Are you looking for a homemade air dry clay recipe? This is it! It’s an easy 3 ingredient air dry modeling clay that dries hard at room temperature!

We love modeling doughs over here. Usually we make homemade playdough, but sometimes  you need a modeling clay that dried smooth and hard. 

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This homemade modeling clay is perfect for kids projects and creations! 

It doesn’t use salt, so there’s no graininess, and it dries really hard. It’s also pure white, which makes it easy to paint after it dries!

 

The Best Homemade Air Dry Clay Recipe

 

The Best Homemade Air Dry Clay Recipe

This simple air dry clay recipe only has 3 ingredients! You will need:

2 cups baking soda

1 cup corn starch

1 1/2 cups water

 

In a medium pot combine the baking soda and corn starch and stir them to mix. 

Add in the water and stir until the mixture is thoroughly wet. No more dry spots!

Turn on the burner to medium-low heat and cook and stir until the mixture clings together in a ball. 

It might take 5-10 minutes of cooking and stirring for your homemade clay to fully come together. 

 

homemade air dry clay cooking

 

Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. At this point your homemade air dry clay may still appear quite sticky. I like to keep stirring and kneading with the spoon in the warm pot to reduce the water even more. 

Then turn out your air dry clay onto a cutting board that has been dusted with corn starch. 

Knead the clay until it is smooth and cooled off. You can add additional corn starch as needed to reduce sticking. 

Note: This air dry clay will become less sticky as it cools completely. 

 

homemade air dry clay ornaments

 

How to Use Homemade Air Dry Clay

You can use this homemade modeling clay to make all kinds of things! 

Once you have kneaded it until it’s smooth you can use it like playdough and just model, cut, and play and then ball it back up and store it. 

Or you can use it to make more permanent things such as:

  • Homemade Christmas ornaments
  • Animal figures
  • Pinch pots
  • Coil pots
  • Little bricks to build with
  • Anything you can imagine!

 

white homemade clay with a small rolling pin and cookie cutter

 

Just like with other clays, it’s important to use a little water to help pieces stick together as they dry. 

Otherwise you may find yourself gluing pieces together once they are dry. 

When you are done, just sit your creations out at room temperature until they dry completely. 

 

Looking for more homemade clay options? Check out this Cornstarch and Salt Clay!

 

homemade air dry clay figure

 

How to Store Your Air Dry Clay

Since this is air dry clay, it will dry if it’s left out. 

To keep your homemade clay workable store it in an air tight container when it’s not in use. 

We went to make a batch when we have a project to make such as a batch of homemade ornaments or a modeling project for school, so I am not sure how long the clay will last, but I assume at least a 2-3 weeks if not longer. 

 

How to Make Homemade Air Dry Clay

How to Make Homemade Air Dry Clay

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Materials

  • 2 cups baking soda
  • 1 cup corn starch
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Tools

  • medium size pot
  • stirring spoon

Instructions

    1. In a medium pot combine the baking soda and corn starch and stir them to mix. 
    2. Add in the water and stir until the mixture is thoroughly wet. No more dry spots!
    3. Turn on the burner to medium-low heat and cook and stir until the mixture clings together in a ball.  It might take 5-10 minutes of cooking and stirring for your homemade clay to fully come together.
    4. Turn out your air dry clay onto a cutting board that has been dusted with corn starch. 
    5. Knead the clay until it is smooth and cooled off. You can add additional corn starch as needed to reduce sticking. 

Notes

This air dry clay will become less sticky as it cools completely.Ā 

Store in an air tight container

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