12 Tips for Working with Polymer Clay
1. If you have a choice, use the right clay for your intended project. All clays are not created equal. Here are a few considerations:
- Sculpey and Sculpey III are easy to knead, which makes them great for kids and people who have hand problems but don't have a pasta machine. These clays cure to a more "clay-like" feel. But they're also inflexible and can be brittle, which means objects made with them are more easily broken.
- The "artist clays" like Premo!, Kato Polyclay, and Fimo can be a bit harder to condition. However, they're also less subject to breakage, mainly because objects made from them stay somewhat flexible after they're cured. (A thin sheet will bend quite easily.) If you don't want your finished item to bend, consider using an armature - something that's roughly the shape of the item that you can cover with clay (and bake in an oven).
2. When mixing colors, always start with just a little of whatever's darkest. You can always add more clay later, but you'll never be able to take out what you've mixed in if you start with too much.
3. Clean the edges of the pasta machine rollers between clay colors. If you don't, you may accidentally mix colors - and have to start over.
4. Don't keep clay in the sun. There are some areas (like here in Colorado) where the sun is strong enough to cure the clay before it's even out of its package.
5. The heat of the oven will soften the clay as it cures. If your object has thin sides (for example, if you're making a cup or vase) it will need to be supported while it's baking so the sides won't collapse.
6. Tissue blades have a right side (the sharp edge) and a wrong side. The dull side usually has a notch, but you may get so involved in what you're doing that you don't notice it, and you could find yourself using the blade the wrong way. While this may not mean a lot to your clay - it just won't cut evenly - you could do serious damage to your hand. Try marking the wrong side with a permanent marker or a thin piece of masking or duct tape to make it more visible.
7. You can make molds and stamps for polymer clay from polymer clay. In fact, this is a great way to use up scrap clay. Just remember to use a "release" like cornstarch or Armor-AllÔ against the sides of the mold or stamp so the object you're making won't stick to it permanently.
8. Polymer clay can be rebaked. This is a great feature for projects that require assembly in steps.
9. Most glues won't work with polymer clay. The best choice for attaching something to clay is a cyanoacrylate ("super") glue. But you can also use liquid polymer clay to "glue" two pieces of clay together (you do need to rebake the item, though, because liquid clay needs to be cured just like solid clay).
10. Polymer clay can dry out to the point where it becomes almost impossible to condition; it will just keep breaking up. You can "re-condition" it by chopping the clay into small pieces, adding a few drops of a clay diluent or even baby oil, and mixing them together. Small "dedicated" food processors (that won't be used for anything but clay) save your hands if you need to do this.
11. When you're looking for a glaze or varnish choose carefully. Some aren't "self-leveling," meaning they'll keep whatever shape they have originally. This may be just what you're looking for - or it may not be. Also, most varnishes can peel off if the object gets some wear. If it's just going to sit in one place that may not be an issue, but if it is, try to find Varathane - it's the only varnish known (so far) that bonds with the clay surface and won't come off.
12. Polymer clay doesn't have to be hard to get off your hands. Some people use alcohol, but that's really harsh and drying to the skin. Get a bottle of baby oil, drop some on your hands, wipe them together to loosen and liquefy the clay, and then wash with regular soap and water.
Polymer clay isn't hard to work with, but there are always things you can do to make your creative process safer and easier.
Published by Meg Adamik
Meg Adamik's main interest is crafting, especially fiber crafts and jewelry making. She also writes about what she knows, like traditional and alternative medicine, and what she believes in, like ecological... View profile
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- When mixing colors, always start with just a little of whatever's darkest.
- Clean the edges of the pasta machine rollers between clay colors.
- Don't keep clay in the sun.