new clay- easy and sculpty

This clay is all over pinterest and so I assume all over the internet.  That's how I gauge the popularity of things these days, number of pins on pinterest.   It's the baking soda and corn starch clay.  It's a sculpting clay, and not so much a play-dough style, although you've got a good hour before it starts to get a little crunchy. 

It's easy to make and dries really nicely.  

2 c baking soda

1 c corn starch

1 1/2 c water

Cook  all ingredients together.  This takes several minutes, and actually gets a little thinner before it gets thicker.  Stir the whole time.  Mix well in the pan before taking it out, cream it together sort of.  It starts lumpy and then blends really smoothly.  When it's a doughy ball, lay out on the counter and cool until you are able to work it.  Knead several minute until it's cool enough for the kiddos to work.  Sculpt and  let air dry.  We moved to a wire rack the second day.  You can paint it, glaze it, whatever when it's totally dry. 

See photos:  thin.... getting lumpy

thickening up....

Dough ball drying... 

Here's Lou's tray.  He made some tires and we stamped out a possible Christmas ornament.  He also has a trashcan with lid and a headless man.  The head is drying separately. 

Here are mine, a few roses (thanks to my junior high art teacher who taught us how to sculpt roses and pigs) and mostly ornaments.

Here's Bee's: ornaments, a bowl, a bird and next, a few roses (that she made herself).

This must have been a weekend (or sick day!), Bee has weekend hair.  As they have dried, I would suggest making extra pieces if you plan to paint and give them.  A few pieces cracked as they dried.  I can't tell if they were 'tested' for dryness by little hands or they simply dried and cracked.  We also kept a little extra in a baggy to see if it would stay workable for a day or so.  It still seemed nice and workable even after three days.

My small roses dried after a day and a half.  The kids items were a little thicker and some took 3 days to dry.  The kids haven't painted yet but I couldn't wait.  I painted up my roses and hot glued them to a thin fabric braid. 

I'm pretty sure they will brake under the hug of a preschooler some day, but that's alright.  Two of my preschoolers complimented me on it this necklace the day I wore it to school.  So if two preschoolers liked it, I'm pretty sure it's trendy.  If you're four.