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Polymer Clay Jewelry Making Tips

Using Polymer Clay to Make Jewelry

Of the different types of home cured clays, I think the polymer modeling clays are the best to work with. Low shrinkage, a great choice of colors and an almost rock like consistency when cured make them a great choice for most modeling clay projects.

The leading polymer clays are Sculpey and Fimo. Shaped pieces are cured in your home oven on low heat in about 15 minutes.

Polymer clays have very long shelf life and are stored simply by wrapping in plastic and keeping in a cool, dark place. I’ve never had any harden in storage but if you do, there are diluents to make the clay workable again.

The choices of colors and finishes (such as stone, glitter, fluorescent and even glow in the dark) are wonderful. The three main advantages of polymer modeling clays are: quick home curing; the consistency of color and texture; and less than 2% shrinkage when cured.

I prefer Sculpey to Fimo because Fimo needs very vigorous pre-conditioning to prevent the clay from leaving crumbs as you work. Also, the prices on Sculpey are usually a little lower.

I made most of the beads for this southwestern-style watch with Sculpey It’s hard even for me to tell which are Sculpey and which are not!

Polymer clay beads and polymer jewelry can be made to take on the appearance of jade or coral or just about any other color and texture you can imagine.

The “Indian head nickel” is actually a plastic button which I antiqued with Delta PermEnamel Chocolate Paint paint for tile, glass and ceramic. Once dry, I burnished the “coin” with a tissue to bring out the details.

Tips for Working with Polymer Modeling Clays

• Shrinkage is negligible (less than 2%) so feel free to use armatures or forms to create large figures, for example make realistic looking fruit and vegetables by rolling clay into a thin sheet and wrapping it around Styrofoam shapes;
• Allowing larger pieces to cool in the oven helps prevent cracks but be careful not to over bake;
• If cracks do appear, put pieces back in warm oven – the cracks may close on their own;
• If clay should harden in storage (I’ve never experienced this myself), add a few drops of diluent (or mineral oil), let sit for an hour, then mix;
• If clay is too soft (never had this either!), roll into a sheet and place it between two paper towels to leach out the excess plasticizer, or simply leave the package unopened for a couple of days in a dust-free area;
• Store clay in a cool, dark place wrapped in plastic or in a plastic bag.
• Can be hand modeled, as well as pressed into molds;
• Can be used to make molds, for example if you have a large cameo, make your own mold by pressing the cameo into a flattened piece of clay, let dry, then make your own cameos using the mold;
• Impressions like “Inspire” or “Faith” can be carved or stamped into the dough while soft;
• To make polymer jewelry beads, punch holes with a toothpick or skewer while the clay is soft;
• To prevent beads from flattening while drying, string them on a stiff wire such as a piece of clothes hangar and suspend it across the corner of the baking pan;
• Cured objects may be smoothed by rubbing gently with sandpaper, emery board or emery cloth;
• Objects with many parts can be assembled after curing using Liquid Sculpey.) which gives a very strong bond;
• When dry, can be antiqued by painting over with black, gold, brown, etc., then burnishing off of the high surfaces with a soft cloth;
• Spray cured projects with Krylon acrylic sealer or brush on Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Clear Gloss Glaze for a porcelain look.

If you know how to mix paint, you can mix polymer clays to create an infinite range of colors. Sculpey colors, for example, are based on the Grumbacher color line, so mix Sculpey the same way you mix your Grumbacher acrylic paints.

Sculptors love polymer modeling clay because it holds the tiny lines so well.

It is great for millefiori because it moves and canes so well.

Stampers love it because the designs don’t slump when baked.

The colors hold true after baking and the tensile strength is wonderful (meaning it doesn’t tend to snap and break when stretched).

Liquid Polymer

Sculpey also makes Liquid Sculpey a pourable polymer clay that bakes to a translucency that can rival glass when sanded and buffed. This product can be used as a "gluing agent" for clay to clay and clay to porous surfaces, such as wood or terra cotta.

Once baked, it's more durable than glue.

It also can be used for creating transfers, faux stained glass, paper marbling and enameling. You can even add your own mediums such as oil paints, powdered pastels, mica powders and embossing powders to Liquid Sculpey to tint it.

It's a must have on your clay work table for its adhesive properties alone.

If you’ve heard any nasty rumors about the dangers of polymer clay or would simply like to know if there are any risks, read the article Polymer Clay Safety Tips.

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Recommended Reading

The New Clay: Techniques and Approaches to Jewelry Making By: Nan Roche
How to use polymer clays to make unique jewelry pieces.

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