This homemade plasticine recipe is super easy to make and does not require cream of tartar. I can prepare a batch in about 5 minutes and have a totally customized plasticine!
Recipe for plasticine without cream of tartar I
have never been one of those who make my own plasticine. It seemed like too much work and required expensive supplies (like cream of tartar). It never seemed much cheaper than buying a few cans for $0.99 in Meijer.
When I finally tried to make mine, I used an uncooked recipe because it seemed more like my speed. However, it failed. In a big way. Since then, I have always bought plasticine.
We use it all the time for plasticine invitations, like this book-inspired plasticine invitation, this scarecrow plasticine invitation, and this ocean plasticine. We even learned about the weather with plasticine.
But one day I had the great idea to make my invitation to an apple pie dough. The only thing is that I wanted it to be a certain color and I definitely wanted it to smell like apple pie.
And since you can’t buy plasticine-smelling apple pie, my only option was to make some.
After trying an uncooked recipe once again, I decided that not cooking just wouldn’t work for me. And since I don’t want to buy cream of tartar in bulk for $20, I decided I needed to find an alternative.
So I did some research and learned that you can substitute cream tartar for vinegar or lemon juice. I thought lemon juice would smell better and hopefully not overpower the smell of apple pie.
After 3 failed batches, I came up with this super easy plasticine recipe that doesn’t use cream of tartar!
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Plasticine recipe without cream of tartar
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Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1/4 cup salt 3
- /4 cup
- water 3
- tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable
- Food coloring
- Any seasoning or aroma you want
oil
I also love using these super affordable airtight containers to store my plasticine in the refrigerator.
Make the plasticine:
- Add the water, oil, and lemon juice to a medium nonstick pot and heat over medium heat on the stove (maybe even a little lower depending on your stove).
- Add food coloring, liquid flavorings or Kool-Aid to the water mixture.
- In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and any dry seasonings you are using.
- After the water is hot, but not boiling, slowly add the dry ingredients to the pot and while mixing to combine. I use a wooden or plastic kitchen spoon.
- Stir continuously until the ingredients combine, dry and begin to form a ball. If there are parts that look a little sticky still, simply flatten the dough and place the sticky side at the bottom of the pot very briefly. Flip back and forth frequently until it no longer seems sticky. However, don’t cook it too long. It is better to be a little undercooked, as it will firm as it cools.
- Place on a sheet of waxed paper until it cools a little. Then knead the dough for a minute or two to put it all together.
All this happens quite quickly. I can make a batch of plasticine in less than 5 minutes and I’m totally new to making plasticine.
Tips and information on plasticine recipes
We use these neon gel dyes to make the blue and purple plasticine. I also added several drops of these sweet flavoring oils to them. My daughter wanted the grape in the purple plasticine and my son wanted the cherry in his blue plasticine.
I only used the oils because I got them in liquidation, but in the future I will use Kool-Aid to perfume and color my plasticine. You can even take a few drops of food coloring for even more vibrant colors.
The pink color smells like apple pie because my son combined my red apple plasticine and the vanilla plasticine we used for our apple pie plasticine activity.
This plasticine is so soft and amazing in the hands! I love it!
One batch is enough to fill one of these 16 oz plastic airtight containers. These containers are my favorite plasticine trick! I use them to store my plasticine in the refrigerator to make it last longer.
I hope you now feel empowered to make fun scented and colored plasticine for your kids!
If you want to try an uncooked plasticine recipe, here is one without cream of tartar.
Here are some additional plasticine activities you can do with this plasticine recipe!
FREE Printable alphabet Plasticine carpets
Number recognition and counting on plasticine
Plasticine Play dough and alphabet pearls
Plasticine activity
Farm Plasticine
activity
