How To Get Started In the Polymer Clay Art Form

Maybe you have never heard of polymer clay and just happened to stumble upon my blog. Or maybe you've been researching what polymer clay is and want to learn more. Maybe you've wanted to try out polymer clay, but don't know where to start. In this post I want to introduce the polymer clay art form to anyone who fits in one these categories.

Polymer clay is a super fun art form. Different from a normal grey, heavy, sculpting clay, polymer clay is colorful, firm, and doesn't need water. It's super easy to use and super fun. There's so much you can do with it! You can also simply cook it in the oven! No high heat kiln required! User friendly and fairly priced, polymer clay is a wonderful craft worth your time. Now the only question is where to start?

Unless you're only buying clay for a certain project, I would recommend at the least buying the following colors to start:

Primary Colors: Blue, Red, and yellow.

These colors are the base of almost all colors. On a cost efficient scale, these clays can be mixed together to form your own coustom desired color. If you're looking for a more definite color, go a head and buy it, but at the least, you should purchase these base ones. It would be smart next to purchase the base colors of the rainbow

Black and white

After the primary colors, black and white are the most important. These can be mixed with the     other colors to either lighten them or darken them which is a high necessity.


After clay comes tools. Basic tool sets can be purchased easily and cheaply online. Much more cost effective than from a craft store. Wax carving tools work as well as are nail dotting tools helpful. Along with basic tools, you will need an exacto knife, or something similar. This will be extremely helpful for cutting definite pieces out for your creations. Also, make sure to look around your house for helpful tools. Tinfoil, sandpaper, cloth and many other things are useful for adding texture to a creation. Straws, toothpicks, and old knives can also be useful. Warning: if you plan on using a tool associated with food for your clay, be certain never to use it for food again, as the tool will become contaminated by the clay.

Finally with basic polymer clay crafting, you will need something to cut on, and something to bake in. To cut on, tiles, thick plastic sheets, and cutting boards work well! Just make sure they are smooth! To bake on, stone tiles, aluminum foil, baking pans, and cookie sheets work well. Just make sure not to use pans for food, after using with clay because the clay will contaminate the pan. For baking, any oven or craft oven will do. Set oven for 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave in 20 minutes for every 1/4 inch of thickness your clay project is. If you have trouble figuring out what to make, many easy craft tutorials are available online and on youtube for free using basic clays and tools.

Clay softener

Clay Softener?

Clay softener is essentially what it looks to be: a clay or liquid that when mixed with another clay makes it softer. I have found a loophole around these cosiderably expensive products. Yep! Baby oil. Its super cheap and works just as well as any brandname product. You simply mix the two products together until you have the consistency you want, and viola! Softened clay! And with a lot of oil, one may mix the clay into a lovely faux frosting or sauce, replacing also expensive liquid clay. Warning: Using a lot of oil (For frosting) sometimes tends make the clay a little stringy after it has set for a couple days, so if you want best results, use the (very) softened clay the day you mix it! If you want to use the mixture over a duration of time, make the "sauce" in a container with a lid and place one extra drop of oil on the mix before sealing and storing. It will look a little "separated"when you use it next, but after you mix it back up, it should be fine.

Along with baby oil, scented oils work well. I have used scented candle oil and scented soap oil, also relativity inexpensive in comparison ($2.5 at Hobby Lobby) to clay softener (and not to mention completely awesome and delicious!). Both work well and give a fun dimension to any project. Note: You don't need a lot of oil so I highly recommend purchasing a travel size bottle ( $1 at Target and Meijer). Also: I want to warn you about a strange occurrence I had. While mixing Candle oil and clay in a small plastic container, I noticed after a few days the the very thin plastic part started the become "bendy" and pliable. I recommend using a plastic container at least 1/10 inches thick or another durable type of canister. I often use old plastic contact cases for mixing faux sauces and frostings for miniature food. They're perfect for storing and are just the right size for most of my projects.  Enjoy your Thrifty Crafting!

Premo Review

Clay #3. Sculpey Premo

Different from Sculpey III, Premo is a much firmer and tougher clay. I really enjoy this clay as it takes up a majority of my clay stock. I love this clay mostly because of its being harder than another clay I enjoy, Sculpey III. It is different to work with and is better for a lot of sculpting methods if you don't mind successive kneading to get it to a pliable consistency. Also, this clay is quite a bit stronger than others and wont break as easily. When I first tried out this clay, I really was in a bind because when I made rather thin projects from other clay, they easily cracked or broke under pressure. This clay stood up to the challenge much better, especially with a good glazing for extra protection. I highly recomend this clay to anyone, beginner or expert! It's simply fantastic. Retail price starts at about $1.50

Photo Credit: http://www.stuff4cakes.ie/images/premo-orange_61352.jpg