Where polymer clay is sold, types and properties. Popular brands

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

The question of where polymer clay is sold is of interest to people who love to create various crafts with their own hands. This material is used by craftsmen to sculpt jewelry or sculptures, flowers and small dolls. Visually, such clay resembles plasticine, it is just as soft to the touch, molds well, and has a characteristic smell. In work, polymer clay retains its plasticity due to plasticizers. In order for the created figure to harden and be stored for a long time, it must be subjected to heat treatment. At temperatures from 100 to 130 degrees, they evaporate, because polymerization occurs, as a result of which polyvinyl chloride is formed.

In the article, we will consider where polymer clay is sold, what types are available on store shelves, how much such a mass costs in stationary outlets and when ordering online. Also, readers will learn the details of working with this material, how ready-made works are baked, what can be done with polymer clay for a novice master or in a game with children.

Where is polymer clay sold?

Craft plastics in several varieties are available at craft and art supply stores. These can be either speci alty stores or stationery departments. Large retail outlets have all the varieties available, and there are already quite a few of them.

If you need a set of polymer children's clay as a gift for a creative child, you can pre-order it online. But first, let's figure out which type is best for you, and which manufacturer to give preference to. We will also guide you how much polymer clay costs in a store, so that it is easier for you to sort out the huge amount of goods on the market. Knowing in advance what you need in your work, you will save not only time, but also money, and this is important.

Varieties of clay

To understand the types of polymer clay, grades and their properties, first consider the classification according to the method of hardening.

The material is divided into:

1. Self-hardening clay, which in turn is divided into light, heavy, puppet and so-called cold porcelain.
2. Baked, which also has several varieties, namely, liquid, translucent, with fillers and regular.

They are sold in hermetically sealed packages. May vary in weight.

Clay properties of different types

Each subspecies has its own differences. Consider thempay attention:

• As the name suggests, self-hardening clay hardens in the open air for several hours. The light mass resembles a marshmallow and stretches well and rolls into thin sheets. Most often on sale you can find the popular clay of the Japanese manufacturer ClayCraft Deco.
• The heavy mass is more like clay. Its properties are also similar to those of nature. It crumbles in dry form, and for modeling it needs to be soaked with water. One of the popular producers of this subspecies is the Czech company Koh-i-noor.
• Dolls are most often made from Darwi. It is well polished and cut in layers.
• Modena, Modern, Fluer are common cold porcelain manufacturers. This is a mixture that folds and bends, florists make flowers from it.

What is baked clay?

Thermoplastic is called polymer clay, which hardens at high temperatures. How to bake polymer clay? Some craftsmen use a household oven for these purposes, while others simply cook crafts in plain water. It is categorically impossible to harden the craft by putting it in the microwave!

After opening the package of baked clay, you can easily knead it in your hands. If it stands open for a while and becomes weathered, it begins to crumble and loses its plasticity. Therefore, do not forget to wrap the clay tightly in polyethylene after using it.

Let's consider what types of thermoplastics are in more detail:

• Liquid clay is more likecolorless gel.
• Ordinary clay is sold in bars, has a different color. The color of crafts does not change after firing.
• Clay with fillers is of different types. One can imitate metal, the other - natural stone or have bright sparkles.
• Semi-transparent, which, as the name implies, has no color or is slightly tinted, and the paint lightens slightly after firing.

Material Producers

Before you bake polymer clay, let's take a look at who makes it and how the materials of different manufacturers differ in quality.

Sculpey (USA) - often used to work with children. Premo Sculpey is widely used in the manufacture of women's jewelry and bijouterie.

FIMO (Germany) - quality clay of different types. There are interesting bars that can accumulate light in the dark, with imitation of stone and with sparkles, translucent. Colors can be chosen as a juicy palette and pastel colors.

Pardo is made in Italy, but an analogue is sold in Russia - To-Do You Clay. It is considered a hypoallergenic material used by professional craftsmen to make jewelry.

Russia also produces several good brands of goods that can be used for children's creativity. These are, for example, "Artifact", "Sonnet", "Flower", "Ezki".

Product price

If we compare the prices of polymer clay, then it is more profitable, of course, to buy goods from domestic manufacturers, especially sincethat in quality it is not inferior to imported analogues.

57 grams of "Fimo" costs 220 rubles, and 56 grams of "Artifact" - only 145 rubles. The weight is almost the same, and the price of imported goods is almost twice as expensive.

Set "Sonnet" weighing 120 grams will cost you 608 rubles. The cheapest way to buy polymer clay "Fimo" made in China. Such products cost 1049 rubles per 324 grams. Basically, it is suitable for playing with children.

From the article you learned what types of material exist, who produces them, where polymer clay is sold. Now you can choose the best option for fulfilling your creative ideas.