How to use polymer clay

Tips and instructions! What is polymer clay and how do you use it?

Kneading, squeezing and shaping a colourful clay is something most of us do at a young age. The question we now ask ourselves at the Pen Store is why we ever stopped! Using clay brings out the creative side at every age. We want to remind you of the nice, creative and fun moments you hade when using polymer clay. We have listed our best tips for all of you whether you want to give it another try, have already started or want to go back to kneading, squeezing and shaping a colourful clay. FIMO is an incredibly popular and easy-to-use clay that can be hardened in an ordinary oven. Choose between several different varieties – the clay is available in Professional, Soft, Effect Air Basic and Air Light, one for every occasion.

Different varieties

"Professional" is a stable clay that is suitable for detailed work. "Soft" is a soft variant and easy to work with, a big favorite here at the Pen Store! "Effect" is just as it sounds, full of exciting effects such as providing glitter, metallic and nightglow. "Air Light" is an extra airy clay that can be hardened in a microwave oven. "Air Basic" is also easy to work with and solidifies only by air drying.

Choose your kind of clay

Which clay suits you the best? As we already mentioned above, there are different types of clay. Most clays can be mixed together (with the exception of Air) and you could therefore buy a few different varieties to see which one suits you the best. The clays last very long if stored properly so you can never buy too much of them.

Storing

Once you have found the right clay, it is important to store the clay so that it is protected from dust, dirt, direct sunlight and heat. When you have taken the clay out of its packaging, we recommend that you store it by marking its colour and put it in a sealed jar. The plasticizers in the clay melt certain types of plastic, so never store clay in plastic with recycling number 6 or 7 - other plastic works just fine! If you follow these tips, you can reuse the clay when you want to create something special with your hands.

If your clay becomes crumbly after a while, you can mix it with e.g. baby oil. The easiest way is to crumble the clay and mix it with the liquid in a plastic bag, then let the clay soften for a couple of days. Knead the clay several times, and voila, the problem is solved!

Staedtler

FIMO Soft 56 g

3.30 €
Staedtler

FIMO Effect 56 g

3.30 €
Staedtler

FIMO Air Basic 500 g

4.50 €
Staedtler

FIMO Liquid Gel 50 ml

11.50 €

Harden clay in oven

Is your artwork worth keeping? You can harden your work in the oven to make it solidify. Polymer clay hardens in the oven at a temperature of at least 110° C and should be left in the oven for at least 30 minutes. The longer you leave it in the oven, the more durable and more flexible it becomes. 130° C is the highest temperature that polymer clay can handle, with the exception of transparent clay which can become discolored at this temperature. Feel free to use a thermometer and use aluminum foil over the clay to protect against any discolorations that may arise from an excessively high temperature. Please clean the oven before use! Clays such as Air Light and Air Basic harden in a microwave oven or by air-drying only.

Mix colours

Mix the clay and create unique colors – Polymer clay is very easy to mix. You can mix different colors and also different clays, e.g. Fimo Soft and Fimo Professional. Fimo Air, on the other hand, should not be mixed with the other types of clays.

The high quality of polymer clay enables simpler mixtures and shapes as well as advanced techniques and various sculptures. The clay is the perfect material for both experienced users and hobby artists.

Start creating today by buying your favourite clay!