How to Make Paper Clay With Simple Ingredients Without Glue or Joint Compound?

How to Make Paper Clay with Simple Ingredients Without Glue?

I make paper clay with newspaper this time. You may not believe me that this is my first time working with newspaper for homemade clay.

I saw many people make clay with newspaper and I try to avoid it because I am a little bit scared with the ink used for printing the newspaper. I would normally use toilet paper adding to my homemade clay to make paper clay.

But, my PVA glue for homemade clay left few cm from the bottom of the bottle now. I have to save it since it is not easy to buy new glue in Melbourne, Australia with 6 weeks lock down - stage 4 with curfew from 8.00 pm to 5.00 am. Same thing with my tissue paper, I have to save it for more important thing :).

That's why I choose newspaper. 

Other option to make paper clay as you may already know is magazine paper or shredded paper.

Again, I choose newspaper because some of my YouTube channel visitors keep asking me if they can add newspaper to my best homemade clay recipe. I am not sure because when I make that homemade clay, it's not meant for paper clay. Later on, I've added tissue paper to my best homemade clay recipe but not newspaper pulps.

So, I decided to make paper clay with newspaper with simple ingredients that most of us may already have it at home..

And, it is without PVA glue. 


Materials and Steps to Make Paper Clay:

There are only 5 ingredients in this super simple paper clay recipe: 

  1. Paper pulp
  2. Plain flour
  3. Glutinous rice flour
  4. Salt 
  5. Water

The beauty of this recipe is, you decide the amount of the paper pulp, water and flour. That's why I didn't put in the exact measurements here.

Sometimes, you can make the clay looks like whipped cream or peanut butter consistency where you can spread the clay paste with palette knife/ spatula. You can see I did that for boot fairy house project.



You can also make the clay with texture and consistency like store bought air dry clay by adding more pulps and flour. I use it for tomato fairy house craft project.



This paper clay recipe is very flexible. And, most importantly, you will have beautiful clay with whatever measurements you choose. 


paper clay

STEP 1: Make the paper pulp.

Cut your paper/ newspaper to small pieces and put it in the bowl. You can make as many as you like because you can keep dry paper pulp in a jar to make few batches of paper clay.

Pour hot water onto the bowl covering all the newspaper and wait until the water cool down. I didn't keep it overnight.

Then, I put those wet newspaper in mini chopper together with part of the water to make the machine works easily. 

STEP 2: Once the newspaper becomes paper pulp, scoop the pulp together with some of the water for about 1 small cup or 1 spoon (1 part). I didn't squeeze out the water from the pulp because I need it to mix with flour. 

Then, add 1 part (same measurement with the pulp) of plain flour, 1 part of glutinous rice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix all ingredients together. Add water if the mixture too dry/ hard.

FYI, when you use more paper pulp (not so wet) with less flour, you'll have darker and stronger clay. 

When you use more flour with wetter/ less paper pulp, you'll have whiter and smoother clay but not as strong as paper clay with more paper pulp.

You'll be the one to decide the clay texture and consistency and you will never fail because when your clay is too soft, just add more dry paper pulp or flour. And, if the clay is too hard, add more water.

Make sure you make small quantity of clay - just enough for your craft. Of course you can keep this paper clay in the fridge but wet clay won't last long - mold will grow after sometimes. 

You see below that I have 3 different clay colors due to different amount of paper pulp and flour mixing. These are my 3 days old paper clay kept in the fridge.

How to Make Paper Clay with Simple Ingredients Without Glue?

Now, if you make lots of paper pulp, squeeze out the water until no more water come out from it. 

Keep this dry paper pulp in container which you can use it to make another batch of paper clay next time.

How to Make Paper Clay Without Glue, With Only 4 Ingredients?

Yayy...Congratulations! Now, you have air dry paper clay for your paper mache projects, sculptures, or to wrap around the jar to make fairy house projects.

Btw, you can watch video tutorial to make this clay at my Youtube channel. Please Like, Share and Subscribe to Clayitnow channel and turn on the notification. So, you'll be notified when new video uploaded.

Thank you for your visit and support.


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