Paper Clay

This is my paper clay method.  Like me it’s quick and dirty.  It serves me well because I only use small amounts at a time and I like the coarse texture.

First I raid my recyclables for paper. I stay away from anything glossy or extra thick, because I’m not going to spend a lot of effort breaking it down.

I run the paper through a security shredder, boil some water and combine equal parts of the two and let them set overnight.

After it’s soaked I strain it and grab small clumps of the paper and squeeze it as dry as I can by hand into little balls about an inch in diameter.  Then I lay the balls out in a single layer to dry out completely.

Now when I need a bit of paper clay all I have to do is grab a few balls and reconstitute them with water. 

Once the balls break up completely, I strain the excess water, add some glue and I’m good to go. 

Since I’m not using any mold inhibiters if I don’t use it all, I refrigerate the rest.