Clay products - where to start

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Clay modeling is a very exciting process. It helps to reveal their creative potentials and develops imagination. Feel like an artist and create your own personal masterpiece!

Nowadays it is not difficult to find modeling clay in stores. This is a very common product and it comes in different types and colors. Also, certain shades can be obtained by mixing plastics of various tones.

Polymer clay (or, as it is also called, thermoplastic) is a plastic that looks like plasticine, but hardens at high temperatures. Clay products - jewelry, buttons, pendants, key rings, figurines and much more, whatever your imagination is enough for - a very nice handmade souvenir.

So, you have decided to make some DIY polymer clay products. What will it take?

First you need to understand a little about the brands of polymer clay. There are domestic manufacturers, such as Artifact, Flower, Hobby, Lapsi, Sonnet. Of the imported ones, the most popular are "Cernit", "Fimo" and "Sculpey". They cost much moredomestic brands, but the quality is better. Imported clay is considered more convenient to work with, as it does not crumble, has better plastic properties, and finished products from it are more durable. This clay is best for beginners. Each specific brand has its own characteristics - the color palette and the temperature at which solidification occurs. Each company has a very rich assortment - luminous with ultraviolet rays, translucent, with mother-of-pearl, with sparkles and others.

Before you start creating your first masterpieces - clay products - you need to prepare yourself a workplace and tools that you will need when sculpting. The work surface must be durable, as in the process you will have to work with a knife and you can damage it. It is best to put some kind of tile or glass on the table.

Tools you will need to make a polymer clay craft for beginners. This is a sharp stationery knife or a regular blade, a roller for rolling plastic, a heat-resistant plate or baking sheet on which you will bake the finished product, an oven and accessories for the jewelry itself. Please note that the dishes you use for polymer clay should not be used for food, so you need to set aside a special container for this purpose.

More experienced craftsmen, in addition to the above tools, also use a lot of other accessories and equipment - special paste machines, emerypaper, cutters, molds and more. But, if you are new to this business, then the above set of tools and equipment will suit your creativity.

There are several steps you can take to make great clay items. There are many different polymer clay sculpting tutorials on the Internet. With their help, you can make earrings, pendants, key chains, bracelets, fridge magnets, flowers, figurines - whatever you want. Start with easier lessons. For example, clay products that a beginner can easily make are roses, flowers, various simple animal figures, fruits (apples, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, pears).