Homemade Flauxm Recipe

June 23, 2008 · Filed Under Kim's Stuff

Here’s a fun recipe to try this summer to keep the kids busy. Remember that flauxm is inedible, so please be sure to supervise children when making or playing with the fllauxm. It will also stain or adhere to clothing, carpeting, etc. so use it in an area that is easily cleaned. Feel free to share any photos of your work!

Ingredients

* 2 tsp. borax (available in laundry aisle at your grocery store)
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup white glue (we used Elmer’s)
* 1/4 cup water
* food coloring (otherwise it will look like cottage cheese)
* an air-tight plastic bag (for mixing and storage)
* 5/3 cups of polystyrene beads (we used 2/3 cups micro-beads and 1 cup bean bag filler)

Flauxm is made with polystyrene (aka Styrofoam™) beads ranging in size from about 1 mm to 1/8 inch in diameter. You can make an approximation of the beads at home by grating polystyrene cups, packing material etc., although we did not try this. We bought two different types of beads:

* Micro-beads (about 1 mm in diameter), which we found at WalMart.
* 1/8″ beads, sometimes called “milk bottle filler” or “bean bag filler”, which we bought on EBay.

Instructions

1. Dissolve 2 tsp. borax completely in 1/2 cup (4 oz.) water. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup (2 oz.) white glue and 1/4 cup (2 oz.) water. Optionally add food coloring.
3. Pour the glue solution into the air-tight bag. Then add 3 tbsp. (9 tsp.) of the borax/water solution to the glue solution. Do not mix them yet. You will have some borax/water solution left for another batch.
4. Add the polystyrene beads.
5. Seal bag and knead by hand until thoroughly mixed. Let stand about 15 minutes, and then knead a few minutes more.

This should produce a hard clay well suited for sculpting; for a more malleable clay, use fewer beads and optionally less of the borax solution.