How to Make Erasers at Home

Ordinary erasers come in only a few colors and are usually block-shaped.

Most people are familiar with ordinary pink erasers, the kind found in blocks or on the ends of pencils. However, some erasers come in bright colors and complex shapes, such as fruits or animals, which are typically more interesting than ordinary erasers. You can make your own eraser at home using eraser clay, which is similar to polymer clay in that you can mold it into nearly any shape. Unlike polymer clay, when you bake eraser clay, the result is a usable eraser.

Things You'll Need

• Eraser clay
• Pencil
• Toothpicks or clay tools

Instructions

1. Break off a piece from a block of eraser clay and roll it in your hands to warm it up. When it feels soft, it is ready for you to mold.

2. Roll the clay into a ball, press it into the shape you want with your fingers, then add more clay if needed. For instance, if you want to make a cat face, roll the clay into a ball, then roll two smaller balls. Pinch the smaller balls into triangles and smooth them onto the top of the large ball so that they form ears.

3. Press the end of a pencil gently into the bottom of the eraser clay if you want your eraser to sit on the end of your pencil. This will make a hole for the pencil once the clay has baked.

4. Add details using toothpicks or clay tools. With the cat example, use a toothpick to trace a triangle on the front of the face for a nose, then make a soft "w" shape underneath for the mouth. Roll tiny balls of a different color and press them above the nose to form eyes.

5. Bake according to the instructions on the package. Different clays have different instructions, and some bake in the oven while others use a microwave.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use more than one color with eraser clay. For instance, you could roll a cylinder of white clay, then cover it with a sheet of red clay. Using a knife, cut the cylinder into slices. Add a small cone of black clay to the top and two small black ovals in the middle of each slice, and you have made apple slices.

• Eraser clay works well with molds, so you can use ordinary clay molds to make shapes that are a little difficult to sculpt, like leaves. Some kits come with molds.

References

• Polymer Clay Web: Eraser Clay
• Rainbow Resource Center: Clayzee Eraser Clay
• Polyform; Mouse Eraser; Becky Meverden
• JBox: Let's Make Eraser with Microwave --- Sushi
• Clay Princess: Sculpey Eraser Clay Watermelon Project