or cool tile.

Well, the glue won't make it shine, but you can use clear glue to seal it, like Mod Podge.

Yes. The article advises you to in step five.

It depends on your clay recipe. I used dish washing soap and it turned blue, so you could try this.

You can use baking soda. You can also browse the internet to find more substitution options if that doesn't work.

Most modeling clay does; it is advisable to use the clay as quickly as you can (i.e. within two weeks-one month) to prevent it from hardening and becoming unusable.

Pour glitter over it, press it a little, insert a wire loop through it, and bake it to get a beautiful pendant.

The second one is best. Use a little more flour, and use it like normal pottery.

Find a toy car or drawing of a car and use it to shape and model your car.

It depends how deep you want the color. If you want subtle, use 4-5 drops. If you want it vibrant, 10-12 drops.

Yes, you can!

Yes, you can use flour to replace cornstarch.

As with any chemistry, including baking, it’s really the ratios that matter, not the measurements. Measuring is just a handy way of verifying your ratios, so halving, quartering, or doubling should all be fine as long as you do the same to all of the core ingredients.

Yes, you can use a wire model in any shape that you would put inside the clay to make your sculpture stay upright.

It really depends. If you don't store it in an airtight container, it will go hard overnight, but if you do store it properly, your clay should stay soft for about a month or two.

White flour is the best. Don't use wholegrain flour, otherwise it will be grainy and will crack.

Not really, but it is really handy. You can use play dough, pottery clay, or salt dough instead of using modeling clay. Look above or browse the internet for more useful recipes.

No you have to get air drying clay because Play Doh will crack.

You sure can. It will work exactly the same as fresh flour. Making clay is a great way to use up outdated flour.

I use Ziplock bags to store mine. Be sure to flatten it as much as possible so you don't trap air inside the bag, which dries it out. Keep away from heat and direct sunlight and store in a cool dry place. If it stiffens before your next use, just add a few drops of water at a time and knead it to re-soften.

When I use any DIY recipe, I add a couple drops of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oils and haven't had molding. The smell can be overwhelming at first so one drop may even be enough for a batch this small. But don't use essential oils if u are allergic to them or highly sensitive, as they are quite potent.