March 15th, 2007 by 
goregt
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| Looking for free polymer clay projects? |
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| Whether you are looking for a few craft ideas for your kids or your just young at heart, the possibilities of the different polymer clay projects are limited to your own imagination.Need help with some ideas? Here are a few examples of a few ideas that you can try at home:
Before you begin your polymer clay project, you should first ask yourself whether or not you want to paint the finished product. If you answered yes then regular Sculpey or Super Sculpey is a great place to begin. If you prefer to use colored clays in your project and avoid painting then Sculpey III, Fimo or Primo is recommended.
Now lets take a look at a free tip for an easy polymer clay project that you can do at home. In this example you will need your clay, and a cookie cutter to make a Christmas ornament or if you choose a refrigerator magnet.
| Step 1: Conditioning the clay - conditioning is a process in which you prepare the clay to a stage where it becomes soft and easy to work with. Usually when you buy polymer clay that has been sitting on a shelf for awhile it is very hard and at times becomes brittle. Conditioning the clay will put the polymer clay back to a state where it is soft and pliable.There are two ways to condition the clay. The cheapest solution is to just use your own hands. By squeezing and pinching the clay your hands will get the clay at a state where it becomes softer and easier to work with.
The key when conditioning clay with your hands is to do a little at a time. Now, if you have ever mixed or conditioned a lot of clay by hand you already know what a chore that it can be. One of the best investments you will ever make for conditioning or mixing your clay is a pasta machine. What would normally take you hours can be done in a matter of minutes. Believe me, my hands have thanked me numerous times for this small and inexpensive investment. |
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| Step 2: Flatten sheet of clay - Use your hands or a bakers roller to flatten the clay into a sheet. Think of this as if you were making cookies. The key is to try and keep the thickness of the clay the same within the sheet. |
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| Step 3: Cookie cutter - Using a cookie cutter with your favorite design, push it into the clay to create the unique shape. Again, if you have every made cookies before then you already have all the experience you need for this task.Now if you were making Christmas ornaments using a Christmas tree design you could cutout the tree shape using the cookie cutter and then roll and strategically place little balls on the tree to enhance the design.
Tip: if you are making a Christmas ornament then punch a hole into the clay using a straw or small tube . |
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| Step 4: Bake or cure the clay - Follow the instructions with your clay but if you are using Sculpey or Super Sculpey for your polymer clay project then the baking times are 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (for every 1/4 inch of thickness).You will need to let the clay cool down after baking before you begin painting it.
Note: If you chose to use colored clay then there is no need to paint it at this stage. Simply let the clay cool down before moving onto the next step. |
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| Step 5: Paint away - If you are using Sculpey or Super Sculpey then priming the artwork first. It is not necessary to prime the sculpture but it will help the paint stick to and last longer on the sculpture. Any craft paint should do fine but once your finished apply a paint sealer to protect the artwork. |
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| Step 6: Finished product - If your finished product is a Christmas ornament then simply tie a string through the hole and your are finished. If refrigerator magnets are your thing then glue the magnet to the back of your artwork and let sit till dry (you can purchase magnets at your local Wal-Mart or craft stores. I also recommend using an epoxy or Super Glue to attach the magnet to the artwork). |
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| Polymer Clay Art on eBay |
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Don’t forget about eBay if you are interested in buying or even selling your polymer clay art. Selling original art on eBay is a great way for polymer clay artist to get their name out while earning additional income. EBay also provides an opportunity to purchase original artwork that would be hard to find in traditional markets. You can see what is available on eBay now by clicking on the link below.
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Posted in Uncategorized | 
May 18th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
I am new to the art of clay. Do you have any suggestions on something that I can do with the teenage vacation bible school class this summer. We always do the same things,,,,,,keychains or necklaces/bracelets. Please help.
Thanks for any response.
Donna
May 18th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hi Donna,
Well, I am trying to think outside the box so here are a few ideas I came
up with:
1. Team up with another person and do a caricature of each other (more of
a cartoon instead of a realistic design). Try somehow to add humor into
the piece.
2. Have a team that works on one sculpture. One person starts off working
on a body part, like an arm or the head, and then passes it on to the next
person. Avoid putting any restrictions on what each person does with the
piece and see what you end up with in the end.
3. Create refrigerator magnets. You can make a cross or small picture
frame, cross, etc.. that you can glue a magnet to the back of.
4. If you are looking for an idea for pendulant or focal beads on then I
recommend picking up one of Christi Friesen’s book. I have a link a
previous newsletter at
http://www.polymerclayfan.com/wp-content/plugins/st_newsletter/shiftthis-preview.php?newsletter=3
Good luck and have fun,
Gerald Gore
www.PolymerClayFan.com
May 31st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Just a couple of things that seized my attention.
1. About your dragon sculpture; are you going to make the scales separately(yikes!) or shape them with a cutting tool? And are you planning on making smaller dragons for jewellery? I consider myself a ‘draco-phile’ and I’d love to incorporate your dragons into my designs!
2. I was looking though a book about decorating wedding cakes and I was startled to learn that the flowers weren’t real! And that got me thinking about making flowers out of polymer clay. Would it be possible?
May 31st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Hi Angela,
Regarding your questions:
1. Scales on the dragon sculpture - I’ll probably do a hybrid between scales and a bumpy texture. The bumpy texture is already on the top of the dragons head and is created by adding little balls of clay one piece at a time. Very time consuming but looks pretty cool when completed. For the scales I’ll carve them in with one of my sculpting tools. I’m still playing with the design and will be sure to document the steps as I go along.
Regarding the jewelry question what size were you thinking of? I have a few ideas for jewelry but have not implemented anything yet. The trick for me is coming up with a design I am happy with at such a small scale.
2. Polymer clay flowers - yes you can create roses and other flowers with polymer clay. I’ve created roses in the past but did not have a pasta machine at the time. They came out well but did not look as realistic as I would have liked. I’m going to experiment again using a pasta machine since it can create a thin sheet of clay. I’ll experiment a little and will try to put up a tutorial on it in the near future.
Thanks for your questions.
Regards,
Gerald
June 18th, 2007 at 9:56 am
I’m making a miniture fairy- do you need to secure a small wire for the wings to make the wing stand tall ? or will the clay be fine- I’m new to this project.
July 9th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Sande please google for fairy polymer clay tutorials because there is a number of good ones on the world wide web for you to choose from artisically! You can scale down your design to make a minature fairy too! Good luck and have fun playing with clay!
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:10 am
I have never used polymer clay and am curious to know if I can use this to make handprint impressions. I have used plaster of paris and air dry clays before, but was just curious about using this clay. Also, when you bake polymer clay does it have a shiny finish similar to bisque when it is fired?
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I just wanted to tell you how much I adore your site …so full of great tutorials and tips…ive learned a lot from you ..by the way , its amazing how you work with polymer clay !!!!!!
Thanks for sharing all your talent with us !!
Annabel