FAQWelcome to the Frequently Asked Questions page of My Crafts Page.com. This page contains information on the most asked questions about polymer clay crafting and other crafting media. This information was gathered from many sources - books, magazines and my knowledge of the field.
What is polymer clay?
What can I use polymer clay for?
Where can I buy polymer clay?
Do I need special equipment?
Which brands are the strongest?
Can I mix different brands of clay?
How do I choose which colors to use?
How do I mix different colors of clay?
How long does polymer clay keep?
How durable is the fired clay?
How can I store polymer clay?
Polymer clay is, as the name implies, a pliable, blendable polymer compound for artists and crafters. It's not a true clay - clay is fine particles of silicate suspended in water, whereas polymer clay is fine particles of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) suspended in plasticizer - but it can be used much like clay. The clay's pliability and ductility let you use techniques from glasswork, textile arts, and sculpture. And polymer clay doesn't dry out, so you can sculpt and form it without worrying about a time limit.
What can I use polymer clay for?You can cover anything (as long as it won't melt or burn at the low firing temperatures) with a veneer of polymer clay: wooden boxes, picture frames, mirrors, tableware. Polymer clay can be used to make beads, pendants, bracelets, and neckpieces. Small sculptures and buttons are other possibilities. Clay artists have also developed techniques to give polymer clay the appearance of granite, jade, amber, coral, turquoise, and ivory.
WARNING - Because the plasticizer in polymer clay may leach out even after it's fired, polymer clay is not suitable for objects in direct contact with food.
Look in local craft stores, art-supply stores, and bead stores. Save gas and buy online!
Do I need special equipment?
All you need to create polymer clay pieces is your hands and an oven. Clay artists use various kinds of equipment to make working with the clay easier and to create special effects for some pieces, but these are not really necessary.
However, there are some implements that are useful to the beginner:
Work surface - The raw clay may damage some surfaces (plastic and wood), so you need to work with it on some surface, such as a piece of smooth glass or ceramic tile.
Piercing tool - If you want to make beads, they will need a hole for stringing. You can make this hole with a long sewing needle or a wooden skewer.
Knife - A knife is useful to cut the clay. It can be a cheap, unserrated kitchen knife (but don't use the same knife for both food and clay) or razor blade. Please becareful of your fingers!
Many other things can be used with clay, but these are good tools for the beginner. You can find or buy more equipment as you need it.
Which brands are the strongest?
For making beads or covering objects, any of the polymer clay brands will do fine. However, if you're making objects (such as boxes, picture frames, etc) from clay, or creating buttons or thin pieces that must hold up to handling, you'll want to select a strong clay such as Fimo, Promat, or Cernit. If you want to use a weaker clay such as Sculpey for such pieces, first make the base piece from a strong clay, then apply the weaker clay as a veneer over it.
Can I mix different brands of clay?
There's no problem with mixing different brands together, and you may want to do this often to obtain the properties of both clays. For example, many clayworkers mix Sculpey with Fimo to get a clay that's easier to work than Fimo, but stronger than Sculpey. You mix clay simply by conditioning the two kinds together, or by working conditioned clay until it's thoroughly blended.
How do I choose which colors to use?
This depends on your personal preferences, but there are a few guidelines that will help when you're making canes. Finely detailed canework depends on contrast between the parts of the design, so place light clays next to dark ones. Often, the impact of a piece is increased when you use related colors - for example, a warm orange-yellow with a warm dark brown, or a series of shades of cool blue. Metallic clays used with black create a striking effect. Try different combinations - the same design can look completely different when made with a different set of colors.
If you want to use two clays of about the same lightness in a cane - for example, a pink with a yellow - try wrapping one or both with a thin sheet of a contrasting dark color, such as black or navy blue. When the cane is reduced, this sheet will become a very thin layer that will help set off the pink from the yellow parts of your design.
(Fimo burgundy has been known to sometimes bleed into lighter colors after firing, so avoid placing this color next to a light one.)
How do I mix different colors of clay?
You may be perfectly happy with clay right out of the package; Fimo in particular comes in some beautiful colors. However, sometimes you can't find just the right color in the clay brand you want to use. Here are some tips for mixing colors:
To make intermediate (secondary) colors, add together two primaries that tend toward the color you want. For example, to make orange, combine a warm red (one with no tinge of purple) and a warm yellow (one that's a little orange, rather than a little greenish). Adding a cool (greenish) yellow to a greenish blue will make a bright green; but adding a warm yellow to a cool (slightly purple) blue will make a dull green. Adding red and blue will make purple: a deep bright purple if you choose a slightly purplish red and blue, a dull brownish-purple if you choose an orangey red and a greenish blue. To make a color less bright without changing its value, add transclucent. You can also add white, but adding too much white will lighten the color as well as making it less bright, an effect you may not want. Add up to a third of translucent clay for this effect. To make a semi-transparent wash of color, add colored clay to translucent. Start with a pea-sized ball of colored clay to a golfball-sized ball of translucent clay. To brighten a color and give it more "punch", add a small amount of fluorescent clay in a similar color. For example, to make pink brighter, try adding a little bit of fluorescent orange.Remember to start with the main color and mix in small amounts, gradually, to avoid going too far - for example, to make a translucent red, start with a lot of translucent and mix in small amounts of your red until you get the effect you want.
How long does polymer clay keep?
Polymer clay, being non-volatile, can be stored for months or years. Exposure to air will not hurt it, although it's best to keep it wrapped for protection from dust and lint. Unlike true earth clay, polymer clay does not contain water that can evaporate. The main danger to polymer clay is from excessive heat or ultraviolet light; these can partially fire the clay, making it unusable. Over time, the plasticizer that keeps the clay soft can also leach out, leaving hard, crumbly clay.
How durable is the fired clay?
Since polymer clay is a plastic, it's very durable. The colors of polymer clay generally are stable in normal use, although a piece exposed to direct sunlight for years (such as a suncatcher or wind chime) will probably fade. There are artists who have pieces decades old that still look like new.
Thin pieces sometimes do break or chip. If your clay piece will be handled a lot or be in danger of bumps, and it will include protrusions or thin pieces, choose one of the stronger clay brands, and fire it for a longer time than usual for added strength.
How can I store polymer clay?
You don't need to store polymer clay in airtight containers, since it contains no water to evaporate. However, it should be wrapped or covered to prevent dust and lint from getting on it, and kept away from heat and sunlight.
Be careful about storing polymer clay in plastic containers or plastic wrap. Some types of plastic can be used with polymer clay, but others react with the plasticizer in the clay, and the clay eventually will begin to bond with the container. In particular, avoid putting polymer clay in polystyrene (recycling #6). Polyethyline (#2 or #4) and polystyrene (#5), however, seem to be compatible with polymer clay for storage.
For similar reasons, you shouldn't store different colors of clay without putting something between them, or store fired clay in contact with unfired clay. They'll eventually start to bond together.
You can wrap polymer clay in waxed paper before putting the clay into a storage box. The plasticizer does not react at all with waxed paper, although some plasticizer may leach into the paper over time. You can also store finished pieces (unfired) and unsliced canes this way.