Cold Porcelain Tutorial/Recipe

Cold porcelain is an inexpensive, nontoxic, easy-to-work-with material. Despite its name it is not porcelain. It does not require heating, since it gets hard by exposure to fresh air.

Originally from Argentina, its main components are cornstarch and white glue, having also low quantities of oils and glycerol which give its porcelain-like texture. Because most of the constituents are biodegradable, lemon juice and sodium benzoate are sometimes used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. It can be made at home very easily and it's used for small projects. However, it is dissolved by heat or water, so it's not suitable for making crockery.

 Tips 

      Cold porcelain can shrink when drying so you have to be careful not to use it for anything thick or it will crack.

      If it is sticky you can either dust it with cornstarch, or you can place it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time to remove some of the moisture.

      Never refrigerate raw (un-molded) or finished cold porcelain, keep it well sealed at room temperature.. 

      You can paint a finished piece with watercolor or acrylic paint. You can also dust them.

      Never dust the inside of the mold.

Cold Porcelain can be molded by kneading the amount you need until it becomes smooth, not to long because it dries out very quickly, then roll it into a ball, dust it with some cornstarch and press it into the mold. If you have excess cold porcelain after filling the mold you can either cut it off with a pair of scissors (careful not to clip the mold), pinch it off, or run a straight edge spatula across the top to remove the excess, then smooth it again. Cold Porcelain is meant for thin molds because it is air dry only, you do not bake it. It takes at least 24 to dry depending on the depth. Do not refrigerate to dry.

There are many different recipes for cold porcelain but basically it is made with cornstarch, glue, oil and preservatives.   The paste is cooked on the stove or in the microwave for a short time and then kneaded until smooth. 

Here is a link to some things made with Cold Porcelain http://www.etsy.com/shop/coldporcelainbypatty

Now here is the recipe enjoy!

 Recipe #1 

2 cups of Corn Starch
2 cups of Elmer's Glue or wood glue (should be white)
1 Tblsp of lemon juice (it acts as preservative) or 1 tsp of citric acid
2 Tblsp baby oil (you could use any oil be it mineral, cooking, baby or even Vaseline petroleum jelly will work)
1 Tblsp of white liquid tempera paint
1 Tblsp of cold cream, non greasy, without lanolin and silicone (Nivea or Ponds)

Glass bowl (microwave compatible) & wooden spoon 
Mix all the ingredients in the bowl, excluding the cold cream, which is used for kneading the paste. I use a hand mixer to mix as it removes all the lumps and is a very uniform mixture.

Place the bowl in the microwave and cook it during 3 minutes on maximum power. Open the oven on each minute and mix the paste with the wood spoon, so that it cooks all around equally. Variations in the different models of microwaves can modify the cooking time of the paste. Therefore, it is essential that you observe it minute by minute. If necessary, monitor it every 30 seconds for the last minute.

As soon as the paste is cooked, spread only 1 Tablespoon, as it indicates the recipe, on a marble or kitchen counter top surface and place the paste, still hot. The hotter the paste when kneaded, better the results.   Knead the paste for some minutes; say about 5-7 minutes. The trick, the more you to knead, better it will be to work.

When the paste is well kneaded, make a coil, thus preventing the formation of air bubbles.
Place the paste in a well closed plastic bag or in plastic film such as Saran Wrap or cling film to prevent it from drying up. (I use a plastic bag lightly greased with the hand cream.)

 Recipe #2 
2 cups or cornstarch 
2 cups of white glue
2 tablespoon of glycerin
2 tablespoon of stearic acid
1 tablespoon of sodium bensoate.

Mix them all together and cook it on low heat until it does not stick to the pan any more.

No cooking needed, recipe #3

This recipe is made with non-toxic ingredients. It does not contain any chemicals that could be hazardous for your health and does not need to be cooked at all.

When kneading this paste, if too sticky, add some cornstarch,.  To keep from sticking, rub a dab of shortening (or cold cream) to your hands and keep the rolling pin very clean..... rub a dab of shortening on the table too, Small amounts, do not overdo it.

1 cup Aleene’s Tacky Glue Original

1 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon Tylose**

1 tablespoon Wilton liquid white color (this is add to the paste to prevents it from becoming transparent when dried)

**Tylose is a gumpaste used by cake decorators. It is the product as CMC.   

Mix all ingredients and knead to get a soft paste. If too sticky, add cornstarch.

Do not cook. Store in well lighted area, tightly wrapped in plastic. Do not refrigerate. 

Here is what mine came out to look like I used the microwave method and all the ingredients shown in the photos.