How To Make Easy Homemade Plasticine: 5 Methods With Ingredients

How to make homemade play dough

Plasticine consists of a plastic mass that is made up of petroleum jelly, stearic acid, and calcium salts, and is widely known for its school uses and in many crafts. This material was created in 1880 by the pharmacist Franz Kolb in the German city of Munich and its use has spread and popularized almost all over the world.

Some people prefer to make their own play dough at home rather than buy it, either for their children or to do experiments and crafts with it. If you have wondered how to make homemade plasticineIn this oneHOWTO article we will explain all the methods, materials and steps you will need to achieve it.

Is modeling clay toxic?

Many people consider making homemade playdough because they are unsure whether regular playdough is really safe for children. Most companies make non-toxic play dough, so nothing will happen if your child ingests it in very small amounts. The clay ingredients they are usually clay, petroleum derivatives, colorants and some waxes such as beeswax. Although it is true that it is not toxic, it is not recommended that they eat too much of it.

It is true that some brands, like Play Doh, use wheat flour to make them. This means that you are plasticine contain glutenSo if you or your child are celiac, they should take special care with these materials.

The good news is that it is possible to prepare your own playdough with ingredients that you know so you can be sure that nothing will happen if your child ingests playdough while playing. It is also important that you know that it is best to start using play dough after 3 years and not before, because the little ones will not find it fun and there may be greater risks if they put it in their mouths.

You want to know how to make easy homemade modeling clay? Keep reading and we will tell you several options to do it.

How to make plasticine without flour

The first option that we will give you will be to create homemade plasticine without gluten flours. Making homemade clay can be a perfect opportunity to spend time with your child and teach him how to create something new. These are the ingredients to make homemade gluten-free play dough:

  • 180 g of baking soda
  • 180 ml of water
  • 65 g cornstarch
  • 5 drops of food coloring (optional)
  • 3 drops of essential oils (optional)

For make the play dough gluten free, follow these steps:

  1. In a deep pot, add the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Mix the ingredients very well until they are integrated and the powder is completely dissolved.
  2. Cook over medium heat while you continue mixing. After 5 minutes, you will start to see the mixture bubble and solidify into a paste.
  3. Remove from the kitchen and place the mixture on parchment paper. Let it cool, but knead it every so often to speed up the process.
  4. If you want, you can add food coloring to make homemade clay of various colors or use essential oils like coconut oil to give it a nice scent.

If you have made the playdough and stained the fabric, in OneHOWTO we will tell you the best way to remove the playdough in our article How to remove playdough from clothes.

How to make playdough with flour

If you have no problem using flours, you can follow the recipe and the method that we teach you below. In addition to wheat flour, you can use other gluten-free flours such as rice or corn. These are the ingredients to make plasticine with flour what you will need:

  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 2 ½ cups of flour
  • Oil
  • Food coloring to taste if desired.

The preparation of this type of plasticine is very simple. Follow these steps carefully:

  1. Mix the 4 ingredients over low heat.
  2. Cook the mixture until it becomes thick.
  3. Remove it from the heat and let it rest; You can use it when it cools down and becomes semi-hard.

How to make modeling clay with baking soda

If you wish, you can add baking soda to the dough you are going to make, as its use gives it a very good texture. To do this, follow the following recipe to the letter, these are the ingredients you should look for:

  • 1 ½ cup of flour
  • 1 cup of water
  • Half a teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 2 tablespoons of baking soda
  • Food coloring

To make homemade plasticine without baking sodaPlease note the steps below:

  1. Heat the water in a pot, there you must place the salt and bicarbonate to dissolve.
  2. In a medium bowl, place the flour. Add the salt and baking soda dissolved in water, as well as the oil.
  3. Mix all ingredients.
  4. Knead the mixture until you achieve the firm and elastic consistency of the modeling clay.
  5. Add the food coloring of the color you want.

To make the playdough last as long as possible, be sure to store it in a closed container in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Thus, the modeling clay will last for weeks or even months.

Children tend to play with playdough very excitedly, so there can always be little accidents like ending up with hair full of playdough. In oneHOWTO we explain how to remove the plasticine from the hair so that this is not an unbearable problem.

How to make homemade play dough - How to make bicarbonate of play dough

How to make clay with cream of tartar

Cream of tartar is a carboxylic acid byproduct of wine making. However,it is safe for children? Yes. Cream of tartar is used in pastry as a stabilizing agent for meringues and heavy cream.

This method of making homemade playdough will go a long way and will make the playdough last for a long time. To make it, you only need these ingredients:

  • 6 cups of flour
  • 6 cups of water
  • 6 tablespoons of oil for frying
  • 3 cups of salt
  • 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
  • Vegetable dyes (optional)

These are the steps you must follow to make the clay with cream of tartar:

  1. Mix all the ingredients with the exception of the coloring, so that later you cook them over moderate heat.
  2. Over time, the ingredients will come together and you will see the water evaporate.
  3. When all the dough has come together, proceed to remove it from the pot.
  4. Let the play dough rest in another container.
  5. Once it is at room temperature, paint it with the coloring of your choice.

Unlike those that are sold in stationery stores, with homemade plasticine you will be sure that it does not have any toxic element, since it has edible ingredients. However, it is not advisable to eat it in large quantities either. In addition, it is important to closely monitor children under two years of age, in order to prevent ingredients such as coloring from causing them any harm.

How to make edible play dough

With this recipe, there will be absolutely no problem if children eat it. However, it is important to avoid excesses, as eating too much can cause stomach pain. These are the ingredients you will need to make edible play dough:

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 6 marshmallows
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • Food coloring (optional)

For prepare the edible play dough, follow these steps:

  1. In a bowl or bowl, place the marshmallows, cornstarch, and coconut oil.
  2. Put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
  3. Remove the bowl and stir the mixture of ingredients with a ladle until the dough is thick and moldable. If you want, you can add a little food coloring.
  4. If it is too dry, you can add more oil.
  5. If it’s too wet, add more cornstarch.
How to make homemade play dough - How to make edible play dough

Fine motor skills and other benefits of play dough in children

The plasticine offers several benefits to children, who have placid fun kneading and making countless creations. Among the advantages that the little ones can obtain, it is necessary to mention:

  • Encourage creativity: With the plasticine you can create endless figures and make various shapes that over time will be able to differentiate perfectly.
  • Develops motor skills: The plasticine is of great help for the development of fine motor skills, which refers to the coordination of hands and fingers. Play dough games allow children to perform fine as well as gentle movements with these joints.
  • Enhances the development of personality: In this way, children will be able to express themselves and develop their personality, because they will constantly select the colors, as well as the figures that they like the most.

Are you ready to play with the playdough? At oneHOWTO we have tons of ideas to inspire you to shape your own creations. In addition, if you are an architect or make models or crafts, they will also serve you. Here are some of them:

If you want to read more articles similar to How to make homemade play dough, we recommend that you enter our Art and Crafts category.