DIY cold porcelain crafts
Cold porcelain- it is a very malleable material, so even very small items can be sculpted from it. Of course, other materials can be suitable for modeling, for example, salted dough or polymer clay, however, they need to be baked in the future, and the porcelain hardens in the fresh air after 2 days. It is convenient to work with it, therefore needlewomen are very fond of this material. You can look at the recipe for cold porcelain on our website, and in this article we will tell you how to make a spring bouquet of flowers.
Materials for making flowers:
- plastic spoons;
— cold porcelain several colors;
- a cookie cutter;
- cutting board;
- wire;
- knife;
- rolling pin;
- electrical tape Green colour;
- plastic grass;
- a basket for a bouquet.
DIY cold porcelain crafts
1. To create a beautiful flower bouquet you need cold porcelain different colors or you can use a solid mass.
2. Roll out the porcelain in the same way as the dough. We cut out the petals with an iron shape. You can make it yourself from a beer can or use a cookie cutter.
3. If you are working on a glass cutting board, press each petal firmly against it for a beautiful texture. You can also press it against another corrugated surface.
4. To keep the petals curved, place them on disposable plastic spoons.
5. Wrap the wire with green electrical tape - these are our stems.
6. Take porcelain yellow or orange... Also roll and cut into small triangles.
7. Finely cut the base of the triangle, roll the triangles into tubes and you will have beautiful pistils.
8. Stamens should be molded from yellow porcelain. Additionally coat them with PVA and dip them in fine corn grits to create a pollen effect.
10. In two rows, 6 petals are glued to the stem.
11. Cover the stem with green porcelain and hang the flowers so that they dry and do not change shape.
12. Ready-made flowers are placed in a basket, or simply collected in a bouquet and tied with a ribbon.
From cold porcelain you can make not only crocuses, but also tulips, roses, lilies of the valley and other flowers. It is not necessary to paint the porcelain during the preparation of the mass, you can then cover the finished products with oil paints. Taking care of porcelain flowers is simple, just blow on them with a hairdryer to make the dust fly away.
Watch a video on the topic: DIY cold porcelain flowers
Porcelain crafts do not lose their shape and do not crack over time, therefore they can become a beautiful interior decoration or durable.
Elegant and durable cold porcelain products resemble ordinary porcelain in appearance, having little in common in practice. Despite the fact that the Japanese have known it for more than five thousand years, it has spread throughout Europe recently. Porcelain, properly prepared, looks fragile and translucent, but in fact, very durable gizmos are obtained from it. In addition, it is completely safe and easy to use.
It is as easy as shelling pears to prepare material at home, and even a child can handle modeling. We offer you to take our master class "How to make cold porcelain."
Instruments
You don't need any special tools to master the craft. If you are not going to become a professional sculptor, make do with the available tools.
Use rulers, knitting needles, nail files as stacks. Attach the bead to a toothpick: this simple device is convenient to roll out the material to the desired thickness.
For sculpting some gizmos, texture molds are needed. Unexpected things can play their role. For example, real plants and flowers will help you create a beautiful petal or leaf.
Cooking recipes
Homemade cold porcelain can be made in several ways, using ingredients that you probably have in your home.
No recipe is complete without starch. It is best to use corn: the material will turn out to be more elastic, weightless and transparent. Potato will add a grayish tint and visual heaviness. Suitable for sculpting jewelry, figurines.
Cooking without heat treatment
In a container, send two tablespoons of starch and a tablespoon of vaseline oil, mix. Add a little petroleum jelly and a pinch of regular baking soda. Pour in two tablespoons of PVA glue and mix well.
Heat-treated
In a bowl, combine a glass of starch, one tablespoon each of baby cream, petroleum jelly, and petroleum jelly. Pour in a teaspoon of citric acid and 100 (a little more if necessary) milliliters of PVA glue. Cook the "dough" over low heat until a dense lump is obtained.
Alternative recipe
Mix 150 milliliters of PVA glue in a bowl, a teaspoon of glycerin and oily hand cream, pour in 100 milliliters of water. Start cooking cold porcelain.
Bring the "dough" until smooth over low heat. Pour in 200 grams of starch. Stir constantly during cooking. When the mass begins to form a lump, remove it from the heat. The second part of the preparation is the same for all recipes.
Moisten the towel and place the future china on top of it. After waiting for its partial cooling, proceed to kneading. Various colorants can be added at this stage. Both food and synthetic are suitable, as long as they do not cause allergies.
Wrap the elastic mass in polyethylene and put it in the refrigerator. Start creating the next day: the porcelain should rest. Without delay, start washing the pan until the residues of the material have dried on the walls.
Cooking errors
Good cold porcelain will be elastic and easy to mold. An error in the dosage of starch, in particular its overabundance, will lead to excessive rigidity of the material. It will be inconvenient to pinch off the pieces from such a mass.
If you see blotches of starch in the "dough", do not rush to throw it away: add a little PVA and re-knead the material. Having achieved the required elasticity, wrap the "dough" in polyethylene and put it in the refrigerator for a day.
If the material turned out to be sticky, difficult to keep its shape, not plastic, liquid glue is to blame (perhaps you used stationery PVA), insufficient amount of plasticizer. You can try to cook the porcelain until the required qualities appear. If this does not help, you will have to repeat the preparation with better quality glue.
The quality of the adhesive is in many ways a fundamental factor in the final result. Because of it, the finished product may crack. Building glue with a plasticizer is best suited.
Properly prepared cold porcelain does not stick to hands and surfaces. If, even after thorough kneading, the mass does not want to take the required shape, it hardly lags behind the film, then it does not have enough glycerin or petroleum jelly. They are responsible for getting rid of excess moisture and plasticity of the material.
Does the material lose its shape, tends to fall off? Add a little starch to thicken the "dough".
Speed up drying by using a hair dryer or microwave. A slightly preheated oven will also help. If you're not in a rush, just flip the piece occasionally to dry out all over.
Coloring crafts
At the kneading stage, add pigment or water-soluble paint to the mass: tempera, gouache, acrylic.
Powdered dyes (including food) will help to paint the sculpted part. Apply them to the craft and hold them over the steam, allowing the color to soak in.
Use a thin brush and paints to draw details on the finished product. Please note: when dry, water-soluble will fade slightly, while oil will retain brightness and saturation.
Look at a photo of gizmos from cold porcelain: what amazing and stunningly beautiful things you can create with a little effort and imagination!
Drying
The craft will naturally dry out in 1-7 days. Putting it in a slightly preheated oven will speed up the process.
Do not be alarmed when the product shrinks slightly after drying: it should be so. Consider future shrinkage during the sculpting process.
Benefits from work
Surprisingly, this is true: molding from cold porcelain will bring into the world not only beautiful product, but will also have a positive effect on the well-being of bones and joints. It will improve blood and lymph circulation, facilitate seasonal exacerbations arthritis, arthrosis and gout. Working with small details will improve fine motor skills and calm the nervous system.
Sculpting is a very fun process that is not difficult even for beginners. Let your first work be cold porcelain flowers, a bird, an animal, jewelry. By increasing the level of skill, you will be able to perform elements that require more delicate work.
Use our simple cold porcelain sculpting instructions for beginners to get creative with your creativity!
DIY cold porcelain photo
Outwardly, cold porcelain is similar to plasticine or clay, but unlike them, it does not require cooking, firing or baking. It hardens within 2 days, and becomes quite dense and durable. You can combine this material with any decor: buttons, lace, shells, and sprinkle the surface with sand, beads, paint with any paints and varnishes.
The first such products date back to the 19th century, the exact country of origin is unknown, but this is attributed to the Argentines.
Products made from cold porcelain are extraordinarily beautiful, but they require special care. Moisture can soften them, leading to sourness, and the sun's rays discolor. Influence high temperatures can lead to dryness, and too low - to destruction.
It is possible to extend the service life of cold porcelain crafts by applying several protective layers of varnish. This will not only protect them from exposure environment but also will give shine and color.
You can dazzle anything from cold porcelain at home: from small jewelry to small decorative accessories. Many people use this technology to decorate flower pots and dishes, and the most valuable are decorative garlands in the form of flowers, leaves, greenery and figurines of animals and cartoon characters.
How to make cold porcelain with your own hands?
To do this, you need to acquire the following materials:
- 200 grams of PVA glue;
- Rice starch (if absent, you can use corn starch) in the amount of 1 cup;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of glycerin;
- Any non-greasy cream.
Mix the ingredients and set aside for 10-20 minutes. You can not leave the mixture for a long time, you should start work immediately and, if possible, use all the material. Sometimes citric acid is added to the composition to increase the shelf life of the product.
If you add water, the products will be fragile. Any food coloring or chalk is used to dye porcelain. It is recommended to refine the surface no earlier than 2 days after the product has dried.
Where to begin?
For work, first of all, you will need materials and the following tools:
- Any object that can be used to roll material;
- Scissors, tweezers and toothpicks;
- Brushes and various paints;
- Chopping surface;
- Glue for forming crafts;
- Gloves and wet wipes;
If you are planning such a lesson for the first time, before starting the main work, you need to watch the master class and read the detailed step-by-step instructions for beginners, otherwise you risk ruining the material and not getting the desired result.
The first examples for your masterpieces can be taken on the Internet from photos and videos of crafts using cold porcelain. The best place to start is by creating flowers.
Sakura made using cold porcelain technique
Part necessary material you need to make it white, and paint the other pink. Two layers of different shades must be fastened together and cut into rectangles from them - blanks for the petals.
With the help of tools, you need to shape the petals so that the base is pink and the edges are white. With the help of glue, fasten the petals, and in the middle with a toothpick make a hole for the wire, which will serve as a stem. After drying, flowers need to be collected in branches in order to naturally repeat the structure of a real flower.
Making roses using cold porcelain technique
To form this flower, a small piece of porcelain is taken and transformed into a ball shape, from which it is necessary to obtain a shape in the form of a drop.
Next, the end of the toothpick is dipped in PVA glue, then the drop is pushed with the wide side onto the end moistened with glue. For the convenience of further work, it is worth fixing the toothpicks on a piece of sponge or foam rubber. It is better to make pistils in advance so that they have time to dry out by the time the bud is combined.
To make petals, you need to prepare balls again and form drops. Using your fingers, flatten the drops and get the finished petals.
Using glue, we fix the resulting petals in a circle with an overlap, as if embracing the core, and bend them a little to create a natural effect.
From such flowers, you can make a whole topiary, which will decorate the room and will delight with an unusual appearance.
conclusions
Cold porcelain can be used to make not only flowers, but also various souvenirs that can be presented to loved ones - key chains, personalized cups, decorated by hand, figurines, panels and whole paintings. Such a gift will not leave anyone indifferent.
Photos of cold porcelain crafts
Although shops and souvenir shops are full of all sorts of cute trinkets, handicrafts do not lose their popularity. Moreover, there are more and more ways to relieve stress and create something amazing. An example of this is cold porcelain flowers, which anyone can make. And it's not difficult to prepare material for creativity.
Thanks to social networks and interest groups, needlewomen from all over the world unite in friendly teams, where they share recipes for interesting things. This is how the idea of porcelain flowers gained popularity, not only looking great in the interior, but also captivating into the world of relaxation even at the stage of preparation.
The simplest option for making artificial flowers is ready-made polymer clay. This plastic material is notable for its low cost and relative maneuverability. However, it is much more profitable and interesting to cook porcelain with your own hands.
Before starting to create a masterpiece, it is advised to prepare everything necessary tools and fittings. The point is that finished porcelain is very impatient. It literally freezes before our eyes, so after its preparation, there will be no time left for preparing materials.
So, for work you will need:
- Regular dough trolley;
- Forms for cutting (gingerbread will do);
- Wire, preferably of two types;
- Scissors;
- Special ribbon for floristry.
If the local handicraft shops promote porcelain art, there are bound to be special forms for flower petals. Such a device will allow you to create leaves with all their veins and bends. Such a product cannot be distinguished from a real rose!
Self-preparation of the material
In order not to buy ready-made material, you can cook cold porcelain with your own hands. The cooking master class provides for the availability of the simplest tools at hand.
You will need:
- Starch. Both regular potato and corn are suitable;
- Lemon juice or a little vinegar
- Johnson's Baby Skin Oil;
- Cosmetic hand cream;
- Round tip tools.
Stationery glue and starch will need 240 grams each. The rest of the ingredients need 50 grams or about two tablespoons.
The ingredients for making porcelain must be mixed until smooth. Then place the mixture in the microwave for half a minute. After heating for 30 seconds, remove the liquid from the oven and mix thoroughly. This procedure must be repeated three times.
If all the rules are followed, the mixture becomes very thick the third time. When it is difficult to mix it, spread the mass on a cutting board. The surface is pre-lubricated with hand cream. The mixture must be kneaded in the same way as the dough is kneaded.
The advantage of such porcelain over purchased polymer clay is that homemade products do not need to be dried in the oven or using other devices. Crafts made dry perfectly in the fresh air.
If there is a lot of mass, it is not necessary to use all of it. The "semi-finished product" is perfectly stored. It is enough just to wrap it in foil and place it in the refrigerator.
By negligence, the mass forgotten on the table will quickly dry out and become unusable!
Making porcelain flowers
For those thinking about what can be done from cold porcelain, it will be useful to find out - the primary material is most often white. Therefore, white roses or other flowers that do not require the use of dyes are perfect for the "test of the pen".
If it is necessary to add color to the product, you can mix the mass with a small amount of oil paint. More prosaic means are also suitable. For example, cosmetic blush or eyeshadow. Coloring agents should be added during the kneading step until the mass has hardened.
Before you start sculpting, you should prepare a bud on which the petals will be superimposed. Before starting work, it is recommended to lubricate your hands with a greasy cream. While the bulk is in the refrigerator, several balls roll, which are placed on the tip of the wire. After that, flowers can be made from cold porcelain.
Master class for beginners step by step:
You can dry the finished product in the room or in the fresh air, hanging it by an impromptu stalk. The main thing is that the wire stem is quite long. It can be folded into a hook and hung on a clothesline. After drying, cut off the excess wire length.
Having made several such buds, they are combined into one composition, creating truly amazing bouquets step by step.
DIY leaflets
To add greenery to the product, you need green dye. The mass can be painted with paints or you can buy ready-made plastic of the desired shade. You can also buy molds for making vegetation in the store. For those who are not looking for easy ways, you can cut the leaves by hand, enjoying the process.
Roll out the green mass very thinly. It is optimal if its thickness does not exceed 1 mm. The surface is lubricated with cream so that the thinnest layer can be removed from the board without damaging its shape.
Next, the required contour is squeezed out with a knife or with the help of a mold. If it is difficult to draw a leaf by hand, you can attach a piece of paper that was previously cut out of waxed paper to the rolled layer. Some craftswomen use leaves of artificial flowers, which are pressed against the porcelain to obtain a characteristic relief.
Notches and grooves on the leaf are applied with any sharp object. A pin, needle, or a creamy toothpick will work. The stem for the leaf should be wrapped with floral tape. Grease the tip with glue and press into the base of the sheet.
The finished flowers are left to dry. When the product is dry, it can be varnished. However, real flowers don't shine, so artificial highlights can ruin the illusion of natural vegetation.
Kittens for home decor
From cold porcelain, you can create flowers, decorative elements and New Year's toys. Figures of animals are also popular, which will decorate and amuse lovers of homemade products.
Step-by-step instructions for sculpting a kitten:
- A ball is formed from a small piece of material. This will be the head of the animal.
- Next, small flattened triangles are sculpted, which will become ears.
- A larger triangular piece is turned into a torso, indicating the legs.
- A thin sausage will serve as a tail. It should not be too thin, so that this part does not fall off during drying.
- On the muzzle, pits for the eyes are pushed through with the head of a pin and painted over with a regular marker. You can add color to your eyes even after the craft dries.
- It's great if the cat's nose is pink. You can also paint it after drying.
How to store plastic products
Not only flowers can be made from polymer material prepared with your own hands. From cold porcelain, a master class for the preparation of which is quite simple, you can make other products.
Having tried your hand at modeling from cold porcelain for beginners, you can start more serious crafts. Experienced craftswomen create real miracles from this cold material.
It should be remembered that porcelain is not only a fragile material, but also capricious... Store finished products in a dry place, as water can disrupt the structure of the craft. It is also important to protect products from direct sunlight.
Cold porcelain is an example of how real masterpieces can be created from scrap materials. The process will bring pleasure even to beginners and those who have never tried themselves as a sculptor.
Attention, only TODAY!
V recent times it has become popular among florists and handmade lovers to make flowers from cold porcelain. The buds impress with their realism and amaze with their beauty. To create a fragile and translucent masterpiece, professional skill is not required at all, only plastic material and invention. Today we will talk about how to make flowers from cold porcelain with our own hands at home, present simple and understandable modeling master classes with photos.
Cold porcelain crocuses
Materials for making crocuses:
- a set of plastic spoons;
- cold porcelain (we have already written how to make cold porcelain at home);
- food colorings;
- cookie cutters;
- cutting board;
- a coil of wire;
- knife;
- a roll of green electrical tape;
- rolling pin;
- plastic blades of grass or thick green cardboard;
- basket or wrapper for a bouquet.
A pretty bouquet of flowers from cold porcelain is made as follows:
- Roll out the HF according to the type of dough. Cut the petals with a special iron cookie cutter in the shape of a droplet.
- If you press the petal against any grooved surface, a beautiful pattern will emerge on the surface.
- To make the petals come out curved, put each one in a plastic spoon, pressing well.
- Wrap the wire with light green tape to make the stems.
- Next, use yellow or orange HF pieces. Roll them out and cut into small triangles.
- Cut the base of each triangle into small notches, roll them into tubes, and so you get nice little pistils.
- Sculpt the stamens from the same yellow material. Treat each with PVA glue, and you can dip it in corn grits for beauty, so that it looks like pollen.
- Attach 3 pistils and 3 stamens to the stem.
- Further, 2 rows of 6 petals are attached to the base.
- Cover the stalk with green HF, and hang the flowers with their heads down so that they do not lose their appearance.
- Place the dried flowers in a basket, alternating them with plastic blades of grass. Or you can just tie them up with a ribbon.
Important! It is not necessary to paint the material, you can simply paint the finished product with oil paints.
Bright tulips from cold porcelain
Required tools and materials:
- gouache;
- scissors;
- glue;
- toothpicks;
- baby cream;
- rolling pin for rolling;
- brushes;
- wire;
Here is a simple step-by-step sculpting for beginners. It is simple and does not require large material and energy costs.
Modeling flowers from cold porcelain consists of the following steps:
- Treat tools, tabletop, and hands with cream.
- To make the middle of a tulip, you need to paint the material in a pale green shade.
- The pistil of a tulip consists of 3 divisions, and the number of stamens is 6.
- Bend the end of the wire with a loop, dip it in the glue and attach a pestle to its end. Make three grooves in it with a toothpick, thus dividing it into three equal parts.
- Make 6 more cuts in the middle so that the legs of the stamens are formed.
- Let's move on to making the stigma of the pistil. Attach it to the top and shape with a toothpick.
- Mix yellow and red gouache in a drop of water. You will get an orange tone, color the anthers.
- Make the flower itself pink.
- Roll the blanks under the petals using your hands or the rounded tip of a rolling pin.
- Use a toothpick to paint the petal pattern. Leave to dry for about 3-4 hours.
- After the petals are almost dry and have taken the desired shape, you need to attach the tip of the petal to the kinder surprise box and easily wrap it with a thread of wool.
- Collect the bud by reinforcing 2 rows of 3 petals.
- Place a light green HF tape between the rows, and anoint everything with glue.
- Leave the buds to dry for about a day, heads down.
- After drying, continue working.
- Color the material for the leaves and stems.
- Cover the leaves and stems and let sit for another 12 hours.
- Roll out the HF leaf and use scissors to cut out the leaves. Make the edges thin, rolling with a regular rolling pin.
- Leave to dry for a day, making a bend in the center of each.
- Get down to toning. Mix white and red gouache with water.
- Tint the entire piece with this color.
Apply a light green tone to the base of the petals so that there are no sharp transitions.
Attach the leaf to the stem and the bright tulip is ready.
Delicate rose from cold porcelain
For your attention, do-it-yourself mega-popular cold porcelain rose modeling. Prepare:
- mass for modeling;
- sponge for washing dishes;
- toothpicks.
Your attention step by step master class for beginners:
- Twist a small HF ball into a droplet shape.
- Dip the tip of a toothpick into the glue, and place the resulting drop on it with the wide tip down. The base of the rose came out. To work comfortably, stick a toothpick into the sponge.
- Make a bun again, and a drop from it.
- Place the drop on your palm and flatten it out with your index finger. You will have a petal, the edges of which should be as thin as possible.
- Lubricate the base of the petal for strength, and attach to the core, as if "hugging" it with a petal.
- Repeat making the petals, and overlap the petals slightly.
If you make a lot of such blanks, then you can easily make a bright - fancy tree round shape on the leg.
Headband with orchids
For an original hair decoration, you will need:
- oil paints of different colors (white, yellow, green);
- red acrylic paint;
- green and red pastels;
- wire for floristic work;
- PVA glue;
- brushes, knife, dumbbell, scissors;
- small orchid mold;
- HF and the bezel itself.
The work is done in this way:
- Cut out a couple of 6 cm pieces of wire. Bend one end of the wire into a loop.
- Mix a small lump of HF with protein paint and form a bun with a diameter of about 1 cm.
- Dip the eyelet in PVA, and slide a white lump over it.
- Do the same manipulations with the second wire, maybe a slightly smaller diameter.
- Use the knife to scrape the green pastel chalk. Dip a dry brush in powder, and paint over the bases of the buds with it, while they are still damp, and the tops with red.
- Mix a small lump of HF with a green oil dye. Put the dyed dough on a wire with a bud, having previously greased it with glue. Gently stretch the green mass around the entire wire.
- Leave the bottom end (1 cm) of the wire "bare". Roll the wire over the honey with your fingers so that there are no bumps left. Repeat with the second piece.
- Take a ball of dough with a diameter of about 2.5 cm. Mix it with a drop of red and white oil paint so that a delicate pink shade comes out. Tear off a piece from it and form an elongated petal about 1.5 cm high. Using the mold, give the leaf the texture of an orchid.
- Place the workpiece on the palm of your hand and press down with a dumbbell on top so that it bends slightly inward. You need 3 such leaves.
- Put them in a "flower", and cover the center with glue.
- Glue the 2 top petals. They are rounded and voluminous.
- Take a piece of HF and mix with red oil paint for a rich shade. Roll into a thin pancake and cut the orchid core with scissors.
- Put it on your hand, process it with a dumbbell, and bend the sharp edges inward.
- Glue the cores to the center of the flowers.
- Attach the blanks to one another, weaving the ends together.
- Wrap the "bouquet" with green mass to the rim, after applying glue to it.
- Spread red acrylic on the sharp ends of the orchid cores, draw small red dots on the petals.
- Leave to dry for a day, and a beautiful decoration is at your service.
What kind of cold porcelain crafts do you make? Share with your readers in the comments.
Video: Modeling flowers from cold porcelain for beginners