Polymer clay, which can be made at home, is called "cold porcelain." It has properties similar to the purchased properties to freeze in air, turning into a durable product. Homemade clay is best suited for doing ceramic floristry, since the petals sculpted from it retain their shape during the drying process and become translucent, similar to living ones.
Making polymer clay
To make polymer clay at home, try to find PVA glue, which contains the word "plasticizers". Typically, this ingredient is found in glue, which is intended for carpentry and furniture work. In a bowl, combine one glass of PVA glue and the same amount of cornstarch. Stir the resulting mixture with a spoon. Pour in 1 tbsp. l. petroleum jelly and glycerin. Stir again.
Instead of cornstarch, you can use potato starch to make "cold china". The finished polymer clay will have a slightly grayish tint, but if you plan to paint it, then this can be neglected.
Pour the prepared mixture from the bowl into a Teflon skillet. You should have a separate frying pan for these jobs. You cannot then cook food on it. Put it on the smallest fire. Stir the polymer clay immediately with a wooden spatula. After one or two minutes, the mass will begin to adhere to the shoulder blade. Peel it on the edge of the pan and heat it up again. Knead small lumps until all the homemade clay is blended into one large lump. Scrape everything from the pan with a spatula. This is easy to do while the mass is hot.
Pull a plastic bag over the cutting board or wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the resulting cold porcelain on top of it. The mass is not very hot and you can knead it with your bare hands. Wear heavy rubber gloves if you are uncomfortable.
Knead the dough thoroughly. It turns out to be elastic and well stretched. If your homemade polymer clay sticks to your hands, dust it lightly with cornstarch. If you overexpose the "cold porcelain" on the stove, it can get tough and crumbly. Try to save him by mixing in some greasy hand cream or petroleum jelly.
Staining and storage
Use oil paints and dry food colors to color this type of clay. Do not add acrylic paints as they are water based. This will make the clay wet. Do not make a large piece of homemade porcelain colored at once, it loses its plastic qualities when it lies down. Therefore, color only the required working volume for the craft.
You can get original shades by adding a small piece of lipstick to the clay. It must be thoroughly kneaded to obtain a uniform staining.
Wrap the finished "cold porcelain" tightly in a plastic bag and put in a plastic container with a lid. Store it at room temperature. No need to put clay in the refrigerator. When you use polymer clay to sculpt a craft, take the necessary piece of material, then immediately cover the rest with a film, then the clay will not dry out.
