Salt ceramic, also called Victorian salt clay is a traditional salt-based modeling medium.
It is an air-dry modeling clay,[1] which is commonly made in the kitchen by combining one part corn starch with two parts table salt and heated and stirred till it stiffens to a dough-like consistency.[2] It is then placed on wax paper to cool before kneading.[3]
The clay is naturally white, but is often colored by mixing in food color or paint after kneading.[4]
Salt ceramic dries to a coarse[5] stone-like texture,[6] and so is often used in folk craft and children's art. Like other air-dried modeling compounds, it is not suitable for vessels that will contain liquids.
Popular uses of salt ceramic include making jewelry[7] and Christmas ornaments.[8]
In jewelry making, it can be rolled into balls and formed into beads,[9] or pressed into various shapes. In making Christmas ornaments it is sometimes made into balls, similar to the bead-making process,[10] or rolled out with a rolling pin and cut with cookie cutters and painted.[11]
It takes about two days for the objects to dry. It is known to take paint well, once hardened.[12] It is often coated with acrylic, once hardened, to protect it from moisture.