DIY cold porcelain: manufacturing methods

Sculpting is a favorite pastime for many since childhood. And in adulthood, it can again captivate and even become a source of income. It is not at all necessary to use standard plasticine, because today there are very different products for creativity. For example, you can use cold porcelain - delicate, soft, pliable, allowing you to create incredibly realistic and sophisticated compositions.

Cold porcelain refers to a plastic mass for modeling, which is based on corn or potato starch, as well as PVA glue. Due to the external resemblance to porcelain, this composition was named so.

And this is wonderful, because even the same plasticine still retains plasticity, despite the conditional hardening.

What are the advantages of cold porcelain:

• it is easy to prepare because it can be cooked at home;
• all the components are inexpensive, so this hobby definitely cannot be called costly;
• the composition is safe even for children - you can share a hobby with them;
• the composition is flexible after it hardens;
• the composition has a smooth and pleasant texture;
• it's easy to work with him;
• it shrinks slightly during drying;
• this material is distinguished by high plasticity.

Long history of cold porcelain: it is believed that it appeared in the 19th century in Argentina. But in the post-Soviet space, such material has gained great popularity in recent decades. Both adults and children work with him. Unique floristic compositions are created from it.It is especially pleasant that the master works on making the mass himself: he does not just buy a ready-made composition in the store, but uses one or another recipe. A classic cold porcelain recipe looks like this:

• 200 starch (corn / potato);
• 200 g PVA glue (sometimes it is replaced with wallpaper glue);
• 1 teaspoon of glycerin;
• 1 teaspoon of petroleum jelly;
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

You can take any starch, but the properties of the composition will change based on which option you choose. For example, adding cornstarch, you will make the composition smooth, uniform, visually creamy - these are optimal characteristics. But when using potato starch, the mixture will become more transparent, and its texture will be grainy. There will be a feeling as if sugar grains have been added to the mass. This mixture, by the way, prepares faster.

It's great if you use two types of starch. So you get 2 options: for colored, painted parts, a mixture based on corn starch will be optimal, but it is optimal to make light elements from clay with potato starch. Glue is also important, many craftsmen prefer to buy glue with a plasticizer.

Glycerin is used because of its hygroscopicity, which means that it can draw out moisture. Therefore, it is convenient to work with the mixture, it does not stick to the skin. And also glycerin perfectly copes with the role of an emulsifier and thickener. Vaseline is needed to enhance the plasticity of the dough. If the master refuses such an additive, then in the process of work the mass may simply burst.

Some recipes involve the creation of porcelain based on soda, in which case the soda will replace the liquid component - glue. Moreover, some masters suggest choosing just such an option for creating floristic compositions, because the mass based on soda deprives flowers of any artificiality, they look as realistic as possible.

You can cook cold porcelain in a standard way, but sometimes it is more convenient to use a microwave at home. The main thing is to take a suitable container, which is allowed to be heated in a microwave oven. To make a mass with your own hands you will need:

• a suitable container (preferably one that you will no longer use for cooking);
• beaker;
• cling film;
• pharmacy gloves (can be replaced with plastic gloves);
• Scotch;
• plastic container;
• cosmetic oil (or vegetable).

First, the master will measure the glue according to the prescription measure, and then add it to a clean, ready-to-use container. Then measure out the glycerin, petroleum jelly with a teaspoon, add it to the glue. Next, squeeze out the lemon juice, also add to the composition. All liquid components must be mixed very well. Measure out the starch according to the recipe, stir the mixture. Next, put the container in the microwave oven, setting the maximum power in it. Start heating up. It is impossible to heat the composition in one go, you need to make intervals every 15-20 seconds.

After each entry, the microwave is turned off, the composition is taken out, mixed and again put into the HFW oven. This should be repeated until the dough reaches the required degree and thickens. It is difficult to say the exact time, because it depends on what kind of microwave you have in your home (its power and even the characteristics of the walls matter).

Important notes on microwave cooking cold porcelain:

• after cooking porcelain in the microwave, some masters immediately seal the soft mass in a bag, but if you have carefully boiled the composition and achieved a dense consistency, then you can sculpt it right away;

• the more cream you have on your hands, the softer the porcelain will turn out, the paint will also soften it;

• it so happens that the very first cooking of the mixture in the microwave leads to digestion - very hard lumps can really be thrown away, but rubber-like ones can be kneaded by simply smearing your hands with glue;

• the pieces of the mixture that you take out of the microwave oven are very hot (by the end of work - the hottest), so as not to burn your hands, you need to wrap the piece in cellophane without holes, tie it and put it under cold water, kneading the cake right in the bag.

Starting to sculpt, you will see that, for example, the petal will not begin to curl, it will keep its shape. Details stick well to each other, do not fall off.

Making soft material is a creative process in itself. Kneading and boiling, changing recipes according to the author's technique are fascinating. Many experienced masters understand that homemade composition is better than those that are sold by stores of goods for creativity and even better than those offered by popular master classes. Because experience makes it possible to compare, adapt to different recipes and, based on observations, make your own, which is right for you.

The standard cooked porcelain recipe is:

• corn starch - 150 g;
• white hand cream - 1 teaspoon;
• glycerin - 1 teaspoon;
• water - 100 ml;
• PVA glue - 150 ml;
• a saucepan (it is good if you have a separate saucepan for making cold porcelain).

The master class is not particularly difficult.

1. Take a saucepan, mix all the liquid ingredients in it, stir well.
2. Heat medium heat under a saucepan, cook the mixture on it until smooth, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the starch a little, without ceasing to stir the composition.
4. Keep the mixture on fire until it thickens.
5. Next, take out the hot composition, put it on a kitchen towel.
6. After wrapping the mixture well in a towel, knead the mixture like a regular dough until it cools.
7. After that, you can remove the towel and continue kneading with your hands.
8. You need to knead until the mixture becomes soft, until it stops sticking to your hands. Then it can be put into a plastic bag.

There are also complicated recipes. For example the following:

• 1 kg of vinyl glue;
• 0.5 kg of corn starch;
• 1 tablespoon sodium benzoate
• 1 tablespoon stearic acid
• 1 tablespoon dough whitening emulsion (often replaced with white paint)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of glycerin;
• 3 spoons of petroleum jelly.

Prepare the mixture over both medium and low heat. There is no universal advice - you need to try and compare. If boiling over low heat, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. The reference point for cooking time is the moment when the dough begins to peel off from the sides of the pan. The cooking process is multi-stage: first, the composition resembles a cream, then it looks more like cottage cheese, and only at the end it becomes a thick mass. When the dough is loose from the walls, remove it from the heat. Spread on a countertop and knead until smooth and pliable. Both transparent and opaque porcelain are cooked on the stove in almost the same way, but the composition of the mixture will be different.

A very important question, in which beginners often make mistakes, is the storage of cold porcelain. The first and main mistake is storing such a mass in the refrigerator. If she is in the cold, she will begin to crumble, lose her basic qualities. (including viscosity). After that, cold porcelain is virtually unusable. Think about this simple example: if you put ordinary PVA glue in the refrigerator, after a while you will see that it has stratified into water and "curd". With cold porcelain it will be about the same.

That is why the best storage option for a homemade sticky mass is to be in a bag. Wrap the dough, tie a bag, or simply roll it up to keep air out of it. If air enters the bag, the porcelain will dry out. Also, don't store homemade dough in the dark - this is fraught with the establishment of a fungus. If the fungus "attacks" the porcelain, the mass will become sticky and nasty. And if this happens to the dough, no cream will save it. It is easier to send the porcelain wrapped in polyethylene to a plastic container, close it tightly with a lid. As for cling film, this is not the best option. It allows air to pass through, therefore it will not work to store the mass in it for a long time.

Products from cold porcelain should be protected from:

• moisture (when wet, they become limp and do not always return to their original appearance);
• direct sunlight (otherwise the product will burn out, and the paint will simply fade);
• frost and cold - low temperatures will make the porcelain brittle, and even touching it can lead to breakage;
• high humidity - and it threatens the products, since, due to its effect, they may lose their original appearance (for example, there is no need to put a flower arrangement made of cold porcelain in the bathroom).

Moreover, it is not so important what kind of varnish it will be: you can use artistic, acrylic, and aerosol. But it is better not to take wood varnish - it will simply corrode the mass. Some craftswomen use colorless nail polish. But if you have already covered the product with varnish, it will no longer be possible to unbend the element, flexibility is lost.

Since starch is present in the mass, cold porcelain products can be attractive to insects - and this point must be taken into account. Even the preservatives used in recipes will not protect the product from insects. If you are going to clean china, you will need a napkin, rag, or stiff brush. Dust can even be blown off with a hair dryer, but you should be careful with the temperature regime. If suddenly something sticks to the product, do not rub it, the dirt can clog into the texture. In such a situation, duct tape is suitable for cleaning clothes.

Of course, any product can be accidentally broken or inadvertently broken off a piece... In most cases, superglue saves the situation (only you need to take the version that is suitable for plastic, and always transparent). The finished product should be stored in a separate box, not mixed with other jewelry.

For information on how to make cold porcelain with your own hands, see the next video.