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Polymer Clay

What is polymer clay?

Polymer clay is a hugely popular and versatile type of modelling clay. It comes in a wide range of beautiful colours, and can be hardened in a normal home oven to produce a long-lasting and durable piece of art. Once set, it is strong, waterproof and washable. Polymer clay can be shaped and molded however you want and doesn’t stick to fingers like natural clay does, so it’s less messy to work with. And good news – it’s non-toxic too! The clay remains workable until heat-set in the oven, so you can take your time with a project, and store leftover clay to be used again later. We’ve put together a few tips to get you started…

1. Choose your clay

At The Deckle Edge we stock three brands of polymer clay – FIMO, Cernit and DAS Smart. Different brands could have slightly different baking times, so experiment first if you want to mix brands together.

2. Set up your work station

Cutting Polymer Clay

Make sure you’re in a clean environment free of dust, dirt and pet hair – you don’t want bits getting stuck in your clay!

There are various surfaces that work well for sculpting on – such as a sheet of glass or a cutting mat. Ideally you want something smooth and non-porous to work on.

3. Grab some tools

Gather a few tools to use for sculpting –  these can be proper clay sculpting tools or bits and bobs that you find around the home; cutlery, toothpicks etc.

Just note that any items you use for sculpting should be kept in your sculpting kit and not returned to the kitchen, just for health and safety.

Objects with interesting textures can make for fun debossing techniques.

Mont Marte Mini Modelling Tools

4. Create your masterpiece

Das Smart Polymer Clay Press

Polymer clay can start off quite firm – to soften it you can work it with your hands or roll it through a clay press (similar to a pasta machine). Gently warming the clay in your hands can help soften it too. If your clay is particularly dry or hard, clay softener can be added to get it to a more manageable consistency, but don’t add too much or it might make the clay sticky and difficult to work with. If your clay does get too oily and soft, you can put a rolled-out layer of the clay between two sheets of white paper. Place a heavy book on top and leave for a few hours until the clay consistency is how you want it. Colours can be mixed to create unique, custom shades as well as interesting marbled effects.

5. Time to bake

Polymer clay can be baked in a regular oven; following the baking instructions on the package. A great tip when baking is to place your pieces on a silicone baking mat, or even normal baking paper. This keeps them from sticking or browning.

The clay holds shape and texture well and won’t shrink during baking, but you might notice a slight shift in colour – this depends on the colour and brand of clay. Translucent colours will probably become more translucent after baking. Once the clay has been baked, it becomes stronger and resistant to scratches and breakage, but it’s important to make sure the clay has been baked for long enough to ensure that it’s fully cured.

6. Finish your project

Even after you’ve baked your clay there is still plenty that you can do with it – sand it, carve it, varnish it, file it, paint it, drill holes in it – the list goes on. If you are planning to paint anything over your baked clay, make sure that it has cooled down completely first and then clean off your sculpture with alcohol – this will help your varnish or paint stick.

In terms of varnish, polymer clay varnish is best as it has been made specifically to suit the clay. These varnishes are usually water-based and come in a satin, matt or gloss finish. It’s not necessary to varnish polymer clay, but it can be helpful in changing the finish and adding extra protection. Both acrylic and oil paints have been recommended for painting onto polymer clay, but it’s important to test out your paints and experiment first to see what works! Not all polymer clays are the same and some might react differently to paints.

Inspiration

There are so many wonderful artists out there doing exciting and varied things with polymer clay. More and more jewelry artists are exploring polymer clay, so have a look at our blog post about making polymer clay jewelry as a creative side hustle.

As always, we love to see your creative projects so please tag us on social media using @thedeckleedge and hashtag #creativityawaits! For more handy tips, sign up to our email newsletter with the ‘Sign Me Up’ button at the bottom of the page.

38 Comments

  2. Hi Deckle Edge.

    Do you guys also stock the varnish and the Sculpey glaze that you mix with the clay to make a smooth glaze for polymer donuts for example.

    Kind regards,
    Nuri

    Reply

  3. hi

    i want to do polymer figurines on mugs.

    wich paint can i use to paint after the figurine is done?

    Reply

    1. Hi Wilma,

      We would recommend that you paint the figurine after you have baked it, as most paints cannot withstand the heat of an oven. You can use either oil or acrylic paints on polymer clay, but it is important to test out your paints and experiment first to see what works! Not all polymer clays are the same and some might react differently to paints and become sticky over time. Remember that polymer clay and most paints are not food safe so it is best to place the figurines in a spot that will not come into contact with food or drink. They will also need to be washed by hand rather than in a dishwasher.

      Good luck with your project!
      The Deckle Edge Team

      Reply

  4. Hi

    I want to be a facilitator on polymer clay.
    Can you please help me?
    I live in Pretoria in South Africa Gauteng.

    Regards
    Adele

    Reply

    1. Hi Adele,

      Can you clarify for us if you’re interested in going to a polymer clay class, or becoming a teacher?

      Kind regards,
      The Deckle Edge Team

      Reply

  5. Hi, where do you live and where can I buy the polymer clay? I live in Bloemfontein, SA. I Worked with air dry clay, but it dries to quickly and cracks, can’t sculpt like I want to. Thank you
    Magda

    Reply

    1. Hi Magda

      We are based in Salt River, Cape Town with one satellite store in leafy Knysna. 🙂

      We have an online store from where you can place orders and we would be happy to help you with Courier or Pargo delivery anywhere in South Africa.

      Most orders over R750 are awarded free shipping and shipping to Bloemfontein is normally 2-3 days.

      You can order clay from our online store here: FIMO Cernit

      Or you can order via email on hello@deckleedge.co.za

      I hope this information helps. If you need anything else you can send us a mail on hello@deckleedge.co.za and we will be happy to help.

      Warm regards,
      Adam

      Reply

  6. Hi!

    Which type of polymer clay is best for beginners? I would like to try making colourful beads, also, just playing. Just love all the colours and smooth textures. But what do i buy: cernit or fimo?

    Istell

    Reply

    1. Hi Istell

      Thank you so much for asking , I’m happy to help.

      They both work very similar. I love Fimo myself but many people prefer Cernit as well.

      If you are starting out I would recommend Fimo simply because they are better value for money as the come in larger packets of 85 grams where the Cernit only comes in a 56 grams.

      You can use both Fimo and Cernit together if you like certain colours in the different brands. Although it’s generally not recommended I have seen many people have success when mixing and would always recommend a test before making your final piece 🙂

      I hope this information helps.

      Best,
      Adam

      Reply

    1. Hi Hellen

      Thank you for asking, I am happy to help.

      Unfortunately we are not able to ship outside of South Africa. However we have many people outside of SA buy from us and send their own couriers to collect. 🙂

      Reply

  8. Hi, I want to know if u have polymer clay in black and rose pink with glitter, I want to make a minnie mouse hat n bow, will really appreciate if u can help

    Reply

    1. Hi Mumtaz,

      Thank you for your message, I am happy to help.?
      We have the Cernit Glamour Polymer clay (a shiny fine glitter finish) in Black and Fuschia (sadly not in the rose pink).
      Their prices and sizes are:

      Cernit 56g Glamour Black R62.90
      Cernit 56g Glamour Fuchsia R62.90

      Reply

  9. Thanks for your reply, do you keep translucent liquid clay, n clay softener, n how do I go about ordering, thanks waiting for your reply

    Reply

    1. Hi Mumtaz

      Thank you for the update. We currently do not keep any liquid clays, but we do have Clay Softener in the Cernit range. They are priced as below:
      Fimo Accessories – Clay Softener 100g R102.30

      You can place an order through our online store. Alternatively, you can send us your order on hello@deckleedge.co.za and we will be happy to help you with a quote for EFT payment. Send us your shipping details with your order and we will be happy to quote you on delivery options as well. 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Linda

      Thank you for you message. I am not sure of any polymer clubs in Pretoria, but maybe you can ask around at your local arts and crafts stores if their is a community up there you can join 🙂

      We are based in Cape Town and ship clay to a few customers in the PTA area. So there should be some polymer artists in your area.

      Reply

  13. Good day

    I am looking for someone who can make polymer clay figures for hair bow and other hair accessories.

    Can you recommend someone please?

    Reply

    1. Hi Eugenie

      I had a quick look in our contacts list and on our notice board and can’t find any contacts that do Polymer Clay sculpting as a service locally.
      We stock all the polymer supplies, but unfortunately do not know of any Capetonian artists that work in polymer clay exclusively.

      Perhaps you can contact some of the art and design schools and see if there are any students willing to assist you 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Miriam

      Unfortunately we are not able to ship outside of South Africa. But you are welcome to purchase via our online store and send your own freight or courier company to collect your goodies to ship to Kenya.

      Reply

  15. Goeie dag. Ek wil graag weet of polymer clay gaan werk om molds re maak om plaster of paris dan daar in te mold? Sal mens dit weer en weer kan gebruik? En kry mens n swart 1?

    Vriendelike Groete.

    Reply

    1. Hi Yolanda

      Thanks for the question. I am happy to help.

      You can make molds from polymer clay which you can use for Plaster of Paris casts, but the molds would not be the best suited for this kind of application. Because the polymer clay cures solid. Your molds will be rigid and stiff making it hard for you to get your plaster casts out. But you will be able to reuse these molds a couple of times before they loose their casting integrity.

      Reply

  16. Good Evening
    I would like to order polymer clay from you.
    I am situated in Johannesburg.
    What would the leadtime be for delivery?

    Reply

    1. Hi Charney

      Normally lead time for orders are about 3-4 days. Depending if we have stock of the colours you are after.

      You can send us a mail with your colours list to hello@deckleedge.co.za and we will gladly check that we have all the colours you are after in stock before placing your order. 🙂

      Reply

  17. Hi Adam,

    Is it possible to bake polymer clay with my own, household oven? And if so, at what temperature should the clay be baked?

    Many thanks in advance and kind regards,
    Carla

    Reply

    1. Hi Carla

      You can bake polymer clay in your home oven. Each brand has its own baking temperatures but they normally bake around 110′ celsius 🙂

      Reply

  18. Hi
    I would like to know which clay I can use for jewelry such as earrings, bracelets and necklace.

    Thank you
    Jabu

    Reply

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