If you have found my shop and wondered what the little bears and bunnies are actually made of, this post is for you. Almost everything I make is cold porcelain clay, and it is the thing people ask me about most, so I wanted to write it down properly in one place. No kiln, no oven, no factory. Just a kitchen table in Ontario, a few simple ingredients, and a lot of drying time.
What is cold porcelain clay, exactly?
The name is a little misleading. There is no porcelain in it, and it never goes near a kiln. It is an air-dry clay, and it gets its name from the smooth, slightly translucent look it has once it dries. Crafters have been making it at home for a long time, especially for delicate flower work, because it can be shaped much thinner and finer than most clays without crumbling.
What is it made from?
I make mine from scratch: cornstarch, glue, vinegar, oil and paper napkins. That is the whole list. I make it at home in Ontario in small batches, let it rest, then knead it again before I start sculpting. Making my own means I know exactly what is in every piece, and I can adjust the texture depending on what I am building that day. If you want to know more about me and why I started doing this, I wrote about it on my about page.
How is it different from polymer clay and store-bought air-dry clay?
Polymer clay is the one most people know. It is a plastic-based clay that stays soft on the table until you bake it in an oven, and the oven is what hardens it. Cold porcelain does not get baked at all. It sets on its own, in air, on a shelf in my house. Heat is not its friend, so baking it is not a shortcut, it is just a way to ruin a piece.
The air-dry clays you buy in a craft store are usually more porous and chalky, and they can stay soft or crumbly at the edges. Cold porcelain behaves differently. It dries rock hard, takes a smooth surface, and holds fine detail well. It does shrink a little as it dries, which is just part of working with it and something I plan for while I sculpt.
Why do I use it for tiny detailed things?
Most of what I make is small. A bear the size of your thumb, a cat curled up on a keychain, a bunny holding a mug. Cold porcelain is lovely at that scale because it can be worked very thin, it takes a fine line without tearing, and it smooths beautifully under your fingers. Little ears, tiny paws, a face the size of a pea. That is where this clay is happiest, and it is why I fell in love with it.
How is a piece made, start to finish?
- Sculpting. Every piece is shaped by hand with a few small tools.
- Drying. Then it air dries for 2 to 5 days. Bigger or more detailed pieces take longer, and I would rather wait than rush something that is still soft in the middle.
- Painting. Once it is fully dry I hand paint it, using acrylics or soft pastels depending on the finish I want.
- Sealing. Last, I glaze it with resin or polyurethane. That is what gives it its shine and adds a layer of protection.
Because of all that, custom pieces take 1 to 3 weeks from order to shipping. If something is already made and sitting in the shop, it goes out within 3 days instead. Everything is made at home in Ontario, and I ship across Canada and to the US, with free shipping over $75 CAD in Canada and $75 USD in the US.
Why does every piece look slightly different?
I try to measure the amount of clay so pieces of the same design stay similar, but since it is handmade, slight differences and imperfections are normal. One bear's smile sits a little differently. One bunny is a hair rounder. I think that just adds charm, and it means the piece you get is genuinely yours. Almost everything in the shop is one of a kind anyway, because I usually only make one.
How long will a piece last?
A long time, with a bit of sense. Fully dried and sealed cold porcelain is hard and holds up to everyday handling, which is why I am comfortable making things like keychains and phone hippers that live in a bag or a pocket. The two things that shorten a piece's life are water and heat, so keep it away from both, and dust it gently rather than scrubbing. If a sealed piece does get splashed, dry it off rather than leaving it wet. I have written a separate post on looking after your clay pieces if you want the longer version.
And honestly, what it is not
- Not food safe. Please do not eat or drink from anything I make. My little trinket dishes are for rings and earrings, not snacks.
- Not waterproof forever. The glaze protects it, but this clay is water based at heart. Soaking it, running it through a dishwasher or leaving it in a steamy bathroom will catch up with it.
- Not for young children or pets. Small sculpted parts can break off, and that is a choking risk. These are decorative pieces meant for older kids and adults.
What does it actually look like in real life?
The easiest way to understand this clay is to look at it. The desk buddies show off the detail best, something like the bunny with the hot chocolate, and the worry stones show how smooth the surface gets once it is sealed. The pen holders and mini photo holders are a good look at how it behaves at a slightly bigger size. You can browse everything I have made so far in one place. Most pieces sit between $15 and $50 CAD.
Questions I get asked about this clay
Can cold porcelain clay be baked to harden it?
No. It is 100% air dry, and heat is the wrong tool for it. Baking it will crack or warp a piece rather than speed anything up. The only thing that hardens it is time and air, which is why my pieces sit drying for 2 to 5 days before I ever pick up a paintbrush.
Is cold porcelain waterproof?
Not on its own, and not permanently even once it is sealed. The clay is water based, so water is the thing it likes least. The resin or polyurethane glaze I use gives it real protection against handling and the odd splash, but it is not a promise you can soak it, wash it or leave it in a humid bathroom.
Is cold porcelain food safe?
No, and I would rather say that plainly than let anyone find out the hard way. Nothing I make should be eaten from, drunk from, or used to serve food, including the trinket dishes, which are meant for jewellery. If you want something to hold snacks, please buy something made for that.
Is it safe for kids?
The material itself is generally considered non-toxic, but that is a different question from whether my pieces are suitable for a small child. They are not. The sculpted details are tiny and can snap off, which is a choking hazard, so I only recommend them for older kids and adults. The same goes for pets.
Does cold porcelain shrink as it dries?
Yes, a little. That is normal for this clay and it is one of the reasons the drying stage cannot be rushed. I account for it while I am sculpting, so the finished piece comes out the size I intended. It also means a piece is slightly smaller and much harder than it was when it left my hands wet.
Can it be painted, and what do you seal it with?
Yes, and it takes paint beautifully once it is bone dry. I use acrylics or soft pastels depending on the finish I want, then seal with resin or polyurethane for shine and protection. Painting before it is fully dry is a mistake I do not make twice, so I wait the full 2 to 5 days.
Is cold porcelain the same as real porcelain?
No. Real porcelain is a ceramic that gets fired in a kiln at very high temperatures. This is a homemade air-dry clay that just happens to look smooth and slightly translucent when it dries, which is where the name came from. Same look in spirit, completely different material and process.
Can you make me something custom?
Often, yes, depending on what it is and how busy I am. Custom work takes 1 to 3 weeks from the time we agree on it, because the drying and sealing stages set the pace and I cannot speed them up. Send me a note through my contact page and tell me what you have in mind.