Quick-start Guide: Polymer Clay (Updated)

Before I get into the fun stuff, a little disclaimer. There is so much more you could learn regarding polymer clay than I’m going to touch on in this guide. My plan is to focus on what will be the most useful for gaming terrain and dungeon tile crafters. If you'd prefer a video version, check out this post!

I also plan to work on a community-driven FAQ for Polymer Clay, so send me your questions!

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So, what is polymer clay?

Simply put, polymer clay (or poly clay, as you’ll sometimes see me abbreviate it), is a modeling clay that contains PVC, which you bake in your oven to harden. (You can read more about the chemical makeup of poly clay here).  

Types of Polymer Clay

There is a lot of poly clay to choose from- both in type and brand. I’m going to touch on what I believe to be better choices for tabletop craft use.

Super Sculpey

• These clays are designed for sculpting and are readily available in most craft & hobby stores, which makes them an easy choice. My one warning about super Sculpey is that thinner pieces can break easily. If your projects are sufficiently sized and/or will spend more time sitting on the table than in your players hands, you should be fine. Otherwise, you’ll want to choose a stronger clay. (Despite this risk, I find myself working with Super Sculpey a lot, I just love how it takes detail)

Colorful Clay

• Premo is made by Polyform, the creators of Sculpey. It’s a great multi-purpose clay, and is strong and flexible after baking.
• The Sculpey Souffle is my favorite! It bakes stronger and more flexible than the rest of the Sculpey line and is soft enough to condition by hand. This is a definite bonus for anyone with arthritis or carpal tunnel. The downside it that Souffle doesn’t sculpt well, so it’s better suited for hand sculpting.
• Fimo comes in two varieties- Soft and Professional. Both are very strong after baking, making them a great choice for projects that will see a lot of handling.

Translucent Clay

• The Cernit is my favorite translucent clay! It bakes very translucent, and is great for tinting with inks or pastels.
• If you can’t get ahold of Cernit, then Fimo White translucent is the way to go. It’s not as clear as the Cernit, but it’s still a sold choice.
• My last suggestion is Premo White Translucent. It’s less beige than the Premo Translucent, and slightly less clear than the Fimo. I consider this my personal "better than nothing" choice.

Liquid Clay/Softener

• Liquid Polymer clay can be used as a glue for bonding two pieces of clay, and sometimes as a topcoat for certain project. It’s also useful for softening older clay. A little of it goes a long way- I’ve had the bottle pictured here for years, and it’s still over half full.
• Clay Softener is for softening polymer clay that has gotten dry and crumbly.
• You can use mineral spirits instead, a drop at a time, so you don’t use too much and make your clay sticky or weak.

Not Recommended

• Sculpey III: Brittle, even when baked according to directions. Only good for simple pieces that will never be handled, or techniques not really useful to terrain crafters.
• Other Specialty Poly Clay: There are a wide variety of different specialty poly clays- some are super flexible, very light-weight, for kids, et cetera. Most of these aren’t useful in your average tabletop gaming craft.
• Store-Brands: Usable if they’re all you can get or afford, but not that great in overall quality. If you want to try a store brand, make sure you play around with it a lot before using it for a final project.

Quick tip: You can mix ANY poly clay together to achieve the color and consistency you want!

  

Recommended Tools

There are so many goodies out there for poly clay enthusiasts. Here are my suggestions for those of you just getting started. I plan on a future write-up on obtaining cheap clay tools and making your own!

• Needle Tools: A simple tool with a lot of uses. Buy a set, or make your own!
• Ball Stylus: Great for making holes or uniform divots in clay, and for making paint dots.
• Clay Roller or Rolling Pin: Acrylic or plastic (I prefer acrylic). Do not use wood!
• Clay Blade & Craft Blade: Great for making longer cuts without distorting you clay or chopping up your work mat. You should have a craft knife handy too, though, for smaller or more intricate cuts.
• Clay Roller or Pasta Machine: You’ll want a roller that is made of plastic, so the clay doesn’t stick- I prefer the acrylic rollers you see here. 
• If you have arthritis or a similar condition, you might consider buying a pasta machine early on for conditioning your clay. Otherwise, this is a purchase that you can wait on until you feel you need it.

You’ll also want to have a few things from around the house or craft room-

• Acrylic paint, for painting your finished projects.
• Foil, for making armatures and protecting clay while it bakes
• Wax Paper, Baking Paper, or Copy paper to protect your work surface.
• Rubbing alcohol for cleaning us clay residue.
• Hand sanitizer or baby wipes for cleaning you hands in between colors. (Of course, you can wash your hands with soap or water if you’d prefer).
• A ceramic tile, old mirror, or disposable foil baking sheet, for baking you clay on.
• A cheap oven thermometer to make sure you oven is actually at the right temperature.
• Zip lock bags for storing open clay.
• Anything you like for texturing or shaping clay- rolled up foil, beads, cloth, texture rollers, rocks, a toothbrush, cookie cutters- there are lots of options, too many to list here! Dust the clay and the object with cornstarch or baby powder so there’s no sticking.

Important Do’s & Don’ts

• Do bake you clay according to the direction on the package! Under-baking your clay will affect the strength of your finished piece. When it doubt, cover your project in foil and bake it longer than you think you need to.
• Do store your opened clay in ziplock bags. Its one of the few plastics that won’t melt in prolonged contact with your clay.
• Do use foil inside of bulky projects. It saves you clay, and you don’t have to worry about your clay not curing properly by baking all the way through.
• Do clean your clay before painting. A quick wipe with rubbing alcohol, or even a wash with dawn dish soap will do the trick. This is more important if what you’re making is going to be handled- if it up on a shelf you probably don’t need both washing it.
• Do consider sanding and buffing your finished polymer clay if you want a glossy finish. Polymer clay can get quite a sheen with this treatment alone.
• Don’t use brush-on sealers on unpainted clay without testing first. Many will not cure properly or will start to peel or scratch off. Varathane’s water-based polyurethane is a good choice if you think your un-painted project needs sealed.
• Don’t use spray paint or spray varnish on your unpainted clay. The solvents in these products usually won’t cure properly, and most that do start to break down the clay after a few years. If you must use spray paint, apply a generous coat of acrylic paint first. If you want a spray varnish that won’t harm your clay, you want to find Pym II, or Helmar Crystal Coat Matte.

Can I…?

• "...carve poly clay after baking it?” Yes! Sometimes it’s easier to get sharper edges this way. You can sand it, too!
• "...change the color of the raw clay”? Yes! You can use dust from shaved pastels, alcohol ink, or a tiny bit of oil paint! Acrylic paint isn’t recommended, as the water vapor will try to escape and cause bubbles in your project.
• “...use spray paint or spray sealer AFTER painting?” Possibly. If you are 100% certain that you have every bit of clay covered by paint, you should be fine. I’ve done this with my own projects with no issues so far.
• “...microwave, boil, or use a heat gun to cure clay” No. The clay will not cure properly, so the durability of your piece will be severely affected.
• “...soften my clay?” Softening clay can be as easy as conditioning it- the warmth of your hands can be enough. If you need extra help, Sculpey clay softener, or a few drops of unscented baby oil kneaded in can do the trick.
• “...stiffen my clay?” If you clay is too soft, leach it by layering sheets of clay between plain paper (copy paper will do), and stick a book or something heavy on top. Check it every 20-30 minutes. You will see some of the plasticizer on the paper as it leaches out of the clay.

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There you have it- a beginner’s guide to polymer clay. If there’s anything you’d like to see- something to add to this post, or future tutorials, please leave a comment and let me know!

And to repeat myself: I also plan to work on a community-driven FAQ for Polymer Clay, so send me your questions!