How to Make Dollhouse Food With Cold Porcelain

Make pretend foods that resemble real food with porcelain clay.

Porcelain clay is a glue mixture that hardens into a smooth and durable compound. It is commonly used to mold decorative items. The mixture can be bought ready from craft stores or can be made at home using a simple recipe. Use this mixture to make fake food items for your child's dollhouse, keeping in mind that making the porcelain mixture at home can be time consuming and messy.

Things You'll Need

• 11/2 cup white glue
• 2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. cold cream
• 2 tsp. glycerin
• Pan
• Spoon/Spatula
• Dish towel
• Food coloring
• Butter knife
• Rolling pin

Instructions

Making the Porcelain Mixture

1. Combine the white glue, cornstarch, water, cold cream and glycerin in a pan.

2. Stir the ingredients over low heat for 10 minutes until the mixture starts to stiffen and develop a dough-like consistency. The mixture must pull away from the sides of the pan. If the clay is too sticky, add cornstarch in small amounts. Conversely, if the mixture is too stiff, add some cold cream.

3. Remove the pot from the stove, and wrap the dough in a wet dish towel. Knead the dough until it is cool enough to touch.

4. Spread cornstarch over your hands and the workspace. Place the clay there on your workspace, and begin kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5. Divide the mixture into different batches, and add different food colors to the mixture a drop at a time until you achieve your desired color.

Iced Cupcakes

1. Roll small balls of porcelain and color them brown using food color. Flatten the bottom by pressing it against a flat surface. Pat the sides flat with a butter knife.

2. Roll a thin layer of the clay with a rolling pin for the frosting. Add the color. Cut out a circle to fit the top of the cupcake and lay it over the cupcake. Make a small circle in the middle for the candle.

3. Roll out a small slab for the candle. Add the color and smooth the edges with your finger. Place it in the middle of the cupcake.

4. Cut out tiny pieces of clay that in another color, and lay them over the frosting. Press them gently to blend them into the frosting.

Doughnuts

1. Cut a slab of brown clay and roll it into a ball. Use your finger to form a hole in the middle.

2. Roll a thin layer of frosting with a rolling pin and add the color of your choice. Cover the doughnut with the frosting.

3. Cut small pieces of different colors. Place them on the frosting to resemble sprinkles.

Hamburger/Hot Dog

1. Roll out two slabs of light brown porcelain clay. Ensure both pieces are same size and round. For a hot dog, cut a wide rectangular slab with round edges.

2. Roll a thick slab of black or dark brown clay for the hamburger. This must be cut slightly bigger than the bread pieces. For the hot dog, use pinkish-white clay and roll it into a cylinder.

3. Add toppings to the hamburger and hot dog. Cut squares of thinly rolled green clay to resemble lettuce. Add ketchup and mustard by laying really thin pieces of clay. Press all the toppings gently into the hamburger and hot dog.

4. Assemble the bread, hamburger/hot dog and toppings and allow to dry.

Fried Eggs

1. Cut a slab of white clay and a slab of yellow porcelain clay.

2. Roll the white porcelain clay with a rolling pin in different directions.

3. Mold the yellow clay into the egg yolk and place it in the center of the egg white.

Tips & Warnings

• While waiting for the clay to cool, soak the pan and spoon or spatula in warm soapy water. Getting the sticky porcelain off from the sides will not be easy, so do not use your regular cookware in which food is cooked.

• Apply some cold cream to your hands. This will make working with the clay easier and keep it off your hands.

• Use a waterproof sealer to paint the foods as porcelain clay can dissolve in water otherwise.

• Cold porcelain requires air drying. Make sure you keep them in safe place. Any unused porcelain must be stored in an air-tight bag or container in the freezer.

References

• Craft Stylish: How to Make Cold Porcelain
• Cynthia Howe Miniatures: Cold Porcelain Recipe

Resources

• Cold Porcelain Flower: Home
• Luju's: Cold Porcelain Paste