Making your own eraser is a lot of fun and is a relatively easy school supplies/drawing project for kids. Adults also enjoy the small-scale skills of making pencil erasers, or even making their own “magic eraser” that can remove stubborn stains around the house. Learn how to make this one-of-a-kind eraser as a DIY (Do It Yourself) project.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Sculpting an Eraser from Clay
Step 1. Buy a special clay for an eraser (eraser clay). Look for craft clay made specifically for making erasers (Note: this clay is not ordinary clay, it is sold under the name eraser clay and is mostly imported). This special moldable material is sold in a variety of colors and packaging, usually available at craft supply stores (or at bookstores in the stationery section).
- Try certain brands, such as Sculpey or Creatibles which come in a variety of colors, and some even come with sculpting kits. (Besides Sculpey and Creatibles, several other brands sold in Indonesia are Fimo, Modello, Cernit, Premo, etc.)
- Eraser clay is made with a special type of polymer clay, which doesn't really harden when cooked. Meanwhile, some people have found techniques such as rubbing an eraser on the sticky side of post-it paper to produce a similar material, this method is easiest and most people are better off buying pre-made clay.
Step 2. Heat and shape the clay
Take the clay scraps and knead them and heat them in your hands until they become very soft and pliable. Next, you can shape it as you wish.
- Make the clay into any shape that interests you, including animal shapes, food, or geometric shapes. You may find that the very thin shapes are too fragile to work with, and the square shapes found in many traditional rubber erasers are the easiest to hold and use for removing pencil smudges/scribbles.
- Try mixing several colors to come up with one color that isn't available in the eraser clay packaging you bought. The trick, roll two pieces of clay with different colors and knead until fully mixed. You may want to test the mixture of the two colors by mixing them in small amounts first to make sure that you get the color you expect.
- Note that if you are creating shapes using more than one piece at the same time, you must make sure they are well connected to each other, otherwise they will fall apart during the cooking process.
Step 3. Use the tools if you wish
Use whatever household utensils you have to cut, roll, and shape the eraser clay into the shapes you want. You may also get the shaping kit in the eraser clay package you purchased.
- Try using popsicle/cream sticks, toothpicks, butter knives, and a variety of cylindrical objects to cut, knead, roll, and shape the eraser clay. You can even get various objects with interesting textures and press them against the clay to create unique patterns.
- If you want to make an eraser that fits over the head/base of the pencil, use the tip of the pencil to make a hollow in your eraser design, or shape the clay directly over the pencil. Then, carefully pull the eraser away from the pencil to avoid damaging the shape before placing it in the oven or hot water.
- Try using a silicone mold to make the eraser into well-defined shapes. You can even make your own silicone molds of any object using mold putty. Pour the clay into the flat mold, then remove it from the mold and scrape off any unwanted excess clay.
Method 2 of 3: Cooking Clay Eraser
Step 1. Put the eraser in the oven
If the instructions on the eraser clay package mention using an oven, preheat the oven according to the time instructions given. Arrange your homemade erasers on the cake pan so they don't touch each other.
- For most types of erasing clay, preheat the oven to 250° F (130° C). Bake the eraser for 20 minutes for each 6mm thickness.
- You will need to bake the small eraser separately from the larger one, as they may have different cooking times.
- To prevent the eraser from sticking to the cake pan, use aluminum foil or waxed paper as a base.
- Make sure children have parental supervision during this step.
Step 2. Prepare boiling water
If the instructions on the eraser clay package mention the use of boiling water then pour the water into a saucepan and cook. Once the water boils, put your homemade eraser in the pot for a few minutes.
- Make sure there is enough water in the pot to completely cover/soak your clay.
- For most clay erasers that use this method, let them sit in boiling water for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the clay sit in the pot until the water cools down.
- Remove the eraser from the water carefully with a slotted spoon and dry it on a paper towel or napkin. Be careful and it is recommended that all these steps be done by an adult.
Step 3. Allow the eraser to cool before use
After cooking it in the oven or stove, refrigerate the eraser for about two hours. Then use your custom-made eraser to erase any pencil scribbles.
- Do the test when the eraser has cooled down. If the eraser is too soft, you may need to cook it a little longer. On the other hand, if it's too tough, you may need to make it again and cook it in less time. If the eraser is too fragile, you may need to make it again with a thicker size.
- Store your eraser in a tightly sealed box to make it last as long as possible. If exposed to air for a relatively long period of time, the eraser may become too dry and brittle to be used properly.
Method 3 of 3: Making Magic Eraser for Cleaner
Step 1. Prepare melamine foam (melamine foam). Get the materials used for "Magic Eraser" Mr. Clean and other similar products. Find melamine foam in online stores like Amazon, etc. in bulk or packaging with many contents.
- You can also find this material in stores that specialize in soundproofing or insulating materials, as melamine foam is also used for these purposes.
- If the melamine foam you purchased is a larger sheet or block, cut it into an easy-to-hold size, such as a block that is 15.24 cm long, 10.16 cm wide, and 2.54 cm thick, or any shape you like. you like. Use sharp scissors or a cutter.
Step 2. Soak the melamine foam in the cleaning agent
Use your favorite cleaning agent to fill the foam with a cleaning agent that will allow it to act as an "erase" for cleaning. You can use any cleaning solution you like.
- Try a combination of baking soda and borax cleaner to make a simple solution. Toss in a bowl the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of borax and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of baking soda, with cup (118 milliliters) of water to soak the melamine the size of a sponge.
- You can make a more natural solution using lemon juice and baking soda. In addition, you can also wet the wiper sponge with plain water and separately apply your favorite spray cleaner.
Step 3. Use a saturated “eraser” to clean
Squeeze out excess water from the melamine foam and use it to scrub the dirt off any surface just like you would a regular sponge. The uniquely porous material acts almost like very fine sandpaper to scrub and remove stubborn dirt.
- Use the new “magic eraser” to remove stains and scuffs from walls, bathroom faucets and shower walls, and areas that would normally be difficult to clean with other products.
- After using it, store the “magic eraser” in a place where it can dry. Re-wet whenever you want to use it. Discard the sponge if it has blackened or deformed.
