What's the best way to start ivy clippings

I have grown roots from cuttings in water. I have also stripped several leaves off the runner and burried it up to the first leaf, vertically. It grows real easy in Idaho,

I will assume that you are referring to common ivy [Hedera helix]. It is best to take the woody end of the clipping and dip it in rooting hormone, then plant in moist potting soil. Do make sure that you are planting the end from the direction of the main stalk. Keep it moist for a week or two and it should root. The cutting should be at least six inches long and have at least 3 leaves on it.

I've always used a clear glass jar in a sunny window. Take your cutting (at least 5 inches long) Make sure your cut end is a clean cut, then strip off a few leaves(sometimes I use nail clippers for this:>)). Put the cutting in the jar & set the jar in a sunny spot.
Another way, if you use Root-tone, is to take your cutting & dip it in your root-tone, put it in a small plastic cup of soil. (Please use gloves when working with the root-tone). I use the clear plastic cups so I can more easily see how the roots are doing.

I have several different kinds of ivy growing that I started from clippings. On clipping I just stuck into a pot of dirt and watered it every other day or so. It's a couple of years old now. I set the pot on the ground last summer and before I knew it I had ivy growing on the ground. I pulled those up and put them into new pots.

The other kind of ivy I stuck a branch into the ground where I wanted it to grow. It has now given birth to a number of new plants that I thin out and put the new plants into pots.

Seems to me that ivy takes off pretty well as long as it is in dirt and kept wet for a few weeks.