Polymer Clay

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Polymer clay ATC Swap

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I’m hosting an ATC swap at Polymer Clay Central and would like to extend an invitation to the first 30 readers to join in on the fun by emailing me at the address below . This is my first time hosting a swap and the only reason I’m having to limit the participates. I hope everyone understands. I would hate it if I disappointed  my swappers by messing something up .

Here are the details :

— The cards are to be playing card size ( 2 1/2 inches X 3 1/2 inches)  and be made primarily out of polymer clay, although you may embellish them with other mediums and accessories. Please limit the thickness to about 1/4 inch.

— Groups of 4 swappers- Make 3 similar cards for each group you join. You will not get one of your own back. The max groups to join per swapper is 5. (If you join 4 groups, you need to make 12 ATC’s, 2 groups = 6 cards, etc.).

— On the back of the cards please include your name (and/or ID you go by) , email address, and other information about the card such as name/title of the card, date the card was created, which number it is in the series of cards, i.e. 3 of 3 or 1 of 3 . They don’t have to be all the same, you may make them all different.

— Sign up by August 20th by sending me an email at the following address : claycrazy (dot) etsy (at) gmail (dot) com .

— Cards are due to me by September 30th

— I will email everyone that joins on August 21st with the remaining details including the mailing address to send to cards to me. Please don’t forget you will need to send postage so I can mail your cards to you.

–If you have any questions , please leave a comment below and I will answer as soon as I can.

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How To Make A Milk Mache Molding Compound

There are some craft projects that feel like they belong on a rainy afternoon kitchen table, and this Milk Mache Molding Compound is exactly one of them. It is part craft, part science experiment, and part “wait… did we just turn milk into something solid?”

This clever little project from CraftBits shows you how to make a simple homemade molding compound using just milk and vinegar. The idea is wonderfully old-school: when the vinegar reacts with the milk, it separates into curds and liquid, leaving you with a soft mixture that can be pressed, shaped, and dried into a hard, stone-like material.

It’s a lovely one to try with kids, especially if you enjoy hands-on STEM-style crafts that do not require a trolley full of supplies. You can use the finished compound to make small charms, beads, ornaments, rustic tags, or simple molded shapes. Just keep the pieces small and thin, as this is not really the sort of compound you would use for large sculptures or anything that needs to be perfectly smooth.

What I like most about this project is how accessible it is. Most of us already have milk, vinegar, a bowl, and paper towel in the kitchen, which makes it a brilliant last-minute craft activity. It also has that slightly magical quality children love — one minute it is liquid, the next it is turning into a moldable material.

A couple of tips before you try it: use whole milk if you can, as it tends to give a better result than skim or semi-skimmed milk. White vinegar is also the best choice, as darker vinegars may affect the colour and texture. And don’t rush the draining stage. If the mixture is too wet, it will be soggy and hard to shape; if it is too dry, it may crumble.

This would be a fun companion activity for our other kids craft ideas, especially if you are looking for something simple, inexpensive, and a little bit educational. It also fits nicely with home crafts and handmade gift embellishments if you want to turn your dried shapes into tags or decorations.

Would I call this a polished, professional clay substitute? No. Would I call it a wonderfully curious, messy, memorable craft experiment? Absolutely.

If you enjoy homemade craft supplies, kitchen-table experiments, or easy projects that make children ask “how did that happen?”, this Milk Mache Molding Compound is well worth a try.

You can find the full project instructions here: Milk Mache Molding Compound