Monday, August 27, 2012

Fortune Cookie Fortunes



This was in my fortune cookie. Now, I've had fortunes that didn't make sense but this...I've never gotten one like this. I don't even know what to think of it.

How To Make Cold Porcelain



Cold Porcelain is an air-dry clay that is cheap and easy to make. There are two ways to go about making it - by using the microwave or the stove. I used the stove but I think next time I will used the microwave. But in the end the results are the same so it really doesn't matter.

Here is what you need to make cold porcelain:

1 cup cornstratch
1 cup glue (two 4 oz. bottles)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of baby oil (I read it can be substituted with olive oil)
Saran Plastic Wrap and/or wax paper
Non-greasy or oil free lotion

Mix the glue and cornstarch together in a microwavable bowl or a sauce pan (depending on how you are going to make it). Then add the lemon juice and baby oil. Don't worry if the mixture doesn't look smooth. The heat will help with that.

For microwave:

Put your bowl of the mixture in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals.

For Oven:

Mix your ingredients in the sauce pan and put on low or medium low heat. I cooked mine on low because I was a bit nervous about making it.

For Both Microwave and Oven:

The mixture will become soupy and then it will thicken again. When it thickens, start testing it to see if it sticks to your hands. If it does, then the mixture still needs to cook. If not, then set it down for a moment and lay out a piece of Saran plastic wrap (or wax paper).

Squirt a bit of lotion onto the Saran plastic wrap (or wax paper) and spread it all around. This keeps the cold porcelain from sticking. Also make sure your hands are lotioned.

Pour the mixture on the Saran plastic wrap (or wax paper) and knead. It may be hot so be cautious about that. You can let it set for a few minutes to cool down but once it's cool enough to touch, start kneeding until it is completely cool. It doesn't take long and you might not need to wait for it to cool down at all.

To prevent cracking, put your cold porcelain in some lotioned plastic wrap and store in an air tight container (or a Ziplock bag) for 24 hours. If you are using a Ziplock bag, please take the air out of it and make sure that there are no holes. That is a sure way to lose your cold porcelain.

**Note: Cold Porcelain is air-dry. This is why you need an air tight container.

DO NOT add water to the mixture at all. This causes cracking.

After 24 hours, you can play with your cold porcelain and create things out of it. Cold porcelain shrinks when it dries so your creation will be smaller than how you make it.

Cold porcelain is degradable in water and heat due to the ingredients. Use a glaze to protect it. I would suggest something like Sculpey Glaze (but it's expensive depending on where you are). There is also Triple Thick by DecoArt. I've never tried it but some people really like it and one coat is all you need. There are some varnishes you can use but whatever you do, DON'T use Mod Podge. Mod Podge will not protect it from water since it is a water base glue. It will just end in a mess.

Have fun with it. Cold Porcelain is perfect for making things with the children. I wish I would have tried it when I was a nanny. The kids would have adored it.




Monday, August 20, 2012

Chalkboard Project

So, on Pinterest, I saw a ton of postings on how to make chalkboard paint so I figured...why the hell not? I bought this table a few years ago at target. I use it for a crafting...or piling things up because I'm too lazy to put it away. This is what it looked like:

It's just a simple cheap table that is in serious need of cleaning or repainting. One of the legs is loose too but I'll have to figure out how to fix that later.

Anyway, I mixed up some chalkboard paint (1 cup of acrylic paint + 2tbs of unsanded white grout) and turned it into this.


A closer look. Sorry about the awful lighting. My room only gets enough light during certain parts of the day. Unfortunately, it isn't the time.


This project cost me under $10.
  • Unsanded White Grout from Lowes - $4
  • A bottle of acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby - $2
  • Sponge Brushes from Hobby Lobby - $1.50
  • Chalk from Walmart - $0.47