How to bake polymer clay models is one of the most popular questions online and it’s no wonder, if you’ve spend hours crafting a model then the last thing you want to do is burn it! There’s plenty advice out there on general polymer clay baking, but what about polymer clay miniatures?
The temperature of your oven is the most important factor for whether polymer clay will burn or not, if the oven is too hot then your miniature models are more likely to burn.
It’s best to check the instructions on the packet of clay you’re using, but as a general rule, bake your miniatures at:
- 275F
- 135C
- Gas mark 1
As you can see polymer clay is baked at a very low temperature, if you bake it at a higher temp than this, it’s likely to burn. The other things to consider when baking polymer clay are:
- How long you bake it for
- The surface you bake it on
Although these two factors are important and will affect the results of your bake, it’s only really the temperature of the oven that will result in you model burning or not.
I baked a small flat disk of pink non-branded polymer clay at 180° instead of 130° for just 10 minutes and this happened. It was actually smoking when I took it out of the oven!
Read on to find out more tips and tricks for baking the perfect mini polymer clay models every time!
How Long Should I Bake Small Polymer Clay Models For?
Just because your models are small, it doesn’t mean they need less time in the oven compared to larger designs.
If you don’t bake your models for long enough, then they’re likely to be brittle and break easily once they’re cooled. Even the smallest miniatures will need to be baked for at least 30 mins, but ideally an hour, to ensure they’re as strong as possible.
All polymer clay brands have cooking instruction on the packs and 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. This can be quite confusing because unless you’ve got a model with even sides, how do you know how thick it is?
To find out, simply measure your model at the thickest point and go with that as your thickness measurement.
Polymer clay can actually be baked in the oven for much longer than the packets say. The issue is that if you leave your miniatures in the oven for more than an hour, they’re much more likely to darken.
Polymer clay will only burn however, if it’s baked at a temperature that’s too hot. It won’t burn if it’s in the oven for a long time, provided the oven is the correct temperature.
Why Did My Polymer Clay Model Burn Even At The Right Oven Temperature?
If you’ve stuck to the right temperature and your clay is still burning, then it could be down to the brand you’re using. Sculpy III is known for burning easily so if you do use that clay, project your models by keeping a close eye on the temperature and either covering them with cornflour or tenting them (see below for more information on how to do this!).
The best way to check if your oven is at the right temperature is to use an oven thermometer. These cost about £5-£10 and sit on your oven shelf, they’re much more sensitive to temperature changes, so you’ll be able to see any hot spots in your oven, which maybe causing your polymer clay to burn.
I paid just £3 for my oven thermometer from Dunelm. It showed that the actual oven temperature is about 10 degrees cooler than the temperature on the dial.
If your oven has an open element (another name for the heat source in your oven) then it’s much more likely to burn if you place your model near the element, even if your oven is at the right temperature. An oven thermometer will be able to tell you the actual temperature of the area of your oven where you’re baking your clay.
Below is the difference between the temperature on my oven dial and the actual temperature of the middle shelf of the oven.
How Do I Stop My Small Polymer Clay Model From Scorching?
Bake It In The Middle Of The Oven
Scorching is where areas of your miniature models darken, yellow or look like they’ve been toasted! This happens when your models are too near the element of your oven (this is usually at the top or bottom of an oven), so the best way to avoid this is to cook your polymer clay in the middle of your oven.
Try Tenting Your Polymer Clay Model
Another option to avoid scorching is to tent your polymer clay. Tenting your polymer clay when baking it will make sure your polymer clay doesn’t scorch or discolour (polymer clay can darken in the oven). Tenting protects your miniatures from the direct heat of your oven’s element.
To tent your clay, fold a small piece of card in half and place it over the clay – so it looks like a little tent. Don’t worry about the card setting on fire, polymer clay is baked at a low temperature so it’s perfectly safe. Just make sure the card isn’t near the element of your oven as if it’s too close, it could burn.
If you’re not sure about putting card in your oven, then try popping an aluminium tray over your miniatures, such as a pie tray.
Bake Your Models On Top Of Ceramic Tiles
If you still have issues with your miniature models scorching or discolouring, then cover one of your oven shelves with some glazed ceramic tiles as it’s heating up.
Leave the tiles in for at least 15 minutes so they’re nice and hot. Next, place your models and the surface you’re baking them on, onto the ceramic tiles.
The tiles will help to retain the heat in your oven and ensure a more even bake, even if you open the oven door while your miniatures are baking. As the heat will be more evenly distributed, your models will be less likely to scorch or yellow.
How Do I Stop The Bottom Of My Miniature Models Burning?
If you follow the above tips, then you shouldn’t have an issue with the bottoms of your models scorching. If you’re still having trouble, try adding a sheet of plain paper on top of the tile in the oven and baking your models on this.
Another issue that can happen with the bottom of polymer clay models is that models with rounded bottoms can flatten during baking.
Miniature polymer clay models often have round bottoms – think teeny apples, oranges, pumpkins and so on. If you bake these models directly on a baking tray then by the time they’ve baked and cooled, you might find that they’ve lost the roundness on their underside.
To avoid this, place your miniatures on a soft bed of cornflour. The cornflour will provide the perfect cushion for keeping your miniatures round.
Conclusion
The main takeaway from this article is that it’s the oven temperature that will cause your miniatures to burn and not how long you have them in the oven.
If you use an oven thermometer, and bake your models on a ceramic tile at the temperature stated on the clay packet, for at least 30 minutes, you can’t go wrong!
Further Questions
How Do I Know If My Polymer Clay Is Baked Properly?
When polymer clay is baked, once it’s cooled it will be easy to bend, but tricky to snap. Undercooked clay will break easily when bent and may also crumble or flake if you cut it.
If you’re unsure about whether your models will bake properly, try out a test piece first so you know exactly what temperature and how long to bake your model for.
Can I Wait To Bake My Miniature Polymer Clay Models Until I Have A Full Batch?
Yes! Miniatures can take a long time to make and obviously don’t take up much room in the oven. If you want to wait until you have a full batch of miniatures to bake altogether this is fine – your unbaked miniatures won’t dry out or harden if you want to wait to bake them. This way you’ll also save energy on baking them individually!