Marisol's Cold Porcelain Recipe

Stovetop Method

Cold Porcelain is a "clay" or paste that can be made at home and is composed of white glue and cornstarch.  Cold porcelain is known throughout the world by many different names. It is also known as porcelana fria,  masa flexible,  biscuit, pasta di mais, among others.   It is soft, white and flexible and can be modeled into small figures or large.  Hard and durable when cured.

Cold porcelain requires no baking to cure and air-dries at room temperature.  As it dries, it will lose 15% to 20% of the original volume and this shrinkage must be considered when modeling.

Marisol Romero of  Porcelana Fria Paso a Paso has created the following 2-part video demonstration showing her stovetop method for preparing the cold porcelain paste.   There are many other recipes for cold porcelain, including microwave recipes.  Which one to use depends on your own experience and what you will be making with the cold porcelain. Some recipes are softer, some harder, some more flexible or rigid.    See our Recipes page for a few other recipes and try a few different ones to see which you are most comfortable with.


Marisol says:   The quality of the paste and elasticity of the dough often depends on the vinyl glue or adhesive you are using, always use known brands of good quality.

This is the recipe used for the cold porcelain in the following videos:

500 grams white glue   (about 17.6 ounces)
250 grams cornstarch    (about 8.8 ounces)
1 / 2 tablespoon stearin  (used as tallow in the manufacture of candles and soap)
1 / 2 teaspoon sodium benzoate  (preservative)
1 tablespoon glycerin  (a preservative, lubricant and thickener)
1 1 / 2 tablespoons of Vaseline

Spanish is spoken in this video demo for preparing the cold porcelain paste.   Even if you cannot understand what Marisol is saying, you will be able to see how she mixes and cooks the paste and learn the consistency when done.

Mix everything in a non-stick pan and remove the lumps, mix until everything is smooth and then cook over slow flame until everything starts to gather…keep stirring.   You can see the paste, as it cooks, begins to hold together like a firm dough and very little sticks to pan.  She cooks it for a little bit and takes it off heat to stir well and then cooks some more.

Marisol also demonstrates the kneading and stretching of the cooked paste.  As you knead it, if you are doing it right, it will have no lumps and be extremely smooth and easy to handle.   When ready, she divides the CP into smaller chunks (let rest for a day before using).

Video doesn't show Marisol putting the CP in plastic wrap or a container to store until used, but it should be always be stored air-tight.  Wait until it cools to wrap.

Part 1 of 2



Part 2 of 2



Thanks to our friend Morena in the Air-Dry-Clay Yahoo Group, we have a translation of some tips Marisol suggests in the above videos.   Marisol says:

• The white glue known as "school glue" is not the best quality for cold porcelain, use a glue that has more consistency, like white carpenters glue.
• Use a Teflon pan and wooden spoon.
• Follow the amounts in the recipe. If you double the recipe it will be very heavy and difficult to mix.
• Use low, low, low fire. Important to keep mixing while it is cooking, scraping around and folding the clay. That allows clay to cook evenly. Remove pan from fire if you feel you are not folding fast enough.
• If there is shine, that means the clay is not cooked; shine means the glue in it is not cooked.
• It is best to put the paste on marble to knead it, because it will stay cool. Marble or aluminum.
• Once clay is mixed, separate into parts, cover with plastic until it is cooled down. Then wrap in plastic bag and put in glass or air-tight container. 
• Best to wait 24 hours before using clay.