How to Make Oven-Bake Modeling Clay

Modeling clay that can be oven baked for permanence is easy to make and is an activity that the whole family can enjoy. The clay is perfect for making tree ornaments or simple figurines. Once baked, the items you make can be displayed with no fear of decay or softening over time.

Things You'll Need

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon alum
• 1 cup salt
• 1 1/2 cup water
• Cookie sheets
• Food coloring (optional)
• Cookie cutters (optional)
• Large bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Acrylic pain (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add the water and stir well to make a stiff dough.

3. Break the dough into parts, if you wish to add food coloring. Knead a few drops of food coloring into each section until the color is distributed throughout the dough. If you desire colors that are not available, mix drops of different colors in a small bowl until the desired color is achieved.

4. Shape or sculpt the dough into the desired shapes. Or roll the dough out with a rolling pin and cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. For best results, roll the dough approximately 1/4 of an inch thick. Molded or shaped objects should be no more than a 1/2 inch thick.

5. Lay the items in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Place the cookie sheet on the center rack of the oven. Bake the clay items for 30 minutes.

7. Turn the items over and continue baking for another 90 minutes or until they are stiff and dry.

8. Remove the items from the oven and allow them to cool. If desired, paint the items with acrylic paint, or add other decorations such as glitter.

Tips & Warnings

• To make tree ornaments or other hanging items, use a straw, chopstick or toothpick to make a hole in the top of the item before baking. After baking and cooling, insert ribbon, string or wire through the hole to create a hanger for the ornament.