Does paper clay dry hard

Paper clay can be air dried and will usually dry completely within 24-48 hours. However, paper clay is sensitive to water and has a hard time drying out in humid areas. Fortunately, you can speed up with warm air from a dryer.

What is Paper Clay

It may be hard for you to imagine how paper clay works. How can they appear in the same phrase? In fact, paper and clay are similar in some properties.

I once made a kitten out of old newspapers ten years ago. To make it, I wet the newspapers with water. Because the wet paper becomes soft they can clump together. After the paper dried and hardened, I painted it blue. Today, the blue kitten remains intact on the bookshelf.

It’s much like clay crafting, but I don’t need a potter’s wheel or a high-temperature oven or kiln. I don’t even have to worry about getting mud all over my room! Of course, I can’t expect my paper cat to be as solid as clay.

Paper Clay

You can certainly think of paper clay as adding “paper” to clay, and that’s not wrong. When you tear open the clay, you will find layers of texture inside, which look like stacked papers. These are actually fibers, and paper is filled with these things.

Fibers make paper light, thin, and soft. Adding fiber to clay gives it the features of paper. So, paper clay is generally lighter and allows for thinner crafts.

But when the fibers absorb water, the supporting hydrogen bonds within them break, making the paper brittle.

Unfortunately, while clay can compensate for paper’s brittle weakness, it cannot completely overcome it. Paper clay (especially the fibrous kind) is more brittle than traditional clay.

What is Paper Clay Made Of

Of course, it’s not accurate to say that paper clay is made of paper. It actually contains a variety of ingredients:

Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is also the main ingredient in walls and plaster. Before it cures, it’s just a pile of sand or mud.

In paper clay, calcium carbonate is the clay. A little water can make it become sticky and you can shape it. When the water evaporates, calcium carbonate becomes hard, just like the wall.

Actually, the egg shells are also calcium carbonate. You have reason to believe that this ingredient will let you create thin and lightweight crafts with ease.

In addition to calcium carbonate, people can use other clay materials such as kaolin to make paper clay. But calcium carbonate costs less and is more readily available.

Natural Fiber

Natural fibers, more specifically cellulose. It mainly comes from plants, such as tree bark. Plant cell walls contain a lot of cellulose, which has a strong supporting effect. Cellulose allows trees to grow to hundreds of meters.

An interesting fact is that you can find cellulose not only in the hard trunks of trees, but also in the fluffy cotton. We extract cellulose from wood pulp or cotton and make paper clay from it, hence, people call it fiber clay too.

Oil

The purpose of the oil is generally to keep the clay moist, since water dries out easily. Calcium carbonate is rough to the touch. Adding oil can make it smooth and reduce friction with the skin of your hands. Without oil, paper clay would be a much worse experience.

Antibacterial

Bacteria are everywhere and paper clay contains water (the source of life). Without antibacterial agents, bacteria and fungi will quickly take up residence on surfaces. To extend the shelf life of paper clay, antibacterial agents are essential.

Advantages of Paper Clay

Lightweight

Paper is obviously lighter than clay. So when we replace the same volume of clay with paper, of course the total mass becomes lighter.

Easy to shape

Traditional clay requires a constantly turning potter’s wheel. And during the shaping process a lot of water is added to the clay, making it soft enough. You have to carefully control your hand strength to avoid ruining your work.

You can play with paper clay anytime, anywhere, at home or in the classroom. The clay does not require any expertise and anyone, beginner or child, can start easily.

Air drying, no oven or kiln required

Unlike other kiln clay, paper clay dries at room temperature. And hot summer days will make it dry faster. Thus, it does not require an oven or kiln.

Easy to color

After the clay is dry, we can color it. Its surface has the right roughness for paint to cover evenly.

Child and environment friendly

The ingredients of paper clay are natural fibers and calcium carbonate, which are non-toxic and safe. It meets the safety standards of ASTM and EN71 and is child-friendly. At the same time, it does not contain any harmful ingredients and is environmentally friendly.

Disadvantages of Paper Clay

Brittle and requires special protection

Paper clay will harden and become brittle as it dries. When we use it to make crafts, we either make it thick or give it extra reinforcement or protection after drying.

Flammable, do not burn

The ignition temperature of paper fibers is 451℉ (233℃), while the temperature of flame is approximately 2,012 °F (1,100 °C). So, you cannot burn or place this clay in the oven. When the temperature is higher than 392℉ (200℃), it is left with only clay and no paper.

Poor water resistance

Paper clay is sensitive to water, and even after it hardens, it will soften again when exposed to water. So, we need to avoid moisture when storing it. You also cannot place its crafts in places with high air humidity such as the kitchen or bathroom.

Paper Clay vs Air Dry Clay

Paper clay and air dry clay have many similarities. Sometimes, people also confuse them because they both dry at room temperature.

	Paper Clay	Air Dry Clay
Ingredients	Calcium carbonate, natural fibers, glue, oil, water	PVA, water, food coloring
Weight	Light, but heavier than air-dry clay	Super light
Dry time	Air dry within 24-48 hours	Air dry within 24 hours
Hardening	Becomes hard and brittle when dry and breaks easily	Hardens after drying, but is tough and not easy to break
Color	Usually white. After drying, paint or varnish	Variety of colors, no additional coloring is required. Can be varnished
Flammable	Yes	No
Shelf life (unopened)	24 months	12-18 months
Suitable Age	8+ years old. Paper clay sculptures require patience and are more suitable for teenagers or older children.	4+ years old. Air-dry clay is brightly colored and easy to craft, making it more popular among children.
Price	Low, but requires additional paint	Higher, but no paint required

Paper Clay vs Paper Mache

Paper mache means “chewed paper” in French, so you can imagine what it looks like. It is a composite material composed of paper sheets and pulp, with adhesives such as starch added.

Paper clay and paper mache both have “paper” in the name, but they are completely different. Paper clay is actually a type of clay rather than paper. However, paper mache can indeed be considered paper.

Paper mache usually comes in powder form. Just add a little water and the paper mache will resemble cement and you can shape it. After drying, the paper mache will also harden.

However it will be much more brittle than paper clay since it has no clay but only paper. Wet paper becomes brittle when it dries, so we generally don’t use paper mache to make thin things.

On the other hand, paper mache is more expensive.

What is Paper Clay Used For

Education activities are one of the most important uses of paper clay. Teachers will let students create art works using clay in the classroom, which is an important activity for developing their creativity and imagination.

As children shape paper clay with their fingers and sculpt it with tools, their tactile senses are also heightened and developed.

Apart from this, you can use this light clay at home. Parents can use it to make beautiful decorations with their children. In fact, both adults and children can realize their artistic imagination by playing with clay.

Can Paper Clay be Used Outside

Paper clay is generally not waterproof. If you use it outside, rain may make it wet and soft.

Nowadays, some paper clay have added waterproofing ingredients so that they can be used outside. Of course, this waterproof clay is more expensive.

Using paper clay to fix exterior walls or floors is a bold idea, but you’d better burn it after applying it. The flame will burn away the cellulose, leaving only calcium carbonate. This ingredient does not absorb water and dries strongly.

How to Color Paper Clay

After the paper clay is completely dry, you can color it. Not only does paint add color and shine to the clay, it also forms a thin protective film on the surface, extending the life of your craft.

Before coloring, you’d better prepare an extra piece of dry clay. Once you’ve mixed your colors on the palette, test it on that clay first to see if it’s what you want.

We usually start with a large area of base color and then finely paint smaller areas. Note, be sure to wait for the previous color to dry before applying a new one, otherwise the colors may mix.

You can keep a bucket of clean water next to your desk so you can clean your brushes and adjust colors.

How to Store Air Dry Paper Mache Clay

Typically, unopened paper clay can be stored for 2 years or more. The airtight packaging prevents it from drying out, and the bacteriostatic agent inside also protects it from growing moldy.

Since the lightweight clay is not resistant to high temperatures, you should store it away from direct sunlight and fire sources.

Unused clay after opening needs to be resealed to prevent it from drying naturally. Also, if you have pets at home, keep the clay out of their reach.

How to Make Paper Clay

You can indeed make your own paper clay at home using towels, like the example I mentioned at the beginning. You don’t need to look for calcium carbonate, we won’t be using it. All materials you can find at home or school.

Material Preparation

A roll of toilet paper
A bottle of school glue
Some flour
A bottle of mineral oil
Water
Bowls
A mixer

Instructions

Step 1: Pull out the core of the toilet paper first, and then soak it completely in water.
Step 2: Take out the toilet paper, squeeze out the water, tear it into pieces, and put them in another bowl.
Step 3: Add ¾ cup of school glue, 2 tablespoons of mineral oil, and ½ cup of flour to the shredded toilet paper.
Step 4: Mix them well with a mixer to get paper mache clay.

Notes

Glue will reduce the viscosity of clay. If you feel the clay is too thin, add some extra flour.
You can use newspapers instead of toilet paper. But toilet paper absorbs water faster and shreds more easily. And the ink from newspapers will stain your hands and tabletop.
Tear the toilet paper into small pieces as much as possible to prevent it from jamming the mixer.

Conclusion

Paper clay is an alternative to traditional clay that has the light and soft features of paper.

To craft, you don’t need a potter’s wheel and a dedicated workspace. You also don’t need to prepare an oven or kiln when drying. Paper clay can be air-dried at room temperature.

FAQ

Can you bake paper clay

The cellulose in paper clay is not resistant to high temperatures, and heat can damage its structure. Typically, oven temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius will destroy paper clay.

However, high temperatures will not damage the clay part. So, you can try baking paper clay at low temperature, but please be safe.

Does paper clay dry hard

Paper clay can be air dried and will usually dry completely within 24-48 hours. However, it is sensitive to water and has a hard time drying out in humid areas. Fortunately, you can speed up with warm air from a dryer.

Does paper clay need to be fired

Paper clay does not need to be fired. More precisely, you should not keep it near fire as it is not resistant to high temperatures.

Does paper clay shrink

Paper clay shrinks slightly when air-dried because the water in it evaporates, and the total volume decreases as well. However, the clay will not crack as a result.

Burning at high temperatures may cause the clay to shrink too quickly and crack.