Polymer Clay Ideas - Surface Treatments, Part 2

You can create some magical effects just using different mixtures of polymer clay. But if you'd like to make your items even more interesting, read on. Here are even more suggestions for surface treatments for polymer clay objects.

You can apply leafing with either sheets (usually available in gold, silver, or copper) or with leafing pens.

Stamping is a very popular way of decorating clay. Here are three options to try:
- Rubber stamps - The stamps with deeper cuts work better on clay than those with more shallow cuts.
- Ordinary objects can produce some surprising effects. Look around the house and do some experimenting with things like nails, screws, corrugated lid edges, and even knitting needles.
- If you need a particular effect and can't get it with an existing stamp you can always make your own stamps from (cured) waste clay. Just make sure to make deep cuts in the clay.

Embossing stencils, like the kind used for paper, can produce some beautiful raised designs when they're pressed carefully into the surface of your clay object. But make sure the stencils are not too intricate, or you'll have a lot of trouble getting the clay out - and lose your design in the process.

Textures can be created in different ways. Most craft supply stores carry texture sheets, usually in the paper crafting section. These may be usable, but because they're intended for paper their designs tend to be a bit too shallow for clay. There are sheets made especially for clay that work better because they're cut more deeply, but are thin enough to be put through a pasta machine with a sheet of clay. Don't forget household items, though; crumpled aluminum foil (the heavy-duty kind), for example, produces some great random textures.

Transfers - This is probably a subject for a separate article, but to put it simply - some images (on paper) can be transferred to the surface of polymer clay with the help of heat or alcohol. Laser-printed images and color copies usually transfer well, as will anything made with an oil-based medium, like colored pencils and oil pastels. Inkjet-printed images, on the other hand, usually don't transfer.

All of the above ideas need to be used on uncured clay. Once your object is cured, varnishing is usually the last surface treatment applied. Polymer clay objects can be varnished for protection or to create a glass-like effect, in which case you'll need to apply many coats (allowing plenty of drying time between them). The varnish of choice here is Flecto Varathane. It bonds with the clay and won't peel off, unlike most other varnishes and clear glazes.

Finally, even if your piece is finished, there's still a way to dress up a boring surface - with carving. Cured polymer clay can be carved just like wood and using the same tools.

These are just a few of the many ways you can work with the surface of polymer clay. If you'd like more ideas check out the first part of this series - or do some experimenting on your own. You may just come up with a technique that no one's ever tried before - and be the next innovator in the world of polymer clay art.