I’ve gotten the question “why does my cold porcelain clay crack when dried?” “What am I doing wrong?” And it has been asked quite a number of times. Well I’m going to point out a few reasons why your cold porcelain clay is cracking and what you can do about it.
If you’re interested in making cold porcelain clay, All you have to do is Google the recipe and give it a try. I mean it sounds pretty simple right? Well not so much. There are so many different cold porcelain clay recipes out there. There’s even a no cook recipe (that i haven’t tried) that calls for the same ingredients but the method is one that doesn’t require cooking the dough.
Crack is Wack!
So you’ve tried the recipe, cooked your clay and you’re ready to use it but when you use your clay you noticed that there are multiple cracks everywhere! All your efforts are gone down the drain. What am I doing wrong you ask. Well, first you need to understand the formula and the process. If the recipe you chose doesn’t call for some kind of oil such as mineral oil or olive oil then it’s something you should consider adding. I like to add a big table spoon or 2 of mineral oil to every batch of clay I’m mixing up. The oil really helps with giving your clay a very smooth and polished porcelain look and feel. In addition to oil we like to add our very own Stacie Laurell Crafts conditioning lotion for some added plasticity.
“It’s the mixing for me”
Another important factor you should consider when wanting to avoid cracks is mixing the batch of clay thoroughly. All the ingredients you’ve put into this batch must be mixed out properly. Try to avoid having any lumps or dry pockets in your clay batter. You can do this by mixing your clay batter until it’s perfectly smooth.
Water is the enemy
You can drink as much water as you can tolerate but make sure no water is in your batter. Water is your enemy. So before you start your mixture, make sure your bowls, spoons and any other items you are using to make your clay batter is 100 percent dry. If you see a layer of water settle on top of your clay batter simply take a paper towel and dab at it to remove the water. Try to avoid getting any water in your batter. Period.
Weight it right!
Do you have the right proportions for the clay mixture? For our clay we use 1 cup of glue to every cup of cornstarch. Measuring out the appropriate amount makes a difference and you can always add a half of cup of extra glue if you’ve measured out too much cornstarch or a little over the amount. It’s also good to remember not to over cook your clay as that can dry it out and create cracks in your finished product when dried.
Knead your dough!
Sometimes clay creators overlook this simple but necessary step. Kneading your clay. When your clay is done cooking it’s important to remember to knead your dough thoroughly and make sure all air bubbles and lumps and bumps are smooth out of the batch. Also, try and let your clay sit for at least 24 hrs before using it.
Salvage your dry clay
Starting over and over again with a new batch can get expensive. Especially if you’re wasting ingredients. Believe it or not your burnt dried clay can be saved. On rare occasions we may slightly burn out clay in the process. It’s pretty rare because we have got a pretty good formula and process going on but when it does happen we always condition our clay with Stacie Laurell clay conditioning lotion. It smoothes out the clay, adds back ample moisture and prevents cracking!
I do hope these tips were helpful and please come back again to learn more about crafts and cold porcelain clay!
STACIE LAURELL CRAFTS 