How to Make Homemade Air Dry Clay

Air-dry clay can be shaped and molded.

There are many types of air-dry clay available at craft stores, but making it at home is easy and inexpensive. It can be made in small batches for projects that need a tiny clay decoration or in bigger batches for large projects. The recipe is easy to increase--just multiply the ingredients. There's little mess and cleans up with only soap and water.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic cup
• Slice of white bread
• 1 teaspoon white glue

Instructions

1. 

   One slice without the crust is needed.

   Remove the crust from the bread slice. Tear the rest of the slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place in cup.

2. 

   White glue

   Stir in the glue. Mix until bread is coated with glue and begins to form a lump.

3. Remove the lumpy mass and roll it between two hands. Stretch it out and roll it back on itself. The texture becomes smooth in seconds.

4. Continue to knead in this manner until the mixture is no longer sticky. Roll into a small ball. The clay is ready to use.

Tips & Warnings

• Color can be added in the kneading process. One drop of ink or food coloring is enough. Too much ink will make the mix too thin; add additional bread pieces until the mix thickens. The same process of adding bread can be used if too much glue is added. If too much bread is added, thin with drops of glue or coloring.

• Store air-dry clay in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

References

• Cooks.com: Bread Glue Dough

Resources

• Clay Recipes
• Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District: Bread and Glue Clay