Part 1: Getting started with polymer clay
The huge range of products and techniques out there means getting started with polymer clay can feel daunting. As someone relatively new to polymer clay (after a 30 year break!), I wanted to share what I’ve learnt so far, so that you know what you need to buy and what you need to know to get started with miniature polymer clay modelling.
In the first part of this two-part guide you’ll find out everything from what tools and polymer clay you’ll need and where to buy them, to how to condition, store and bake polymer clay, and much more.
Before we start, if you just want to find out the best polymer clay for making miniatures then in my opinion it’s Sculpey Premo or Fimo Professional, follow the links to buy them on Amazon.
1. What equipment do you need to get started with polymer clay?
A non-stick work surface
Before you do anything you’ll need a non-stick, very smooth work surface. It needs to be smooth so that the clay doesn’t pick up the imprint of any grooves or patterns.
The best options are either:
- a ceramic tile (which you can also bake your clay on in the oven)
- a glass chopping board
If you don’t have a glass chopping board or ceramic tile and don’t want to spend a lot of money, then you could just use a piece of cardboard (such as a flat cereal packet) and cover this with greaseproof paper (also known as parchment or baking paper) to avoid bits of the cardboard sticking to your clay.
Something to bake your miniatures on
I use one of our regular kitchen baking trays and lined this with greaseproof paper. But you could buy a small baking tray dedicated for use with polymer clay, or bake on a ceramic tile. You could even use an aluminium pie dish.
Something to cut your clay with
It might be tempting to use a butter knife from your kitchen to cut your clay but these are too thick and are often tapered so the edge of your clay will be uneven. This doesn’t matter so much for miniatures as they’re so small, but using a sharp, thin blade will help prevent the blade from dragging the clay down and distorting it.
The cheapest blade to use would be a craft blade or Xacto knife. Xacto knives are a particularly good investment as they can also be used for adding detail and design to your polymer clay models.
You can buy Xacto knives here.
If you want to buy a ‘proper’ polymer clay blade then invest in a super thin straight blade like the one in the Sculpey Super Slicer set. This set features four blades – rigid, flexible, wavy and a zig-zag blade. These are expensive and as you’ll be working with tiny models you may not need them all, but they are about the best blades you can get for polymer clay.
Another recommendation for making miniatures is investing in a set of miniature cutters. Cutters are useful as they’re so versatile – you can make everything from mini biscuits and cake layers to butterfly wings and flower petals.
I have the Premo Sculpey Basic Shapes Mini Metal Cutters pack. The shapes included are versatile enough to work for lots of different projects.
Detailing tools
You’ll also need something to add detail to your polymer clay model. This could be something as basic as a toothpick or needle, or you could invest in a needle tool to give you more control. The tools I use the most are a set of polymer clay ball tool in different sizes. These are great for making indents in polymer clay, blending seams, even painting polymer clay.
An acrylic rolling pin
You’ll need an acrylic rolling pin to get the best results when rolling out your polymer clay. You could use a glass bottle instead (or anything cylindrical which has a smooth non-stick surface), but acrylic rollers only cost a few pounds and if you buy a polymer clay starter kit, you’ll probably find one is included.
Rolling guides
If you want to get an even thickness for your clay then you can make your own rolling guides. A rolling guide is a block of cardboard or other material that you place each side of your ball of polymer clay and as you roll your clay out, your rolling pin will stop when it reaches the rolling guides.
You can buy rolling guides but I made these below from a piece of cardboard. I cut out six pieces of card and stuck three of them together to make two guides. The guides are approximately 3mm thick so ideal for rolling out polymer clay for miniatures. You can seal the edges of the card with sellotape to create a smooth finish and prevent fibres from sticking to the clay.
You can find out more about rolling guide my my post Top Tips For Rolling Out Polymer Clay With Rolling Guides.
You can buy pasta machines to roll out polymer clay, but they can be expensive so it’s worth seeing if you want to persevere with polymer clay before investing in one.
2. What is the best polymer clay for beginners?
My personal preference for polymer clay modelling at all levels is Sculpey Premo or Fimo Professional. But I’ve listed some details of other ranges you might want to experiment with below.
There are four main brands of polymer clay:
- Fimo
- Sculpey
- Cernit
- Kato Polyclay
And each of these brands sell different types of polymer clay, below is an overview of the ones commonly used for making miniatures.
Click on the links below to view the products on Amazon.
Fimo
- Fimo Professional – a firm polymer clay used by professional model makers and jewellery makers. There’s also a range within this line specifically for making dolls called Doll Art.
- Fimo Soft – a softer clay good for kids or people new to polymer clay.
- Fimo Effects – this range of weird and wonderful clay includes glow in the dark, glitter, transparent, stone effect, metallic effect, pastel, gemstone and pearl polymer clay.
Sculpey
- Bake Shop – a soft and easy to condition clay, there’s even a Bake Shop Light range which is even softer and designed specifically for kids.
- Sculpey III – very soft clay that can be difficult to work with, however, some modellers like how easy it is to condition.
- Sculpey Premo – a hard clay used by professionals and seasoned clay users. I’ve found that the firmness of this polymer clay makes it very good for making miniatures. Sculpey Premo has the largest amount of colours to choose from.
- Sculpey Souffle – great for miniatures as it holds fine details, unlike many other clays it has a matt, suede-like finish.
Cernit
Just a note on Cernit – this polymer clay has no scent to it at all, unlike other polymer clays which can have a very plastic/synthetic scent, so it’s a great choice if you’re sensitive to strong smells.
- Cernit Number One – a soft modelling clay that’s easy to work with, tends to be softer than FIMO and is non-stick so won’t stick to your hands or work surfaces.
- Cernit Opaline – has a light transparency which makes it a great clay for making porcelain or ceramic miniatures, as well as dolls and people.
- Cernit Nature – very soft clay that has miniature particles in it which gives models a grainy texture.
- Cernit Doll – as the name suggests, this clay is designed specifically for making dolls and people.
Kato Polyclay
There’s only one range under this brand and it’s called… Kato Polyclay! This polymer clay is hard and can be difficult to condition, so not ideal for children or people with weaker hands, but it’s great if you have warm hands and find other clays become too soft and sticky.
You can buy Kato Polyclay here.
My personal preference for polymer clay is Sculpey Premo or Fimo Professional. Both types of polymer clay are firm which means they are easy to handle as they don’t become sticky. Using firmer clay like these also means you’ll be able to craft the small details needed when making miniature models.
Having said that, if you’re new to making miniature polymer clay models and don’t have any kit at all, then it’s worth getting a polymer clay kit which usually contain multiple colours and also some useful tools to get started with. The clay in these kits is very soft and can become sticky and difficult to work with, but if you’re starting out and want to try a lot of colours with cheap clay, it’s worth buying a kit.
I got this polymer clay kit from Amazon when I started out and although the clay isn’t great – it is suitable for practising and it does come with some handy tools, including an acrylic rolling pin.
Another thing to bear in mind is that it can take a while to condition firm polymer clay and can be quite demanding on the hands. So if you have issues with your hands, it might be worth choosing a softer clay such as Sculpey Souffle.
If you’re undecided, then buy a block of clay from each brand and see which one you find is easiest to work with and gives you the best results.
You can find out more about the differences between brands of clay with my blog post The Best Polymer Clay For Making Miniature Models.
It’s important to note that none of the polymer clay brands are vegan – you can find out more about why polymer clay isn’t vegan here.
3. Where to buy polymer clay and what colours to buy?
Fimo and Sculpey are readily available in the UK and can be bought on Amazon, but if you prefer to shop elsewhere then try the Craft Seller website as it stocks a massive range of Fimo and Sculpey clays, tools and other accessories.
Kato Polyclay and Cernit aren’t as easy to get hold of in the UK but Clay Around sell a good range and delivery quickly so I’d recommend looking there.
If you’re in the USA try Poly Clay Play – they have a section dedicated to samples and project packs which is great if you’re just getting into polymer clay. Another site to try is the Polymer Clay Superstore, as it sells everything you could ever need for making polymer clay models.
If you’re in Europe the try HappyThings for most brands of clay and a great range of tools.
When it comes to colours, keep things simple at first and invest in primary colours of red, blue and yellow so you can mix them to make other colours. Also go for a black and a white block of polymer clay to give you the most flexibility when modelling.
4. How to condition polymer clay
When clay is straight out of the packet it’s often very hard or can crumble easily. Conditioning polymer clay simply means using your hands or a roller to work the clay until it becomes malleable and easy to sculpt.
Some brands of clay are harder than others, Kato Polyclay, Sculpey Premo and Fimo Professional are all hard clays so will take more warming up than softer clays such as Sculpey III or Sculpey Souffle. When you’re making miniatures, conditioning doesn’t take as long as you’ll only be working with very small pieces of polymer clay at a time.
There’s no exact art to conditioning polymer clay, but it involves warming the clay up in your hands and continually folding and rolling until it becomes soft.
Temperature also plays a part in how hard it is to condition polymer clay. In cold temperatures it can take longer to condition the clay as it will be harder. If you want to speed up the process, you could pop it in a bag and place it somewhere warm for a while to gently warm it up.
I usually squash a bit of clay over and over in my fingers until it softens and then go over it a few times with a rolling pin, rolling and folding until it’s smooth and free of cracks. When rolling, make sure you roll from the folded edge outwards to avoid trapping air in the clay which can cause bubbles to form.
5. How to store polymer clay
Although polymer clay needs to be baked to harden, it can dry out eventually if it’s not stored correctly. The best way to store polymer cay is in the packet it came in and in a plastic tub or ziplock bag and keep it out of direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Another good option for storing little bits of clay is to use miniature jam jars.
Wherever you choose to store your clay, make sure you wrap and store different colours separately to avoid colours transferring onto others.
I’ve written a whole article about storing polymer clay (How To Store Polymer Clay So It Lasts Longer), which will tell you everything you need to know about keeping your clay in top condition for as long as possible.
Polymer clay doesn’t have a use by date, but if you get into working with polymer clay and find a packet tucked away in a cupboard a few years down the line, it’s likely to be dry and crumbly, and in some cases, unusable.
Fimo ranges and Sculpey Premo are particularly susceptible to hardening and crumbling over time, but they can sometimes be revived by adding a drop or two of liquid polymer clay and conditioning thoroughly.
6. How to keep your polymer clay and work surface clean
I learnt the hard way that making polymer clay models whilst wearing a pink fluffy jumper is a bad idea, the amount of lint and fluff that stuck to the clay was ridiculous. It meant that the finished piece (a white unicorn) has tiny pieces of pink fluff in it. So my first tip would be to wear short sleeves and don’t wear anything fluffy when handling modelling clay.
I also have a wet wipe to hand to clean the tools I’m using every time I use them – this is particularly useful for preventing tiny pieces of coloured clay being transferred to other coloured clay, or worse, white clay.
Other tips for keeping your work surface and polymer clay clean include:
- Wipe your work surface with a baby wipe before you start, and once it’s dry go over it with a lint roller.
- Clean your tools before you start working with them – I usually just use a baby wipe to do this.
- Clean and dry your hands before handling clay but use a white towel or a paper towel to avoid transferring fluff to your hands.
- Don’t wear dark fabrics when working with clay, that way if you do get any lint or fluff on your clay it won’t be as visible as if it was dark.
- Work with your lighter colours of polymer clay first and work your way through to darker colours to avoid darker colours transferring onto lighter clay.
- Keep your clay covered when you’re not using it (see storage above!).
- To avoid fingerprints don’t using super soft clay and instead switch to a harder clay, or firm up the clay you’re using in the freezer for a few minutes.
- You could try wearing gloves when working with clay as this will help to keep fingerprints and any dirt or fluff on your fingers off your clay. Gloves are a personal choice though, I find prefer not to use them as I find it they make it trickier when working on a miniature scale.
If you do find you get dirt or lint on the surface of your unbaked clay then you can wipe it off with rubbing alcohol (also known as surgical spirit) and this should remove it.
7. How to harden soft polymer clay
I struggled for a long time with polymer clay being too soft as I naturally have very hot hands, even in a northern UK winter many brands of polymer clay almost melt in my hands. If you find the same thing there are a few things you can try:
- Pop the clay in a bag and leave it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it up.
- Wear gloves to stop warmth and sweat from your hands softening up the clay.
- Reduce the temperature in the area you’re working, or work at cooler times of the day.
- Leach out the excess oils from the clay by laying it between two pieces of paper and placing a ceramic tile on top and a book or something heavy on top of this. Be careful to protect any surfaces as colours and oil from the clay could leave stains.
- Switch to a harder brand of clay such as Kato Polyclay, Fimo Professional or Sculpey Premo.
8. How to soften hard polymer clay
Fresh out of the packet, some polymer clays are naturally harder than others and if you know you have issues with your hands or maybe don’t have time to condition harder clay properly, then opt for a softer clay such as Sculpey III or Sculpey Souffle. There are plenty of other things you can try to soften up harder clay:
- If your clay is relatively new and is a brand known for being hard then the best way to soften it is to condition it properly. This means squashing and rolling it until it’s soft and easy to sculpt.
- Warm the clay up gently by popping it in a bag and putting it somewhere warm for a while, such as under a cushion under your bottom while you watch your favourite show!
- You can add a few drops of Sculpey Clay Softener, a product that’s purpose made to soften up old, crumbling clay and make it workable again. If you have any liquid polymer clay, you can also try and soften hard polymer clay with this.
9. What is liquid polymer clay and what is it used for?
When making miniatures, liquid polymer clay is primarily used for sauces for miniature food but it can also be used as a bonding agent to stick pieces of polymer clay together, as a glaze and as a clay softener. Liquid polymer clay is exactly what the name suggests, it’s polymer clay in a liquid form and, like solid polymer clay, it needs to be baked to harden.
I use Sculpey Liquid Polymer Clay which costs about £7 or £8 and a little goes a long way so when you’re making miniatures, a bottle should last you a while.
You can find out everything you need to know about liquid polymer clay in my blog post Liquid Polymer Clay: What Is It And How Do You Use It With Miniatures? which also includes information on how to add colour to the material.
10. How to colour polymer clay
There are hundreds of different colours and effects of clay across all the brands, but if you can’t find the colour that you want, in the brand you use, you can colour the clay yourself.
The main products you can use to colour clay are:
- alcohol-based inks
- chalk pastel shavings
- fabric dyes
- powder pigments such as mica powder (commonly found in make-up)
As a beginner, I found the best and cheapest way to colour polymer clay is to use chalk pastel pigments. To do this, simply shave off powder from the pastels and brush it on top of raw clay and it will stick once it has cured. This is a common technique for making things like miniature bread as adding a brownish ‘glow’ to the top can make the models look freshly baked.
Chalk pastels are one of the least expensive ways of colouring polymer clay too, a large set of colours can cost as little as £10, such as these pastels on Amazon. Bear in mind though the cheaper the pastels, the lower the pigment, so if you choose a really cheap set of chalk pastels, you’ll probably have to shave in a lot of chalk to get the desired colour.
Chalk pastels are great for using in liquid polymer clay too. Make sure you choose chalk pastels, rather than oil pastels, I tried to colour liquid polymer clay with oil pastel shavings and no amount of mixing would get the pastel to mix in with the liquid clay!
If you want to try adding colour to polymer clay with liquid ink or dye then this can be tricker. If you add alcohol inks to polymer clay then you’ll need to leave the clay for around five hours before baking to let the alcohol evaporate. It’s similar if you’re using a water-based product such as clothes dye or acrylic paint but as water takes longer to evaporate than ink, you’ll need to leave it for around three days before baking it.
Finally, you can of course make new colours of polymer clay by mixing two existing colours together to get the shade you want.
11. How to bake polymer clay
All polymer clay brands have cooking instructions on the packet, so the first thing to do is read these. But most will give the minimum amount of time a piece of clay should be baked for, when actually, it’s better to bake it for longer to ensure is fully baked and will be super strong once it has cured.
The most important thing to consider when baking polymer clay is how hot the oven is. It doesn’t matter how long you bake polymer clay, as long as it’s at the right temperature, it won’t burn.
Oven temperature is so crucial because:
- if the oven is too hot, it will darken or even bubble and burn the polymer clay.
- if the oven is too cool, the polymer clay won’t bake properly and will be weak and brittle once cured.
To make sure the oven temperature is correct, invest in an oven thermometer and position this in various places throughout your oven to pick up any hot spots. Our oven is much warmer at the front than the back so I make sure I place any models I make right in the middle.
All polymer clay brands have cooking instruction on the packs but these may vary from brand to brand. Most will say to bake your models for 30 minutes for every 1/4 inch (6mm) of thickness. To find out how thick your model is simply measure your model at the thickest point and go with that as your thickness measurement.
To be honest though, most miniatures will be baked in around 30 minutes as they’re so small, but I always leave mine in for at least 40 minutes, just to be sure.
You can bake your clay on a ceramic tile, a baking tray, or an aluminium pie tin. If you use baking paper, then make sure the oven isn’t on the fan setting. I forgot this once and ended up with tiny models blowing all over the oven as the air from the fan blew the paper away!
You can read more about baking minute polymer clay models in my post How Do I Bake Small Polymer Clay Models Without Burning Them?
The main takeaway from this section is that the longer you bake the clay (at or just below the recommended temperature), the stronger your finished piece will be once it has cured.
Starting any new hobby can be daunting, but if you follow the advice above you’ll find the most simple way to start making miniatures with polymer clay.