How to Make Clay From Natural Materials

There are a number of ways to make clay out of natural materials. It's an easy, fun activity for the entire family, and it's even safe for toddlers to join in if supervised. Follow these steps to make clay from a variety of natural materials.

Things You'll Need

• Mixing bowl
• Flour
• Salt
• Pot
• Cream of tartar
• Large, heavy spoon
• Plastic bag
• Cornstarch
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Cloth
• Shellac

Instructions

1. Mix together in a mixing bowl two and a half cups of flour, one cup of salt and one cup of water. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it.

2. Add together in a pot one cup of flour, one cup of salt and one cup of water, as an alternate recipe. You must cook this mixture over low heat until it thickens. Make sure it's cool before using it.

3. Combine in a pot two cups of flour, one cup of salt, two cups of water and four tablespoons of cream of tartar, as a third method of making modeling clay. Stir constantly with a large, heavy spoon over low heat until your mixture becomes stiff and pulls easily off the sides of your pot. Store this type of clay in a plastic bag or closed container.

4. Stir together in a pot one cup of cornstarch, two cups of bicarbonate of soda and one and a half cups of cold water. Stir constantly over medium heat until your mixture is like dough. Remove your mixture from the pot, cover it with a damp cloth and cool. This recipe works best if you thoroughly shellac your finished clay model.