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.