Creative Play Clay

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup warm water
food colouring or poster paints
shellac or clear nail polish

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan.

Add water. Stir until smooth.

Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture looks like mashed potatoes.

Remove from heat and pour onto mixing board to cool.

When clay is cool enough to be handled, knead.

For color, knead coloring into the clay until well blended, or paint finish, uncolored objects with poster paints.

When pieces are completely dry, brush with shellac or clear nail polish. Shellac is optional for figures colored with food coloring.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Double the recipe for large groups or for large objects.

How to Use It; With a rolling pin and cookie cutters or knife, you can roll and cut out creative play clay to make holiday ornaments, mobiles, and three-dimensional pieces.

This mixture can be molded into almost anything... flowers, animals, birds. It hardens quickly, so work with only a small amount at a time.

The larger the object, the longer it will take to dry.

Stored in plastic bags or in airtight containers, this clay will keep for several weeks.

Just Kids Recipes is located at www.justkidsrecipes.com