Make Your Own Cold Porcelain
Make delicate creations using this easy to make homemade air dry clay. Cold porcelain dries to a beautiful and durable finish perfect for making tiny flowers and other miniatures.
What is Cold Porcelain?
Cold porcelain is not real porcelain, it got its name because the finished product looks like porcelain. It is an air dry clay that does not require firing or heating of any kind.
Cold porcelain when dry is slightly flexible and quite durable if it's sealed with a waterproof sealer, this makes it perfect for thin, delicate creations that would be fragile if made from other materials. Cold porcelain will be damaged or even dissolve if it's exposed to water without being properly sealed.
Cold porcelain works great for making delicately shaped flower petals. Ideal for Spring or Easter decorations.
Noadi's Cold Porcelain Recipe
There are many cold porcelain recipes available, this is the one I prefer because it gives good result and is non-toxic.Please supervise children while making or using this clay, non-toxic doesn't mean edible and pieces of cold porcelain could pose a choking hazard.
Ingredients:
1 cup pva glue (white glue like Elmer's Glue All)
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon mineral oil (babyoil)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, witchhazel, or clove oil (these are natural preservative that help prevent mold, optional but recommended)
Directions:
1. Combine ingredients in pot. Don't use your good cookware for this because it can be hard to clean off.
2. Cook on low heat stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until dough forms and begins to come away from the sides.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool until you can handle it.
4. Knead to a smooth clay consistency.
5. Store wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.
6. Color is translucent cream but can be tinted with acrylic or oil paint. White paint gives a true porcelain look. If you are using this clay with children make sure the paints are also non-toxic, some paint pigments contain toxic chemicals so check the label.
Model as you would any other clay, metal and smooth plastic work best for me as does keeping my fingers lubricated with a little mineral oil. The clay has a tendency to stick to wooden tools.
Keep any clay you are not using either wrapped in plastic or covered by a damp cloth to keep it from drying out while waiting to be used. If the clay it too sticky dust with a little more cornstarch and if it is a bit crumbly add a few more drops of mineral oil.
Dries in about 24 hours, expect 20-30% shrinkage.
Originally from Noadi's Art Tutorials
Other Cold Porcelain Recipes
- Cornstarch Based Clay Recipes & Tips from the Artful Crafter
- Cornstarch based modeling clay recipes can be used to make beautiful porcelain-like objects. Craft ideas to help you create original craft projects.
- Cold Porcelain
- First Impressions sells silicone molds, chocolate candy molds, wedding cake supplies, and more.
- Cake Decorators and Crafters: Cold Porcelain Recipe « Marivis Cake Decoration Blog
- Marivis Cake Decoration Blog « Cake Decorators: The Law of Cause in Effect in our kitchen?
Cake Decorators and Crafters: Cold Porcelain Recipe
Cold porcelain is a non edible paste that is used to make favors and ornaments.
I personally use it to make flower arrangements and - Corn Starch Based Clays
- Big list of recipes.
Buy Cold Porcelain
Don't want to make it yourself? You can buy cold porcelain too.
Amaco Self-Hardening Porcelain Clay
*I am an affiliate of Dick Blick Art Materials. I promote their products on my pages because I'm also a customer who appreciates their customer service.
Fondant
Cold porcelain has much the same modeling properties as fondant or gum paste so anything you can make with fondant you can make with cold porcelain so long as you don't plan to eat it.-
Fondant Cake Decorating: It's Play-Doh for Grown Ups!
-
Fondant is referred to by many as "Baker's Play-Doh" because of it's clay-like consistency and molding capabilities. It is a creamy confection that can be used as a filling or a covering for cakes, cookies, candies, and other sweets. The standard fo...
What Can You Do With Cold Porcelain?
Cold porcelain was originally invented for use in sculpting miniature flowers and that is still the most common use for it. Cold porcelain works bet for thin delicate creations such as flowers, leaves, feathers, fabric, etc.Because cold porcelain shrinks the only armatures that should be used with it are floral wires, cardstock, or a "soft" armature like styrofoam. To allow for even drying it really should be 1/2 inch (1cm) thick or less. Otherwise cold porcelain can be used much the same way as polymer clay.
Sealing Cold Porcelain
Cold porcelain and water are not friends so you really need to seal your cold porcelain creations for durability. I personally prefer spray sealers but brush on acrylic varnish also works well.Just about any clear spray or varnish will work but acrylic or polyurethane based sealers are best. If children are using cold porcelain either brush on acrylic varnish should be used or an adult should spray the sealer for them.
Krylon Sealers
These are two acrylic spray sealers that work great on cold porcelain
Cold Porcelain Projects
- Cold porcelain flower tutorials pictures from crafts photos on webshots
- Cold porcelain flower tutorials pictures published by suedsimpson
- Tutorial on Cold Porcelain
- Cold Porcelain techniques Tutorial : Chrysanthemums
- Cold Porcelain Rose
- Creating a cold porcelain rose.
- Basic "Cold Porcelain" Miniature Flower Making Tutorial
- Apple Blossoms are fairly simple structured flowers and will serve as a great example
for trying out some techniques to create miniature "Cold Porcelain" flowers. - Gina_Atkinson: Porcelain Flowers (1 of 4)
- The art of Cold Porcelain originated in Russia and became popular in the Victorian times throughout the world. The art of flower making was forgotten for a long time, but is now very popular again?it is probably also more successful due to the advancement of the basic ingredients.
- Linda Peterson Designs Art Buzz: Tips for working with Craft Porcelain
- It's not a new medium, though it is maybe an unfamiliar one. I first introduced this air dry clay on The Carol Duvall show a couple of years ago.
Cold Porcelain Books
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- pimbels pimbels Jun 2, 2009 @ 3:27 am
- Very nice lens. Something for my miniatures.
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- Noadi Noadi May 1, 2009 @ 7:27 pm | in reply to gico
- Seal after painting but make sure the paint is completely dry first.
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Reply
- gico gico May 1, 2009 @ 11:19 am
- hello!! thank you for the tips
I have 1 question should i add the sealer after I painted of before?
Thank u!
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Reply
- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs Apr 12, 2009 @ 4:38 am
- Wow - some beautiful pieces on here. I think I'm going to have to give that recipe a shot, 5* and thanks! :o)
Http://www.Squidoo.com/ConnieCrankpot
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- 0ctavias0fferings 0ctavias0fferings Apr 4, 2009 @ 8:59 am
- This is really interesting and a great lens too 5* and a touch of Angel dust for you.
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Reply
- wohlsson wohlsson Jan 27, 2009 @ 12:52 pm
- To answer those who are asking about what balls/shapes to use as a
form or base under the cold porcelain. Here is a website that been well tested for this
use. It is Smoothfoam and is smooth and very firm. Its not that rough styrofoam. Also there are lots of differest shapes and the prices are great. Good luck.
Bill and Jean
www.plasteelcorp.com or Smoothfoam.com
[in reply to Noadi]
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