Polymer Clay: Where to Start

So, you saw some impressive polymer clay works and would like to try some projects yourself. Where shall you begin?

Do not run to a craft store (at least, not yet). Although, there is quite an impressive list of tools and materials you can acquire for this new hobby, you will not need all of them. This is good news, isn't it? Each little gadget does not cost much, but they add up very quickly. To make it easier for your budget, buy only those tools you need at the moment.

How do you decide what you need?

First of all, find a project or two that you would like to start with. There are many places on the Internet where you can look for those projects. I would recommend picking one that is graded For Beginners(a few of them are available on Polymer Clay Central website, for example).

A project description usually contains a list of tools and materials. Take a good look at this list. You will obviously need some polymer clay.

Polymer Clay

Most project descriptions avoid mentioning specific brands, yet you will find at least a few different types of polymer clay in a craft store and even more on the Internet. So which ones shall you buy? At this point I would recommend Premo. It is easy to find (it is usually available in your local Michael's, Joann Crafts or Hobby Lobby), it will work in any beginner project, it does not require long conditioning, and it is strong enough when baked properly. My second choice would be Fimo (not Fimo Soft, but Fimo Classic). Once you are more comfortable with polymer clay, you may want to switch to Kato polymer clay, as I did. I do not recommend Kato from the very beginning because it is not available in regular craft stores (you have to buy it from specialized PC stores or on-line). It is also pretty stiff in its raw form and requires more conditioning than other clays. However, Kato is one of the strongest clays when baked, and that is why I like it. For more information, please refer to this page about different types of polymer clay. You may also want to check my Resources page for a list of places where to buy polymer clay.

Before you go to the store, decide what colors of clay you would like to use for your project. Each 2-oz. block of clay costs about $2.00 (if not on sale). You may have to buy more than one block if multiple colors are required for your project. Keep in mind, however, that different colors of clay may be mixed just as regular paints, so if your project sheet calls for yellow, orange, and red, you can simply buy yellow and red (and mix them to obtain orange). On the other hand, color mixing may be a bit confusing at first, so you may want to get a block of clay of every color mentioned in the project and master color mixing later.

A Work Surface and an Oven

Another thing that you will definitely need for any project (although it may not be mentioned specifically on your project sheet) is some sort of a work surface. It is NOT the surface of your dining room table, for at least two reasons – raw polymer clay may stain porous surfaces and it is better to keep it separate from your food. The best surfaces for working with polymer clay are a smooth ceramic tile or a sheet of glass.

To complete your polymer clay project, you will have to bake it. This means, you will need something to bake it in – a regular oven, a toaster, or a convection oven. Since baking is a very important step in working with polymer clay, I discuss it in detail on a separate page, Baking Polymer Clay.

General Tools and Materials

If you are doing other crafts, chances are you already have some of the tools and materials that are required for your first polymer clay project (such as stamps, brushes, mica powders, various paints, etc.). Cross them out from your list. Some other tools may be borrowed from your kitchen or throughout the house. These include knives, spoons, cups, and so forth. However, to be safe, it is wise to designate these tools for polymer clay only, so if you are ready to consider them lost, you may cross them out as well. Now take a look at your list. What is left? Most likely some of the following things.

A Pasta Machine and a Roller

A pasta machine is used to roll out the clay quickly and accurately. If you have a spare $20 and/or are absolutely sure that polymer clay is going to occupy a good portion of your time in the future, buy this machine and make your life easier.

If, however, you are savvy and/or not sure about this new hobby of yours, I would suggest getting a roller for now.

A good clear plastic roller can be found right next to polymer clay in a craft store and will cost you about $7. If you decide to buy the machine later, the roller will still be useful, so this money will not be wasted.

Shape Cutters

There are two main types of shape cutters. The first ones look like cookie cutters. They come in various shapes and sizes and may be found in the polymer clay section in most craft stores. These shape cutters are sold in sets, and the price varies a lot. Expect to pay about $5 for a set of this type of cutters.

The other type is called Shapelets and is available in sets of different stencils that need to be used with an X-acto knife. Some people like them better than the cookie-cutter type. Shapelets are available in sets for about $3 or $4 each. They also come in Stamplets kits (together with a few blocks of clay, some stamps, and an instruction booklet), for a little under $20.

The way Murphy's laws work for these cutters is that any two shapes you need at the moment are usually packed in two different sets. So, be prepared – you may have to buy more then one set. Alternatively some shape cutters may be substituted with cookie cutters from your kitchen. The smallest round ones can be made out of plastic straws. Some shapes may be cut out with a knife or even scissors.

X-acto knife

The cheapest X-acto knife I saw was about $2. It is a pretty useful tool, but you may want to substitute it with a regular knife from your kitchen for now.

Blade(s)

Blades for polymer clay are available for about $5 per pair in craft stores, but for some projects they may be substituted with a disposable cutter from a home improvement store for about $.50 (if there is a handyman in your house, check with him first – I bet he has a few of those already).

For safety, I suggest marking the dull side of the blade with some nail polish. Trust me – these things are very sharp, and grasping a wrong end of them is not a good thing.

A Ripple Blade

Sorry, no substitute for this one. Either find another project or spend $2 on this blade. By the way, it is one of those special tools that are only needed for one type of a task. The results are beautiful, however.

A Clay Extruder (or a Clay Gun)

No substitute again. The ones used for cake decorations or in PlayDoh sets will not work (no, I did not try them myself, I just heard about other people's experience). Price: about $10. Use: limited to special projects. If you decide to buy one – take my advice and buy a metal, but not a plastic one (I broke a wing on my plastic extruder the very first time I used it).

Push Molds

There is a wide range of them, in a wide range of prices. I prefer sculpting everything by hand, and the only mold I happen to have had never been used. Buy it, if this is what you need for the project. Otherwise try sculpting by hand – it's a lot of fun. You may also make your own molds either from polymer clay or special molding compounds.

Stamps

The price range is really wide – just pick and choose. Also, if you decide to use some ink on your stamping project, use the permanent types – non-permanent ink will most likely smear either when you will try to cover it with a sealant or simply during the life of your finished piece.

Bead Rollers

Bead rollers come in different shapes and sizes, and usually two or three of them are combined in a set. These sets are available in craft stores and on line; price range is $7 to $12, I think. It is a nice tool for the right project.

Sand paper

The high numbers of sand paper required for sanding polymer clay (#300 to #800; some people recommend even higher numbers) may be found in auto stores or in automobile repair sections of department stores. You can also find them in specialized stores for polymer clay and on-line.

Other materials.

Some projects may call for acrylic paints, mica powders, metal leaf, and other exciting (and some times not-so-cheap) stuff. If you do not have these materials already, buy small quantities in a craft store. For example, mica powders are available in single colors and in sets. If you just want to try your hand in polymer clay, get only the colors you need first. If you decide to keep this hobby, you can look for a better deal on the Internet later and buy in bulk.

I want to separately mention acrylic sealants. Please read about them on the page Polymer clay: Finishing.

As you can see, all you need to start playing with polymer clay is a few basic tools and materials. That is one of the exciting things about polymer clay! I also like versatility of this material – you can use it for all kinds of projects, from jewelry to home décor items, and the number of techniques to try is nearly endless. I do not know any other material that stimulates creativity as much as polymer clay does.

If you like my style and would like to learn the techniques I am using in my work, consider my project tutorials. They are extremely detailed, and can be mastered by both master and novice polymer clay artists. I also teach classes – both in person and on-line. Please refer to my Classes page for more information.


				Polymer Clay: Where to Start So, you saw some impressive polymer clay works and would like to try some projects yourself. Where shall you begin? Do not run to a craft store (at least, not yet). Although, there is quite an impressive list of tools and materials you can acquire for this new hobby, you will not need all of them. This is good news, isn't it? Each little gadget does not cost much, but they add up very quickly. To make it easier for your budget, buy only those tools you need at the moment. How do you decide what you need? First of all, find a project or two that you would like to start with. There are many places on the Internet where you can look for those projects. I would recommend picking one that is graded For Beginners(a few of them are available on Polymer Clay Central website, for example). A project description usually contains a list of tools and materials. Take a good look at this list. You will obviously need some polymer clay. Polymer Clay Most project descriptions avoid mentioning specific brands, yet you will find at least a few different types of polymer clay in a craft store and even more on the Internet. So which ones shall you buy? At this point I would recommend Premo. It is easy to find (it is usually available in your local Michael's, Joann Crafts or Hobby Lobby), it will work in any beginner project, it does not require long conditioning, and it is strong enough when baked properly. My second choice would be Fimo (not Fimo Soft, but Fimo Classic). Once you are more comfortable with polymer clay, you may want to switch to Kato polymer clay, as I did. I do not recommend Kato from the very beginning because it is not available in regular craft stores (you have to buy it from specialized PC stores or on-line). It is also pretty stiff in its raw form and requires more conditioning than other clays. However, Kato is one of the strongest clays when baked, and that is why I like it. For more information, please refer to this page about different types of polymer clay. You may also want to check my Resources page for a list of places where to buy polymer clay. Before you go to the store, decide what colors of clay you would like to use for your project. Each 2-oz. block of clay costs about $2.00 (if not on sale). You may have to buy more than one block if multiple colors are required for your project. Keep in mind, however, that different colors of clay may be mixed just as regular paints, so if your project sheet calls for yellow, orange, and red, you can simply buy yellow and red (and mix them to obtain orange). On the other hand, color mixing may be a bit confusing at first, so you may want to get a block of clay of every color mentioned in the project and master color mixing later. A Work Surface and an Oven Another thing that you will definitely need for any project (although it may not be mentioned specifically on your project sheet) is some sort of a work surface. It is NOT the surface of your dining room table, for at least two reasons – raw polymer clay may stain porous surfaces and it is better to keep it separate from your food. The best surfaces for working with polymer clay are a smooth ceramic tile or a sheet of glass. To complete your polymer clay project, you will have to bake it. This means, you will need something to bake it in – a regular oven, a toaster, or a convection oven. Since baking is a very important step in working with polymer clay, I discuss it in detail on a separate page, Baking Polymer Clay. General Tools and Materials If you are doing other crafts, chances are you already have some of the tools and materials that are required for your first polymer clay project (such as stamps, brushes, mica powders, various paints, etc.). Cross them out from your list. Some other tools may be borrowed from your kitchen or throughout the house. These include knives, spoons, cups, and so forth. However, to be safe, it is wise to designate these tools for polymer clay only, so if you are ready to consider them lost, you may cross them out as well. Now take a look at your list. What is left? Most likely some of the following things. A Pasta Machine and a Roller A pasta machine is used to roll out the clay quickly and accurately. If you have a spare $20 and/or are absolutely sure that polymer clay is going to occupy a good portion of your time in the future, buy this machine and make your life easier. If, however, you are savvy and/or not sure about this new hobby of yours, I would suggest getting a roller for now. A good clear plastic roller can be found right next to polymer clay in a craft store and will cost you about $7. If you decide to buy the machine later, the roller will still be useful, so this money will not be wasted. Shape Cutters There are two main types of shape cutters. The first ones look like cookie cutters. They come in various shapes and sizes and may be found in the polymer clay section in most craft stores. These shape cutters are sold in sets, and the price varies a lot. Expect to pay about $5 for a set of this type of cutters. The other type is called Shapelets and is available in sets of different stencils that need to be used with an X-acto knife. Some people like them better than the cookie-cutter type. Shapelets are available in sets for about $3 or $4 each. They also come in Stamplets kits (together with a few blocks of clay, some stamps, and an instruction booklet), for a little under $20. The way Murphy's laws work for these cutters is that any two shapes you need at the moment are usually packed in two different sets. So, be prepared – you may have to buy more then one set. Alternatively some shape cutters may be substituted with cookie cutters from your kitchen. The smallest round ones can be made out of plastic straws. Some shapes may be cut out with a knife or even scissors. X-acto knife The cheapest X-acto knife I saw was about $2. It is a pretty useful tool, but you may want to substitute it with a regular knife from your kitchen for now. Blade(s) Blades for polymer clay are available for about $5 per pair in craft stores, but for some projects they may be substituted with a disposable cutter from a home improvement store for about $.50 (if there is a handyman in your house, check with him first – I bet he has a few of those already). For safety, I suggest marking the dull side of the blade with some nail polish. Trust me – these things are very sharp, and grasping a wrong end of them is not a good thing. A Ripple Blade Sorry, no substitute for this one. Either find another project or spend $2 on this blade. By the way, it is one of those special tools that are only needed for one type of a task. The results are beautiful, however. A Clay Extruder (or a Clay Gun) No substitute again. The ones used for cake decorations or in PlayDoh sets will not work (no, I did not try them myself, I just heard about other people's experience). Price: about $10. Use: limited to special projects. If you decide to buy one – take my advice and buy a metal, but not a plastic one (I broke a wing on my plastic extruder the very first time I used it). Push Molds There is a wide range of them, in a wide range of prices. I prefer sculpting everything by hand, and the only mold I happen to have had never been used. Buy it, if this is what you need for the project. Otherwise try sculpting by hand – it's a lot of fun. You may also make your own molds either from polymer clay or special molding compounds. Stamps The price range is really wide – just pick and choose. Also, if you decide to use some ink on your stamping project, use the permanent types – non-permanent ink will most likely smear either when you will try to cover it with a sealant or simply during the life of your finished piece. Bead Rollers Bead rollers come in different shapes and sizes, and usually two or three of them are combined in a set. These sets are available in craft stores and on line; price range is $7 to $12, I think. It is a nice tool for the right project. Sand paper The high numbers of sand paper required for sanding polymer clay (#300 to #800; some people recommend even higher numbers) may be found in auto stores or in automobile repair sections of department stores. You can also find them in specialized stores for polymer clay and on-line. Other materials. Some projects may call for acrylic paints, mica powders, metal leaf, and other exciting (and some times not-so-cheap) stuff. If you do not have these materials already, buy small quantities in a craft store. For example, mica powders are available in single colors and in sets. If you just want to try your hand in polymer clay, get only the colors you need first. If you decide to keep this hobby, you can look for a better deal on the Internet later and buy in bulk. I want to separately mention acrylic sealants. Please read about them on the page Polymer clay: Finishing. As you can see, all you need to start playing with polymer clay is a few basic tools and materials. That is one of the exciting things about polymer clay! I also like versatility of this material – you can use it for all kinds of projects, from jewelry to home décor items, and the number of techniques to try is nearly endless. I do not know any other material that stimulates creativity as much as polymer clay does. If you like my style and would like to learn the techniques I am using in my work, consider my project tutorials. They are extremely detailed, and can be mastered by both master and novice polymer clay artists. I also teach classes – both in person and on-line. Please refer to my Classes page for more information. Up \| Down \| Top \| Bottom