We’ve had plenty of fun experimenting with household products to make things such as our Soft as a Cloud Playdough – using only 2 ingredients, Homemade Modelling Clay, DIY Foam Paint, Homemade Face Paint and much more!
This is another fun, inexpensive recipe that you can make from household ingredients!
It’s really soft & easy to mould & it air dries!
All you need is
1 cup of Elmer’s Glue
1 cup of cornflour
That’s it!
Then it’s just a matter of combining the two ingredients in a bowl & mixing well! It really couldn’t be easier!
You can use this recipe for cute little handprint keepsakes too!
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let us know below if you are going to give this a try!
We also have some fun videos for you to view too! You can check them out here.
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Fabulous, fabulous idea!! I want to run and make this clay right now…. and my kids are teens. 🙂
Is Cornflour the same as Cornstarch?
I think it must be. On their DIY Baby Keepsake post (http://pagingfunmums.com/2013/08/29/diy-baby-keepsake-using-homemade-clay/) they refer to “cornflower or cornstarch.” HTH! 🙂
I made this dough years ago with nieces and they loved making ornaments with cookie cutters. Lost the recipe and I wanted to make ornaments for a fund raiser I’m helping with. The Sunday school kids are making the ornaments to sell. Thanks.
So happy you found it :). Louise x
Does it try hard?
It sure does Melissa 🙂
So would this type of clay work for your hand-shaped ring dish project?
We haven’t tried it so we can’t say for sure, but gosh that craft is cute! Let us know if it works for you using this recipe 🙂
Fab idea….going to do this with my kids and make presents for family and friends 🙂
I’m in Australia – what is Elmer’s glue? Is it a white, ‘wet’ pasting glue (for paper/card etc)? Thick or thin? Thanks :-).
Hi Bree, we are in Australia too (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!). You can buy it at Woolworths in the craft section (you know with the glitter & pom poms etc). It’s in a white container with an orange lid 🙂
woolworths sell elmers glue. its like pva
Officeworks have the glue it’s only like $6. I Can’t wait to try this.
$6? We get it for like 50 cents…
Would you be able to paint it? And would you paint it before or after it dries?
Yes you can Karen! It would be best to paint it after it has dried 🙂
Where can you buy big bags of cornflowet? I’ve never seen it anywhere.
Hi Elizabeth, We live in Australia and mostly buy ours through Woolworths, you can order it online too :). Louise x
Could you decorate with sequins/glitter? Want to use for tree decorations
What a great idea Katie! You definitely could!
I’m thinking of doing a play date and having everyone make one of these. How long does it take to dry and is there any baking involved?
Hi Sarah, that sounds like a lovely idea! There is no baking involved & it takes a few hours to dry…probably best over night xx
Thank you for the information. Sounds like this will be a winner. Do you think they could be painted once dryed?
Love tis website will definitely use ideas from here soon
That looks very interesting. I’m really looking forward to trying it out with my group. Many thanks Sandra
Want to try
Could you mix fine glitter into the wet mix to make a sparkly dough, that the kiddies then don’t need to paint? Planning on doing handprints, and thought that painting might distract from the actual print, but still want a ‘special’ finishing touch. Also, do they need a varnish or does the glue mean you don’t need it?
Hi Tammyn, that is a SUPER idea! I’m sure that will be beautiful! I will have to try it myself! We didm;t use a varnish, but it wouldn’t hurt to use it to keep it that little extra longer 🙂
Brilliant ideas ladies, thank you.
This is an AWESOME IDEA! Gonna do this with my grandchildren. Love It!
Thought I would share this verse from the back of my hand plate from 1966, in case anyone wants to use it:
Here is my hand, so tiny, so small
To hang somewhere – upon a wall
To watch as the years go flying by
How fast we grow – my hand and I.
Awww that is so sweet Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I’m from Australia, is Elmers glue like flag or PVA glue? I would love to make this with my nieces!
Hi Louise, we are Aussie too, you can get it from Woolworths in the craft aisle 🙂
I’m gonna try this today I’m so excited
Can I get cornflour at a grocery store? Or do I need a craft store?
You sure can get it from the grocery store Luquetta…you will find it near the flour 🙂
This is brilliant! What an easy fun idea to do with the kiddies. Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m going to make this with my little ones and paint it like a turkey for Thanksgiving.
I can not wait to try this with my kids:)
Lobe this idea!! For those of us who don’t live in the Us, what type of glue is used, is it PVC glue?
Hi Donna,
We live in Australia too :). We have been able to buy Elmers in a few large retail stores. Regular PVA glue should work just as well though.
Louise x
It’s beautiful, I need to find the corn flour here in Panama.
It’s a very fine white flour…it might also be called cornstarch. Good luck!
Louise x
A very nice idea but I dont live in Aussie and I dont know if it is possible to use any other paper glue , any suggestions?
You could try any white craft glue that isn’t toxic?
Louise x
Does it dry & become hard? so that you’re able to save it as a keepsake?
Hi Jenny,
Yes, it air dries hard :).
Louise x
Hello,
I was just wondering i have family in new Zealand,
How would it go traveling over seas bubble wrapped of course. Will it also past customs?
Hi Simone,
That’s a very good question! I’m sure it would be fine bubble wrapped however you might need to check with customs somehow before you fly?
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Louise x
Thanks for replying,
Will they over time crack, i made a clay hand print and all them of them have cracked abd had to glue them back together?
Does it have to be cornflour or can it be regular flour?
Hi Ashley,
It needs to be cornflour or cornstarch – regular flour tends to get very sticky and won’t dry the same.
Louise x
Just made this but it turned out very sticky…?????
Hi Carly, Do you have some extra flour you could try to knead in? Louise x
Can u use project glue instead (similar to clag)…
Hi Meg, PVA glue should give the same result – not sure if clag would though… Let us know how you go :). Louise x
This is great. Thanks. I will use this in school next week. We are doing dinosaurs and I wanted to use printing to make the fossils. This will be perfect and give the activity an extra dimension.
Hi, I’m in England and have never heard of elmers glue, is there a different glue you can use?
Hi Amy, PVA Glue should give the same result. Let us know how you go :). Louise x
Looks wonderful and fun!! Just wondering is cornflour the same thing as cornstarch? Canada here, and I have to admit, I’ve never heard of cornflour!
Hi Yvonne,
Yes, it is the same :). We call it Cornflour here in Australia.
Louise x
I was wondering the same thing! Thanks! Lol 🙂
I am going to do this weekend with my grandchildren , thank you so much.
Hello Heather, I’m sure your grandchildren will LOVE it :). You are one FUN grandma – so happy to have you on our page :). Louise x
Totally doing this.
Great website thanks
Hi Sharon, Thank you! Welcome to our page :). We have so many great ideas that we look forward to sharing here! Louise x
Hi I’m from Malaysia. May I know if it can last longer without any mould?
Hi, It shouldn’t mould if it’s had time to fully dry. I would recommend spraying it with a sealer perhaps to make certain :). Louise x
I’m not sure if I over looked it. Do you let this air dry. Do you put this in a plastic bowl and pop it out when it’s dry. If there were instructions I was supposed to click could you please tell me. Thanks.
I would perhaps allow it to dry on an airing rack or cookie cooling rack for the best results. Louise x
Great idea, this made enough for my baby and toddler, but if I did it again I would start with 1/2cup glue as 1 cup of each was very sticky and I had to add a lot more cornflour
Can I use a cornstarch for this project?
Hi Lily, Yes you can! Louise x
Will definitely be doing this. I do family daycare and was wondering what else the kids could do for their parents.
Hi Jennifer, I’m sure their parents will LOVE these :). Louise x
Hi can’t wait to try this. Been looking for inexpensive ideas to use a stay and play group I have recently taken over. Looking forward to making some Christmas craft with the children and parents now x
Hi Kerry,
That sounds fantastic! Here’s a link to lots of other FUN Christmas crafts that you might find useful too :). http://pagingfunmums.com/?s=Christmas&x=0&y=0
Louise x
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this for handprints and ornaments too. I’m also going to share this at the nursery in case they are interested in trying it. I can’t see where we can share this (Pinterest). I can see where the group can be pinned. Can just this be pinned?
Hi Ann, So happy to hear you will get good use from this easy recipe! Here’s the direct link to the Pin on Pinterest. Hope it helps. Louise x
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/544443042426879792/
My daughter will surely LOVE it but can we make our own glue? We often make glue from sago starch. Would it make the same result? I live in Indonesia by the way
Hi Theresia, you could try but we haven’t tested it with homemade glue before. Here’s a link to another homemade clay if you can’t make this one – http://pagingfunmums.com/2013/07/07/homemade-modeling-clay/
Louise x
Fun 😀
can I use potato flour if I can not find corn flour? And normal white glue? I thought to try the food coloring with Glitter 🙂 hi from Finland!
Hi Tia, We have never made it using potato flour…do you use Potato flour to thicken things? Cornflour is often used as a thickening agent and I think that’s why it makes this clay so well. Great idea to add food colouring and glitter! Let us know how you go.
Louise x
Can you use food coloring in the dough to make the mold into different colors? Maybe just put the food coloring into the glue first?
I will definitely try this but I would like to know if it will last for years/decades ?? can it be attacked by insects?
Are you sure it’s PVA glue? Also known as woodwork glue? Or could it be what we in Australia call Clag which we buy in the supermarket and is very cheap?
I am really keen to make this!! But I am in Singapore…don’t think I can find such brand of glue…
May I know what are the ingredient for this glue so maybe I can find similar one over here…?
Hi can I use PVA glue instead.?
This is so awesome and so easy. I really should just have a milk container’s worth of Elmer’s glue on hand at all times. We use it so much! Thank you for this great post!!!
We made them today for Mommy and Daddy’s. Ages 4, 3, 2 and 6 months old
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Amazon has it for 23. Walmart.com has it for 19
This is so easy and quick to make… Thanks so much for sharing.
I found your website through Toddler Approved. This is great idea!! Is cornflour and cornstarch the same? I live in US and I can find cornstarch but have never heard of cornflour. Thank you.
Hi Aesook, glad you found us! We love Toddler Approved 🙂 We are based in Australia, but we believe it is the same 🙂
No, corn starch and corn flour are not the same. I learned this first hand. I tried the recipe with corn starch and glue. It took 2 hours to scrape the mixture from myself and son, and we are still picking the mix from the carpet and patio furntiture.
I used the exact recipe found here but used corn starch as we are in the US. The mixture. would not come off my utensilS and when my son tried to imprint his hand into the glob, it was impossible. I’m hoping for a different outcome by using corn meal instead of corn starch.
🙁
yes Cornstarch and Corn flour are the same Aesook 🙂
Yea corn starch and corn flour are the same thing!
I’m in UK but from Canada and yes they are same 🙂
yes US cornstarch is the same as Australian cornflour
Yep its the same.
My son absolutely loves play doh but its so expensive these days! The last time I bought some, I got the biggest pack they had thinking it’d last a while, 20 tubes for $49.99 that he blew through in about a week! I think this is genius! My son is about to start preschool and he’s at a phase where he loves anything he can create with. Make things with. This is gonna be so perfect for him & super helpful on my wallet. Thanks;
Will do this with my grandsons. wow!!
I teach preschool and my class truly enjoy playdough I will make this one!sounds good and easy.thanks
Can you use any sort of glue or does it have to be elmers?
You have to put in the oven then?
No it air dries.
How long does it take to dry?
thanks for this fun idea. will it work with other type of glue since i couldnt find this elmer glue?
Hi Lyn, we are based in Australia so we can get Elmers glue in Woolworths (in the craft aisle) and Officeworks. I do know that America has a similar version called ‘GlueAll’. I am sure that if you use a white craft glue it will work just fine. Let us know how you go 🙂 Jen x
Lynn the Elmers glue is found at any walmart store in the school section . It should be right next to the glue sticks .
Whenever a recipe calls for Elmer Glue, I use PVA glue. All brands seem to work the same.
I’d like to do this project for a kid’s Christmas party! How many do you think I can make with one bag/bottle? I have 18 kids ages 0-3 and 8 kids ages 5+. TIA.
Hi Daisy, you could probably get two handprints out of this recipe. Good luck 🙂 Jen x
I have used salt dough for some art projects, I think I will try this to see how
Hi there, Instead of Elmers glue, can I use Std PVA? It looks the same but is it??? xxx
Oh, I love this! Think we’ll be using this recipe to make some christmas gifts for the grannies!
Hi, I was so excited to try this. I measured out 1cup Elmers glue and 1cup of cornflour. The mix was very wet so I added more cornflour. It took a lot more cornflour than written above. At the moment the cut out shapes are drying. Let’s hope by tomorrow they will be ready for my nieces to decorate!
Will not try this again. The measurements are incorrect. Disappointed.
Hi. Does a cup of each glue and cornflour make a lot? If I were to use half a cup each would that be enough to do a hand print plaque for my one year old?
Thanks.
Hi Heidi,
It would be enough for a baby hand print but perhaps not a large one.
is that glue the same as PVA or wood glue ?
That what wanted to know please let me know via email as I don’t check this site …
I don’t think wood glue would work.
What surface is the best to use to dry the clay on?
I used alfoil and made sure the base was lightly dusted in cornflour. 🙂
Really cool idea! However i ended up using about 2.5 cups of cornflour. Mix with a old yuck spoon and then knead it with your hands yes it will get everywhere but easily washes up as long as you do it asap! I would hate to see it left til wash up! I made about 20 ornaments from cookie cutters and a metal skewer for the ribbon hole. Only problem was the kids couldn’t wait for them to be dry so they could decorate!
Hi there I am wondering if 118mls of glue equals one cup? Just trying to decide if I have enough glue without having to pour it out! Thanks!
Hi Marily, there are 250mls in one cup 🙂
Hi! Has anyone tried to add food coloring to this to see if it will work ok colored???
I found it cracked after drying so was no good for keepsakes in one piece but was great to play with.
I used pva glue as we live in the uk (england).
I have followed many recipees to the letter and none have lasted.
However i found that starving the mix of air before complete drying with spray varnish did the job..
Brilliant, i now have two pairs of foot and hand prints.
I also used this mix to cast plaster of paris in, the glue doesnt react with the plaster keeping it uniform enough to cast well so also have 3d prints.
Great to share. Xx
I wanna try this for sure! Can I paste it on a frame like the DIY baby keepsake? So I have my tod’s hand & feet marks forever. Pls lemme know. Tnx
Can’t wait to try it with my class on monday. Thank you
Hellow, I dont have cornflour, can I use All purpose flour in stead? If so, do I have to bake it? Thank you
Good morning!
Love your Facebook page!
You use helmets glue in a lot of your crafts and I’m just wondering if this is just a brand of PVA glue? I’ve never heard of it… Thanks for your help!
Hi Wendy, thanks so much! Yes we do use a lot of Elmers glue which is available readily in Australia. It is PVA based but not exactly the same as PVA glue. I hope this helps 🙂 Jenni x
how long do these last?
What is Elmers glue pls x
does it air dry?
I plan to try it. Planning to try and make a handprinted bowl for dads to keep change and keys.