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Home » Homemade

How to Make Air Dry Paper Clay That Doesn’t Crack

Modified: May 21, 2025 by Vanessa Beaty · This post may contain affiliate links · 28 Comments

How to Make Air Dry Paper Clay That Doesn’t Crack pinterest image

There are few crafting supplies more versatile than clay. You can make just about anything you can dream up with clay—assuming of course that you are working with quality clay which doesn’t crack.

How to Make Air Dry Paper Clay That Doesn’t Crack pinterest image
Jump to:
  • Video Instructions:
  • Materials:
  • Instructions:

One of my favorite YouTube channels is Creative Mom. Her amazingly inspired fairy houses have captured my imagination. I’ve featured a number of her projects on the site as a result, like this one for turning old mason jars into fairy mushroom houses, and this one for a fairy tree house.

What blows my mind about her work is how detailed it looks at the end, but how simple her supplies are at the beginning.

Anyway, to make her projects, you need air dry clay. And unfortunately, all the clay I have tried using in the past has cracked. I’ve had site visitors write in about this problem, and as it turns out, her fans on YouTube have also asked her about it. So she made a tutorial for air dry paper clay that doesn’t crack!

Video Instructions:

Materials:

  • ⅞ cup (100 grams) of all-purpose flour
  • ⅘ cup (100 grams) of cornstarch
  • 8.8 oz (250 grams) of joint compound
  • 5.3 oz (150 grams) of school glue
  • 1.4 oz (40 grams) of olive oil or baby oil
  • 1 roll of toilet paper

Instructions:

1. Soak the toilet paper in warm water.

2. Squeeze out the excess water.

3. Put the toilet paper in the bowl.

4. Add the glue, joint compound, flour, oil, and cornstarch to the bowl, in that order.

5. Mix everything together.

6. If the clay seems too dry, you can add more water.

It really could not be simpler! I gave this a try, and the clay was awesome—it didn’t crack at al,l either while I was working or while it was drying. Give it a try!

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  1. Diana

    November 30, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    Thanks,for,themrecioe, can't wait,to,try it on some visual art for texture.

    Reply
  2. Sandra

    December 24, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    Thank you! Can’t wait to do this with my grand daughter!

    Reply
  3. Jenna

    January 04, 2018 at 3:00 am

    I made a double batch today with the intention of making a set of Game of Thrones inspired dragon's egg bowls tomorrow once I've picked up some balloons. Will this dough sand smooth if I use a fine grit paper once totally dry?

    Reply
  4. sam

    January 12, 2018 at 2:54 am

    what is joint compound?

    Reply
    • judy

      January 15, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      Joint Compound is the gypsum based "mud" used to smooth the seam where drywall panels meet, when constructing a wall. You can find it at hardware or building supply stores.

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      January 03, 2019 at 6:20 pm

      Rhinolight. Gypsum

      Reply
  5. mau

    February 24, 2018 at 10:48 am

    hello....what else can you make using this clay??
    jewelry bowls, tea light candle holders...etc??

    Reply
  6. lorenz

    February 25, 2018 at 8:40 am

    hello! can i use recycled papers or egg cartons instead of toilet papers?

    Reply
  7. Yvonne

    February 28, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    I have paper egg cartons. How many 1 dozen egg cartons do I need to make a batch.

    Thank you

    Reply
  8. Cathi

    April 14, 2018 at 11:02 pm

    Is this waterproof and can it be used for outdoor fairy houses ?

    Thank you !!

    Reply
  9. cindy burke

    May 03, 2018 at 7:27 pm

    so is it water proof and can I make things and will it crack and can I add colors to it thank you

    Reply
  10. Patricia Morgan

    July 25, 2018 at 4:12 am

    I would like to know if egg cartons can be used .and how do you get them smooth .do you have to use a blender

    Reply
  11. Anonymous

    November 28, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Yes it will

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    December 01, 2018 at 1:23 am

    If it gets wet will it deteriorate?

    Reply
  13. Lily

    February 22, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    What size roll of toilet paper? They seems to come in so many sizes from regular to mega roll. I don't want to get my ratio's off! Thank you so much 🙂

    Reply
    • Vanessa Beaty

      February 22, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      Regular/normal everyday roll 🙂 Check the photos to see the size I used!

      Reply
  14. Rishna

    July 19, 2019 at 4:32 pm

    How long does it take to dry? Thanks.

    Reply
  15. sanja

    September 11, 2019 at 3:20 pm

    Please, how long in advance can you make this clay? I mean, how long can it stay before you make something of this clay? Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Sally E. Goff

    September 16, 2019 at 1:39 am

    i`m thinking this will be the very thing I need to make my Fairy House. Thank You .How long will it last sealed up like you had it,before i must use it?

    Reply
  17. Lolita

    February 12, 2020 at 12:56 am

    Can you post a recipe in US measures? Like Cups and tablespoons...please!
    How long will it keep while you are working with it?

    Reply
  18. Tessa

    March 16, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    What are the amounts in cups? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Beaty

      March 17, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Hi Tessa, I have converted the ingredients to US measurements.

      Reply
  19. Deb Gordin

    July 18, 2020 at 4:38 am

    I made the clay for the fairy houses yesterday. What a flop! I did exactly as the recipe said but it was WAY too crumbly so I added more water. Too wet, Add more glue, patching compound, flour and cornstarch. Did not help. Tried adding more water and just patching compound. Finally got it to hold together but when trying to smooth it out on something, it would come apart. The only thing I can think of that might have made a difference was the size of the roll of toilet paper used. I used a roll from Costco which is bigger than a roll of some other brands. formed it into 4 balls, put it in a ziplock and left it until this afternoon. The balls were hard on the outside but broke apart easily. So I tried crumbling one up and mixing it with a patching compound paste. Too grainy and dried WAY too fast to work with. SIGH! Back to store bought air dry clay!

    Reply
  20. Vera Clyne

    August 25, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    It looks like your joint compound is a powder in the video - is that so? I have joint compound that is more of a paste/wet plaster.

    Reply
  21. Alyssa Rainey

    October 16, 2020 at 1:19 pm

    Can I make this without the joint compound and the cornstarch

    Reply
  22. renee newberry

    November 23, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    question: I have stones white paper clay. I want to strengthen that. do you have any tips? thanks.

    Reply
  23. kang hyun woo

    January 24, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    Hello! I am an artist living in Korea. I have a question. What is the reason for adding oil? Is it related to cracks? Please email me.

    Reply
  24. anonposter

    December 17, 2022 at 2:45 pm

    Seems like it would mold because of the cornstarch and go rancid because of the oil. Who knows how safe joint compound is also?

    Reply

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