I Altered the recipe a bit and added some new ingredients like coffee to make Coffee Clay. Coffee Clay is perfect for small arts and crafts projects. You can mold them into pretty much anything, like Play-Doh, and when they harden you can paint or draw on them if you want to!
Clay soil loves added humus, that decaying plant and vegetable matter that good compost becomes. Although composting can be a high art form, if you simply add decomposing plant matter like leaf mold, coffee grounds or kitchen peelings you continually improve your clay soil and improve its fertility as well!
A smooth, easy-to-throw stoneware clay containing natural umber (~1% MnO) that fires to an unusually rich deep brown at cone 6. Not for firing at higher temperatures due to increasing likelihood of clay body bloating and manganese fuming.
For the overhand knot, I decided to add ground black pepper to the polymer clay while kneading. This gave it a speckled look that turned out to be my favorite! You can also use coffee grounds in the clay, too.
To make a 1% to 2% soil drench add 1-part water to 2-parts strong brewed coffee. For example, use 1 cup water to 2 cups of coffee. To reduce slug feeding on foliage, add 9-parts water to 1-part brewed coffee and apply as a spray.
There are only three ingredients and you can make it in the microwave in less than 10 minutes. Recipe 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups baking soda 1 1/2 cups cold water Combine dry ingredients. Add water to dry ingredients and stir well. Microwave for 3 minutes and stir.
Varnish or acrylic sealers.
Both of these create a non-porous transparent layer that seals your clay project. They can be brushed or sprayed on and usually come in either a matt, satin or gloss finish. A spray sealer is great for pieces that have lots of nooks and crannies that are hard to get into with only a brush.
Vinegar is used in clay bodies to increase acidity to improve plasticity. The acid works to neutralize sodium ions (from water, leaching feldspars) that tend to deflocculate the clay. However, excessive acid may tend to dissolve more feldspar or nepheline syenite negating the effect.
The Acidic Leanings Of Coffee
Fresh coffee grounds do tend to be acidic, even if on the mild side. Spent coffee grounds, on the other hand, veer towards the neutral. The expected pH value of used coffee grounds is 6.5 to 6.8. For reference, a pH of 7 is considered neutral.
Worms like coffee grounds, so you may want to put a layer of coffee on the bottom of your pile to attract worms. How often do I have to turn the pile? The more you turn the pile, the quicker you will produce compost. Many people would rather let their pile sit and let nature do her work over a several month period.
Contrary to popular belief, it's a myth that coffee grounds are acidic and will lower the pH of the soil. After brewing, the grounds are close to pH neutral, between 6.5 and 6.8.
For general moisture maintenance, a spray of water from a spray bottle can assist in retaining hydration. To store large amounts of clay, line the inside of a metal or plastic container with a large plastic garbage bag and keep it closed under a lid.
Air-dry clay can be revived by breaking huge dried clay into smaller pieces and leaving it in a container filled with water for 24 hours. Once the excess water is drained and kneaded, it's ready to use.
Mix in some PVA glue
You can incorporate some PVA glue directly into the small chunk of clay and knead it. Or mix the glue with water and use this mixture instead of clear water while sculpting. This trick makes the clay very firm and durable.
In terms of fertilizing soil, coffee grounds do have significant nitrogen content, which means they can help improve soil fertility. But because they also affect microorganisms in soil, plant growth and possibly soil pH, you don't want to rely on coffee grounds as plant food.
Instant coffee is an excellent source of nitrogen, and it also adds organic nutrients to the soil which will help to improve it. Coffee is not going to fix all pest problems with your plants, but it is very useful in certain situations and will create a barrier for slugs and snails.
Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, producing healthy green growth and strong stems. Coffee also contains calcium and magnesium — both of which are beneficial to plant health. To use coffee as a plant fertilizer, you'll need to dilute it. It should look like weak tea.