An Introduction to Polymer Clay

What Is Polymer Clay?
Polymer clay isn't a natural clay that you can find in the earth. It's a soft, pliable compound made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) particles suspended in a plasticiser. One of polymer clay's many advantages is that it doesn't dry out, which is one less thing to worry about when you're working with it. It becomes a hard plastic when fired at a low temperature, which means you don't need a kiln; you can just bake it in your oven. It comes in a variety of colors, all of which can be mixed to make even more colors, so you don't have to paint your creations if you don't want to.

There are different kinds of polymer clay. Polyform Products makes several, such as Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, and Premo. There's also Fimo, Fimo Soft, and Kato Polyclay. They have each have their own qualities that make them different to work with. I suggest trying out at least a few, because not only will you become familiar with what's available, you'll get a better feel for your own needs and preferences.

Here's a rundown of some of the different kinds of polymer clay:

Sculpey III: This was what I started out using. It's an extremely soft clay that's easiest to find in craft and art supply stores. It's often recommended for children and beginners. It's good for simple projects, but I often found it difficult to use. It's too soft to hold details very well.

Super Sculpey: A soft pinkish-beige clay that's ideal for flesh tones. Like Sculpey III, I found it too soft. In addition, it's prone to "plaquing", or "moonies"-- little crescent-shaped cracks that appear just below the surface upon baking.

Premo: This is my favorite clay to work with. It's a soft, slightly tacky clay, but generally not too soft for what I do, and it holds details well.

Fimo Classic: A very stiff clay that's hard to condition. (Conditioning is where you work the clay in your hands until it's soft enough to use.) Many people run it through a food processor to help soften it up. It's supposed to be very good for millefiori caning, where keeping tiny details intact and colors separate is extremely important.

Fimo Soft: Similar to Sculpey III: Very soft. Which is unfortunate for me, because I like some of the glittery colors that Fimo Soft offers.

Kato Polyclay: This clay needs to be conditioned longer than most before it's suitable to work with, but it's strong and doesn't change color upon baking. (With other clays, the colors tend to darken a bit after baking.)

Is Polymer Clay Safe?
Polymer clay is labelled non toxic, but that doesn't mean you can eat it! It means it's safe as long as it's used as the manufacturers intended. Be sure to read the labels, as each brand often has different instructions for baking. Don't go over the recommended temperature to speed up baking. Polymer clay can burn and release irritating fumes if baked at too high a temperature.

Only use tools that you strictly dedicate to polymer clay use. If you bring a tool out of the kitchen to work on your masterpiece, don't return it to the kitchen. If you're going to work at the kitchen counter (or wherever you prepare food), protect it with a large tile or sheet of glass. Also, don't use baked polymer clay pieces as dishes or eating utensils.

What Can I Do With Polymer Clay?
You can make little sculptures of people, babies, fairies, mermaids, dragons, and any other creature you can imagine. You can use it to make jewelry: Pendants, earrings, bracelets, necklaces. You can make miniatures for a dollhouse. You can make flowers, leaves, mushrooms. You can decorate picture frames, pens, magnets. You could make polymer clay cupcakes and candies to fake out your friends.

With the right techniques, polymer clay jewelry can be made to imitate the look of ivory, wood, jade, opal, and other natural materials. Sculptures can be simple and toony, or highly detailed and realistic. There are books and online resources that can help you learn to do just about any of these things, if you can find them. There's a list of recommended books toward the bottom of this article.

Maybe the real question is, what can't you do with polymer clay?

What Tools Do I Need?
Do you have toothpicks? Razor blades? A dull knife? Knitting needles? There are sculpting tools that you can buy, and some of them are very nice, but many polymer clay artists use things that you can probably find in your own home. And really, the best and most important tools are your hands. Other than that, you don't need much to get started. However, because polymer clay isn't good for wood surfaces, you'll most likely want a smooth piece of glass or marble to work on. You'll also need something to put your creations in while they bake in the oven, such as a glass baking dish.

Although I've acquired different tools over time, I could still make mini dragons with just a needle, a crochet hook, and a razor blade. One tool I have that you might eventually want for yourself is a pasta machine, which is good for flattening clay into thin sheets. I use it to make wings for my bigger dragons, but that's only one of many things you can do with a pasta machine.

However, don't reuse your tools for anything other than polymer clay! This is especially important with kitchen items. Don't make brownies in the same dish you use to bake your polymer clay creations.

Are There Any Good Books on Polymer Clay?
Yes, although I've found that bookstores and libraries are usually lacking in their selection of polymer clay books. Consequently, I bought most of my books on sculpting from Amazon. You may have an easier time finding a book that suits your needs if you want to make jewelry, or if you just want a sampling of various techniques and projects. It's the books on making sculptures that seem to be especially scarce.

Some recommendations:

The Art of Polymer Clay, by Donna Kato

The latest edition was published in 2006. This is a good one to start with, since it gives you a taste of a lot of different things that can be done with polymer clay. Although it does have instructions for specific techniques, the book is more of an overview to inspire and get you started. It covers subjects like millefiori canes, moldmaking, imitating natural materials, and sculpting. It also talks about the different polymer clays and tools you can use. I was especially impressed with the techniques for making jewelry.

Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay, by Katherine Dewey

There's some beautiful work in this one. In some ways it's intimidating, for I've never attempted to make a lifelike sculpture of a person like the ones shown in this book. However, it's a book I'm happy to own. There are fairly detailed instructions, lots of useful illustrations that map out the body, and helpful techniques that I've been able to adopt for my sculptures. This was how I learned about pre-baking the components you need before using them in your sculpture, and about firming up clay that's too soft to work with.

Creating Life-Like Animals in Polymer Clay, by Katherine Dewey

This book is much like Katherine Dewey's other book, "Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay", only it shows you how to make specific animals: A mouse, a rabbit, a harp seal, a bear, a basset hound, a fawn, a fox, a frog, a bird, and a kitten. From these, there are basic shapes that can be modified to create different critters.

How to Make Clay Characters, by Maureen Carlson

Here you can learn how to make cute little caricatures of people, right down to their clothes and hair. There's even clothing patterns you can use. One of things that makes this book fun is that each little person you can make has a short story about him or her.

Making Miniature Flowers With Polymer Clay, by Barbara Quast

This book has great step-by-step instructions on how to make little roses, daisies, daffodils, and more. The very last chapter offers some ideas on what you can do with your flowers, such as putting them in a frame or making jewelry out of them.