Easy And Best Recipe on How to Make Cooked Air-Dry Clay

There are different versions of making an air-dry clay, using different ingredients and various methods.Read through the end for the comparison of the no-cooked and cooked air-dry clay.

The first time I made a no-cooked air-dry clay was a hate-love DIY. It’s messy and I had a hard time getting the right consistency. But when I got it right I know I’ll be making more of it.

It wasn’t a perfect mixture, but I love how it looks on the Christmas ornaments and gift tags that I made. It has cracked, yet, for me, it feels more authentic.

But of course, if you are creating a sculpture or selling items made out of air-dry clay, then I don’t think cracks are great.

This time I decided to cook the mixture. I want to see how it differs from the no-cook air-dry clay.

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Cooked Air-Dry Clay

Here’s the video tutorial on how to make air-dry clay – the cooked version.

I’m using the same ingredients with the no-cooked air-dry clay I made previously, but the proportions are slightly different.

Ingredients and Tools:

1/2 Cup of Craft Glue
1 Tbsp of Baby Oil or Cooking Oil
1 Tbsp of Vinegar
1/2 Cup of Cornstarch
Lotion
Saran Wrap
Zip Lock
Non-Stick Pan
Mixing Tool

1. Combine all the wet ingredients (1/2 cup of glue, 1 tbsp of oil, and tbsp of vinegar)

2. Put the cornstarch in the non-stick pan, then add the wet ingredients.

3. Stir it well, making sure that the mixture is even, with no bubbles or lumps, until you achieve a silky smooth texture.

4. Next, cook the mixture with medium heat while continuously stirring it until it looks like clay or dough. You can take it out when it starts sticking to itself and not on the pan.

5. Transfer the dough to a surface. 

Knead it with your hands. Make sure to apply a lotion on your hands before kneading to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands. 

Also, be mindful since it’s still hot. 

Remove the lumps or pinch the bumps, and knead the clay again until it’s smooth and silky.

I wouldn’t advise using the clay right away because it’s still gooey. Let it sit for at least three hours.

STORING AIR-DRY CLAY

Apply a small amount of oil around the clay. Then wrapped it using saran wrap and put it inside an air-tight container or Zip Lock.

It could last up to 3 months or more as long as it is stored properly. I made a batch, kept it for three months, and it’s still workable. 

What Is The Right Consistency?

Here are some things that you need to check if you get the right consistency of the air-dry clay.

1. It forms a teardrop shape when pulling apart.

2. The surface is smooth and silky. No lumps. Remove it if you feel any bumps.

3. There should be no crack when you flatten the clay.

Cooked Vs. No-Cooked Air-Dry Clay

Consistency: It is easier to achieve consistency with the cooked method. While the no-cooked, it is more wet and gooey. Check my post on how to fix soft and crumbly air-dry clay.

Texture: Cooked air-dry clay has a smooth surface, while the no-cook is rough, even after it dried out.

Colour: Both are white colour before they dried out. But the cooked clay turns yellowish and transparent after it dried out. On the other hand, no-cooked air dry clay remains white even after it dried. 

Crack can be seen in both finished or dried clay. This is something that I need to work on in the next batch of clay. 

Here’s my first DIY using the cooked air dry clay – the gnomes

You can watch here how I made these cute gnomes.