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 "please excuse the mess as I work to build this page and fill it with information you came to see"

Welcome to Clay Minis 101!
Here we will discuss many things associated with clay and the art of sculpture. This will include but in no way be limited to Polymer Clay information and instructions, Frequently Asked Questions and Basic Rules of Thumb like best clay baking times. suggested sculpting methods, testing and results. Clay types, recipes for clay and more.

This page will be under continual construction and additions will be added often.

This page contains allot of information and thus may take some time to load completely, please be patient and kindly report broken links to us.

Clay Charities & Great Causes with Clay

http://bottlesofhope.org/

started in 1999 by a very special person, Diane Gregoire, a cancer survivor and polymer clay artist. Diane found a way to use her special talents as an artist to cheer up the lives of cancer patients going through the ordeal of chemotherapy.

http://www.hearts4heroes.com

http://www.palousenet.com/h4h/

In late October 2004, while watching a news story about our soldiers in Iraq who had recently passed away, they showed the faces of these wonderful men and women.  Overwhelmed with grief and deeply affected by the tremendous sacrifice our troops and their families were making for us all. It was a way of giving something to our troops. The idea of a small heart. Something our soldiers could put in their pocket or to use as a daily reminder that they are loved, appreciated and to thank them so much for their service to our Country. The idea grew as a project idea presented to a small group of Polymer Clay Artists friends online that today has grown substantially and is a well organized mass of people doing something they really want to do. Not as a non-profit organization, nor an “official” volunteer group. Just pure acts of love and giving, to show support for our troops who make and send out hearts at their own expense and who want nor ask for nothing in return.

Clay Associations, Clubs & Guilds

Air-Dry-Clay - An online community for sculptors, collectors & vendors of commercially available and homemade air-dry clays! Discussions in a very friendly and informative setting from dolls to miniatures, artisans, and new clay crafters. Homemade dough, cold porcelain paste, salt dough and many other commercially available air-drying types of clay discussed. Vendors are all encouraged to join. Artists, experienced and new clayers alike are all welcome here. *NOTE other clay types may also be discussed. EBay sales listings are welcome from active participating members!!!

CITY-o-Clay -A group of fellow polymer clay artists from beginners to skilled professionals. All polymer clay techniques are discussed. Lots of encouragement and know-how for all. A Great place for the New Clay Artist get started with clay. Miniatures in clay are always on topic. Tell them you found them on Tiny Crafts.

PCAWW - Polymer Clay Artisans World Wide - A Yahoo group for all Polymer Clay Artisans from the beginner to the skilled Polymer Clay Artist. Their clay family is devoted to teaching and learning along with chatting about all topics related to Polymer Clay as well as many others as they are an open environment to crafts in general. They have created a relaxed environment that will be pleasant to all. They discuss all polymer clay techniques, color mixes, canes, sculpting figures, replicating in miniature form, jewelry and household accessories, in flat designs or 3D.

PMC GUILD

The PMC Guild - An educational organization to promote instruction, research, teaching and exhibition of Precious Metal Clay. Membership is open to all.

SouthEastFlaPolymerClayGuild - This group is for the South East Florida Polymer Clay Guild. They serve Palm Beach, Broward and Dade counties. Their group is for anyone interested in Polymer Clay crafting. They currently have two groups meeting regularly. Charities supported are "Hearts for Heroes" and "Bottles of Hope".

 


International Guild of Miniature Artisans

Sculptor.org -A comprehensive online resource for sculptors

SouthEast FlaPolymer Clay Guild- Meets once a month to exchange hints, tips and shared methods of using Polymer Clay.

What is clay?

What is clay? Clay can be found in soil. All across North Carolina there are known clay beds. Veins of clay can be found near the coast, throughout the Piedmont, and in the Mountains. Clay is made of silica, alumina, and water.

What is clay used for? Most clay is mined by companies who sell it to people who make bricks and ceramics (dishes and pottery.) Did you know that North Carolina produces more bricks that any other state in the US? That’s a lot of bricks!

Some artists and craftsmen dig clay by hand from riverbeds to make hand-made pottery.

How does clay get its color? In North Carolina you can find natural clay in many colors including orange, red, yellow, brown, gray or white. Different minerals in the clay cause the various colors. Most clay contains traces of the mineral iron. Iron in the clay gives bricks and baked pottery their brownish color.

Polymer Clay Instruction Guides & Sculpting Tutorials

Here I will list any tutorials or links to tutorials on sculpting that I feel have either helped me or in my un-professional sculpting opinion I feel can help you

Please Note* All of these tutorials are property of the artists who have created them, are
copyrighted and may not be copied without the author's written permission unless otherwise offered for use from their websites.

Tiny TV - My very own play list of video tutorials for polymer clay miniatures, doll house miniature instructional videos, miniature shows walked through, doll informational videos and instructions and sculpting tutorials and more. Everything I have found on YouTube.com and continue to find shared here in one easy to enjoy place.

Appliqué Pendant - Create this really cute pink flower appliqué pendant, its easy peasy!!!

Aqua Polyfloats Use polymer clay, foam balls, and magnets to create swimming divers, sharks, dolphins, and more, brought to you by my friend Garie Sim

Armature in wire for doll making - By Farytasia

Armature for 6" Figure - Patricia Lynn Studios

Baby in a Bunting - Create this small baby figure in polymer clay.

Baked Potato - Create a loaded baked potato with polymer clay from this tutorial.

Bargello Cane - Another wonderful Kathi Gose tutorial from Dragonsglass.com

Basic Skinner Blends - How to do them, very good instructions.

Bead baking Rack - Tinfoil Round easy to make bead backing rack so your beads don't get flat or shinny spots on them.

Bead baking Tools - 3 simple tools to help get those polymer clay beads baked.

Bead in Lost Wax Process - Very interesting made me think of those toys we had when we were kids that we put shapes into it through the shapes around the outside of it, and then pullet it open to take the pieces out to put them right back in again.

Bead Roller - Handmade tool to roll your own beads with.

Beginners Lessons in Polymer Clay - Lots of things to create for those just getting started.

Better Dremel Buffing Wheel - Making a better Dremel buffing wheel to buff a nice shine onto your beads.

Better Dremel Mandrel - Make a customized spindle for your Dremel to hold more than one cloth buffing wheel.

Birdie - Make this little birdie from polymer clay.

Bonsai Plant/Tree - Wonderful detailed images explain how you can make a bonsai plant.

Books - Make these polymer clay books for your dolls or other scene, jewelry, charms, or other decorations.

Bookmarks - Make cute and decorative polymer clay bookmarks for your books, your craft books, or even your dolls books.

Bracelets Blanks - How to cover aluminum bracelets blanks with polymer clay. Website also supplies blanks at a very reasonable cost.

Braided Challah Bread - This yummy holiday, any day Jewish egg bread looks just like the real thing. Alex Zohar teaches how to create this wonderful braided bread for your miniatures.

Braided Chili Peppers - How to make these spicy peppers from polymer clay.

Brain Clay Cane - Dragonsglass.com Kathi Gose does it again. Wish I would have this one when making my Halloween miniature brain in a jar. Would of helped LOL Love this pattern.

Buffing Polymer Clay - Buffing polymer clay basics.

Bullseye Plug - For creating polymer clay canes. Basics for many cane designs.

Bunny Charm Bracelet - Susan Spinks makes this cute bracelet.

Bunny Charm Earrings - Cute tutorial! By Susan Spinks

For More Great Miniatures to Make See our section Miniatures 101

 

Buttons - Make these tiny miniature buttons with polymer clay.

Cactus - Tutorial how to make a cactus plant from polymer clay.

Cake - A tutorial to show you how to make a cake for your dolls house or display.

Calla Lilies - These pretty flowers are so easy even kids can make them

Candy Apples - Alex Zohar and Carol Jones

Candy Dish - How to make a candy dish with colorful peppermint type candies.

Cane Work - Many different ideas and tutorials for you to learn to create polymer clay canes, from our friends over at Polymer Clay Central. See also BeadyEyeBrat.

Cats - Make these whimsy polymer clay cats.

Cheap and Easy Baking Rack - Easy inexpensive alternative to a store bought baking rack you can use to bake any size polymer clay beads.

Cheap and Easy Sealing Rack - Use these instructions to make an easy rack to seal any size beads or omit a couple of steps and use the instructions to make an easy rack to back them.

Chicken with Peas on a Plate - How to make chicken with peas on a plate for your dolls.

Children's Polymer Clay Doll - By Elizabeth Wood

Christmas Tree Pin - Make this funny faced Christmas tree pin.

Clay Critter Pins Fanciful critters made with oven bake clay and wire coils that are sure to bring a chuckle to anyone young or old. Make them into pins, pendants or magnets. Brought to you by Michael's the Arts and Crafts Store.

Clay Roast Turkey Wonderfully detailed instructions on how to create a roast turkey from clay for your miniature dollhouse or dolls. Some instructions are in Danish.

Coiled Basket - Miniature basket for your dolls house. or miniature Easter scene.

Continuous Skinner Blend - Making the blend for canes

Cookies - Create these delicious looking polymer clay miniature cookies.

Crayon Shavings Inclusion Beads - This tutorial will teach you how to make crayon shaving inclusion beads.

Crazy Stripes - Rick Rack by Nora Jene

Crescent Bread Rolls - By Alex Zohar - Step by step detailed images show you how to create yummy looking crescent bread rolls from start to finish.

Cupcake - Create this cupcake from polymer clay.

Delicious Fresh Baked Pie - Create your own miniature Yummy Pie by Alex Zohar

Dinko Skull - How to Make A Dinko Skull by Dinko Tilov. Lesson on making a polymer clay skull.

Disc Earrings - A tutorial for sculpting disc earrings. - By: Banu Rekha Kesavalu

Dollhouse Miniature Ornaments - Learn how to make 1/12 scale miniature ornaments out of polymer clay for your dolls Christmas tree or for other miniature decorating.

Dog Earrings - Create polymer clay dogs for earrings, charms and more.

Gargoyles - Bet can't make just one. Great way to make use for Granitex Stone look clay or for that special faux stone clay you created or want to create.

Gold Leaf Donut Focal Beads - A great way to use up some of that scap clay you may have laying around.

Graduated Skinner  Blend - Making the blend for canes

For More Great Miniatures to Make See our section Miniatures 101

Easy Bead Project - Great for young or old artists alike but very easy for the beginner just starting out in making beads from polymer clay.

Easy Color Block Beads - Make these easy beads for yourself or your dolls

Eraser Clay Projects - These amazing projects are recommended for use with Sculpey's Eraser clay, but certainly many of them can be adapted for use with other brands or types of polymer clay. Car, creature, cupcake, flower, kids, mouse, octopus, rocket, snake, sports ball, watermelon and Dreidel erasers you can use alone or make for use as pencil toppers.

Eraser Eggs - Another Eraser Clay project for use with Sculpey Eraser Clay, and great for Easter basket surprises.

Eye Cane - Interesting cane work of an eye ball. Would make awesome dragon eyes, from Dragonsglass's very own Kathi Gose..

Fairy Wings from TLS [Translucent Liquid Sculpey] - Cute easy to create tiny fairy wings by Jenny Cox.

Faux Fossil - Another great use for that Granitex clay you may have in your clay stash.

Faux Golden Burl - This tutorial will teach you how to make fake golden burl.

Faux Ivory - Shows how to make a horn, but with the same techniques you can make just about anything for your doll, dollhouse and or miniatures scene.

Faux Snake Skin - My my mind wonders into lots of imaginative things that could be done with this. I am thinking dragon skin, and covering miniature furniture or accessories.

Feather Cane - Make this beautiful feather cane from polymer clay.

Feet - Create these clay feet for your clay created dolls as well as other neat things you may create with clay. This artist actually adds these human looking feet to Altoid tins she covered in clay. Awesome!!!

Fimo Color Mixing Chart - PDF File. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader to view. If not you can Get Adobe Reader Free by clicking here.

Flower Canes - For beads, buttons or bobbles from Sculpey the makers of one of Americas favorite brands of clay have lots of great tutorials. This one is really great and easy to follow and create beautiful flower canes from.

Free Clay Polymer Clay Tutorials - Palm Tree Pendant, Four Leaf Clover Cane, Several Ways to Make Polyclay Beads, Square Cane, Gold Leaf Bangle, Rose Cane, Inro Box Using Rose Cane & Bargello Cane.

Frosted Layer Cake - Make this yummy looking layer cake for your dolls display.

Frying Pan with Bacon & Eggs - Make this frying pan adding bacon and eggs into it for your dollhouse kitchen.

Fun Texture - Make fun textures in your clay with ordinary items from around your home.

Garden Gnome/Fairy Head - By Arlissa Green of Hodgepodge Moms

Gingerbread Candy House - Brought you by the makers of the clay Sculpey.com, for Intermediate to advanced clayers. Yummy!!! No we don't eat our clay!

Gingerbread Santa and Candy Cane - By Amy Koranek

Grecian Gold Necklace - Make one for your doll or yourself. Then make miniature pottery, plates or other doll house accessories or things to display.

Hamburger - Create a yummy looking miniature hamburger from polymer clay.

Heart Pendent - By Danielle Netko. Not a mini but certainly could be. Nice pendent though.

Holiday Ornaments - Create eye catching Christmas ornaments to hang on your tree or to give to others to hang on theirs year after year. More Holiday Ideas in Polymer Clay

Holiday Ornament II - Another holiday ornament you can make for your tree or to hang on your dolls tree.

Homemade jig for drilling lentil beads - Nice to have a good tool when you need it!

Hot Dogs - How to make hot dogs from polymer clay. Even make an interesting spaghetti dog.

How to Clean your clay gun - White Gothic Studios Regina Edmonds

How to Hinge an Egg - Add a hinge to a decorated Polymer Clay Egg by Nora Jean

How To Make Tiny Buttons - "Swallowhill Miniatures" Joy & John Parker

How to Use Your Pasta Machine - Basic use of your pasta machine. Important tips about double clamping. How to properly use your machine for clay. For other things you can do with your pasta machine CLICK HERE

Ice Cream - Making ice cream out of polymer clay Yummy Looking Sundae!

Jelly Donuts - Making jelly donuts out of polymer clay.

Jelly Roll - Another miniature desert from polymer clay for your dolls house.

Kaleidoscope Light Switch Cover - Make a really neat light switch cover for all your light switches.

Leaching (wicking) Clay- Leeching is a method of removing some of the plasticizer in Polymer clay  which may make some brands of clay to soft to work with. Leeching soft clay will help remove those oils (plasticizers) and help firm up the clay making it more manageable.

Lentil Swirl Beads - Make these interesting lentil beads with swirls.

Light Switch Plate - How to cover a light switch plate in polymer clay and or clay canes

Lion Earrings - Easy pictorial to making these cute lion earrings. Afterwards try making lion pendants, bracelet, cell phone charms shoe lace charms or more.

Little Christmas Lamb - Make this cute looking lamb ornament to hang on your Christmas tree.

For More Great Miniatures to Make See our section Miniatures 101

 

Make a Fabulous Clay Covered Picture Frame - By Silly Millies of ClaySquared.com

Make Your Own Jump Rings - Coil Cutter with a Dremel. Cut your own coils. Very nifty idea if you can obtain the proper tools.

Make Your Own Pear Ex Paint - Make a paint you can apply then bake onto your polymer clay.

Making a Simple Clay-Gun Press - This simple tool you can make yourself will allow you to empty a fully-loaded clay gun in seconds with very little effort!
 

Many Projects for Creating Use with Polymer Clay - Polymer Cay Central has one of the largest libraries of hints, tips, instructions and fun projects to create and learn from.

Melted Snowman Ornament - Very cute for the holidays. Suggests to use Sculpey Bake and Blend polymer clay but you can use the instructions to create the same snowman with any type of clay even air drying clay if you choose.

Metallic Laminate - Make a piece of metallic laminate you can use with your clay jewelry and other mini items.

Mini Mosaic Tile - Make a beautiful mosaic tile from Twisted Kneads

Mug of Hot Chocolate - How to make a mug of hot chocolate from polymer clay with whipped cream and even hazel nuts.

Narrowing Jig - Create your own jig for your pasta machine to roll out narrow sheets of clay.

Necklace Closures - A ball loop closure from polymer clay

No Holes Charm Maker - Create this cute little heart charm or try your own design.

No Sand Black Opals - By Ms. Peabody Originals

Oranges - Learn how to create edible looking miniature oranges by Alex Zohar

Palette Generator - A very useful tool that allows you to upload a photo and it generates a coordinating color palette. Great for web design, choosing coordinating colors for clay beads, image transfers and other things with clay.

Pancakes - Create these yummy looking miniature pancakes. Perfect for dollhouse kitchens or just for display.

Paper Clay Jack-o-lanterns - Another Amazingly well done Minimotion How To tutorial by Steve Weller & Tori West.

Paper Mache Masks in Miniature - Another wonderful Steve Weller & Tori West Minimotion How To tutorial

Pasta Machine Basic Care - Basic methods used to quickly disassemble your machine to reduce discolorations and streaks on your clay.

Pasta Machine Basic Use - Basic uses for your pasta machine.

Pasta Machine Extreme Care - Extreme methods to completely disassemble both sides for cleaning, lubrication and adjusting of your pasta machine.

Pasta Machine Modification - Have your pasta machine modified so you can quickly and easily clean your blades without the use of tools.

Pasta Machine Replacement Parts - Replace your clamp or handle for the Atlas or Pasta Queen Pasta Machines.

Pasta Machine Replacement Parts - Scrapper Blades or Rollers need replacing, these are the folks to go through to get them.  Gary Valenti, Inc. 54-36 Flushing Ave., Maspeth, Queens N.Y. 11378
Tel:718-386-0896 Fax: 718-417-6227

Pasta Machine Trattorina Care - How to remove those heavy noodle rollers

PB&J Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches - Americas favorite quick time, lunch time, anytime snack sandwich from polymer clay.

Photo Easy Silk Screen Film Developing - Use stencils to make silk screen prints.

Picnic Basket - Lets make a picnic basket from polymer clay by Twisted Kneads

Pizza - Create a slice or a bunch of slices to make your doll a whole pizza pie in miniature with polymer clay.

Polymer Clay Crafts - From faux techniques to Millefiori, canes, image transfer techniques, jewelry, bead making, how to use TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) and more. A wealth of some awesome links and useful information, how to tutorials and guides.

Polymer Clay Knob - Decorate cabinet and drawer knobs, door knobs and other neat knobs.

Polymer Clay Link Index - Lessons & Info

Polymer Clay Links, Projects & Tutorials - Ocean Mokume Gane tutorials, and other polymer clay links and tutorials.

Polymer Clay Moose Pen - By Linda Peterson brought to you by HGTV.com

Polymer Clay Productions with Ilisa and Kira

Tell Ilysa & Kira! that you found them on TinyCrafts.com

Also check them out on MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/polymerclayproductions

For More Great Miniatures to Make See our section Miniatures 101

Popcorn - Making popcorn out of polymer clay

Porcelain Paste Flowers - Used widely by those who need a clay flower that will air dry. Eggers (people who decorate eggs) will love this. From a famous egger herself Maureen Williams. She used PSP to help decorate her eggs.

Potatoes - Lesson by Alex Zohar Instructions by Carol Jones. Learn to make realistic potatoes in miniature.

Purse Necklace - Decorated purse to wear or use for your doll or display.

Quarter Scale Candy Cane House - Creative Paper Clay tutorial by Steve Weller & Tori West.

Quarter Scale Pumpkin House - Full Image guided tutorial on how to create the pumpkin and everything inside of it.

Rain Forest Frogs - Sculpey Bake and Bend but use the same techniques for use with any kind of clay. Make them tiny for your miniature pet store and rain forest scenes.

Reclaim Porcelain Slip - Don't waste it! By Swallowhill Miniaturist's John and Jill Parker

Red Coral Shaving Cream Beads - By Linda Peterson

Reducing Canes - How to make a big cane go a long way, reducing it down to size without distorting the image within. See also Monster Cane Reduction video by Dragonsglass. You need the latest version of QuickTime to view it, and turn up your speakers for good quality sound.

Ribbon Candy - Create this cool ribbon candy ornament for the holidays or anytime.

Rose Beads - Basically these are tiny polymer clay roses but you can make them so you can wear them on a necklace bracelets, earrings, pendant etc..

Sand & Buff Polymer Clay - Learn how to give your items a nice shinny appearance, bring out the colors, glitters, and shine.

Sanding with a Mouse - Use the Black and Decker Mouse Sander to wet sand polymer clay surfaces.

Santa Ornament - Cute little Christmas Ornament for your tree.

Scary Tree - How to Sculpt a Tree with Paper Clay

Sculpt and Elephant - Patricia Lynn Studios takes you from the model image, creating an armature, bulking out covering with clay, sculpting the details and even fixing mistakes.

Sculpt a Bird - Arlissa Green - Hodgepodgemoms.com

Sculpt a Face - Patricia Lynn

Shades of Purple Pen - Cover a pen with polymer clay using scrape clay in shades of purple.

Simple but Elegant Buttons - Make these wonderfully classy buttons for yourself or minimize the instructions to create some for your dolls.

Snowman Gumdrop Jewelry - Make these cute snowman gumdrop items you can wear.

Soup - Learn to create soup in the bowl by Alex Zohar. This one uses Liquid Fimo.

Sparkling Moss Agate Beads - Make these faux agate with sparkling moss scattered looking beads.

Spider Web - How to make a spider on a web for your doll's house from polymer clay.

Spiral Flower Cane - A very simple cane that can be quite nice with the right colors.

Spiral mosaic Cane - Simple cane by Danielle Netko

Stairway - Create stairs in any scale. Full image supported tutorial.

Stamped Disc Pendant - Create jewelry for yourself or in mini for your dolls.

Striped Holiday Frame This easy clay wreath frame can do double duty as an ornament for your tree. Add pictures of children and pets to create one of a kind mementos.

Sword Tutorial - By Christy a wonderful 3" inch medieval sword for your miniature scene.

Tacos - Create this Mexican favorite amongst Americans alike with this tutorial.

Tattooing Polymer Clay - Use body tattoo decals on polymer clay.

Tea Cookies - Alex Zohar teaches you with a nicely detailed guide with images how you can create a variety of wonderful little tea cookies to make any miniature scene look good enough to eat.

Teapot - Learn how to make a 1/12" scale teapot from a marble and some clay.

The Glass Attic If you want to get serious about working with polymer clay, or just want to learn more, check out this 'Encyclopedia' of information.1700 pages of information on almost everything related to polymer clay. Organized into about 90 categories covering polymer clay to everything else.

Tiny Little Owls - Make for buttons, pendants, earrings, beads or anything else you can think of. Its wise to make these from this great pictorial by Marie Hart

Toaster with Toast - Create a cute little toaster with toast from polymer clay. So tasty looking even with the butter and jam.

Tomatoes - Alex Zohar

Translucent Liquid Sculpey TLS Ways to Use - Great tips on how to use this unique polymer liquid medium.

Translucent Pink Lace Cane - Very pretty for making jewelry, pottery, plates or other miniature display items.

Troll Head, Troll Hands and Feet, Troll Body and Assembly - By Cristel Jensen. As featured in Polyzine 2001

Tropical Fish Cane - The site is in French but perhaps you can follow along with the images and or Babel Fish how to create the Fish LOL

Tulip Cane - Make this polymer clay square cane of tulips. Just Beautiful!

Tumble Buffing Polymer Clay - How to use a rock tumbler to buff your stuff.

Turkey Sub - how to make a turkey sub from polymer clay.

Uncle Sam - Project by Polyform the makers of Sculpey. Create a cute Uncle Sam doll.

Unicorn - Red Wyvern Studios

Using Fimo and Flumo Molds - Swallowhill Miniatures

Vessels & Votives - Autumn leaves - can be adapted to most any design you choose. Great way to cut patterns from clay using leaves from in nature or even those plants and trees you may have around the house.

Wildflower Langosia Petal Cane - Make a spotted langosia flower.

Woman Pins - Create these odd shaped woman/lady pins from polymer clay. Use this technique to make them in any size you should choose to.

For More Great Miniatures to Make See our section Miniatures 101

 

Other Clay Instruction Guides

If you know of any good books on this subject please do contact me.


Cold Porcelain Rose - Can be adapted for use with all kinds of clay.

Dollfan - Sculptalong Cernit Tutorial on how to sculpt a Baby's face.


NoraJean.com

NoraJean.com

A wealth of information, how to instruction and testing of both the positive and negative with polymer clay. This site is Terrific! Great for ay beginner just getting started working with clay, or even for those who feel they are the most experienced. You never know what you will learn for Nora Jean AKA NJ.


 

Poly Clay Play - Free Projects!!!

Storage Tip - Extruder Discs, Varnishing ~
Poly Clay Play Style
, Cutting & Conditioning Clay, Make Same Size Beads,
ATC Basics What ATC's are all about! Making Ornament Holders, Covering a Light Switch Plate, Pumpkin face, Rose Glass Charm, Lady Bug Paper Clip, Marbleizing clay and more.

 

Rent Instructional HOW TO DVD's

Smartflix

 

Books To Buy

Sponsor Links

Sponsored By Blick Art Materials

 

 

Paper Clay /Air Dry Clay Instruction Guides

Creative Paperclay A wonderful project room full of projects for air dry clay.

Clay Types:
Oven Temperatures:
Air Dry Clay (ADC):

Artista, Crayola Model Magic, Crayola Model Magic Fusion, Creall®-do & dry, Creall®-do & dry lite, Darwi, Das, Delight, FormoFit, Hearty Clay, Hobby Time Fineplast, La Doll, Lumina Polymer Air Dry Clay Premier, Paperclay, Papydur, Creative Paperclay*, Pearl Paperclay, Premier, Craft Porcelain, Makin's Polymer Air Dry Clay, Milliput, and Modena another Polymer ADC which allows light to show through.

Dries up if not covered or closed in.Can be kneaded easily with water.Spreads out nicely.
No Oven Required.
You can speed up the drying process
of paper based air dry clays by drying them in an oven at 225° F. After drying you can make it wet and add fresh clay if needed. Great for details.
No worries about dirt, wipe off with a wet cloth. You can sand it smooth.  or carve into it. Weightless after drying.Paintable in any colour you choose with paint or markers. Keep unused portions in an airtight bag. *Known to shrink down about 6% from original size.

General Guide Lines For Working With Creative Paper Clay

Creating Flat Sheets of Paper Clay

Chemical reactive Clay:

Aves Apoxie Sculpt (a 2 part clay that dries harder than polymer clay, Magic Sculpt

Contrary to what some people believe, epoxy clays are NOT air dry clays. They are chemical curing clays, which means the two parts, when mixed equally start a chemical reaction that causes it to set up. You should have 1 to 4 hours to work with it before it cures on you depending on the temperatures where its being used. Cooler temperatures delay the setting process while warmer temps with speed up the time it takes to get hard. Mixing this type of clay in small quantities is highly recommended for this reason.

Cold Porcelain Clay:

Deco Clay, Cold Porcelain Paste, Cold Press Porcelain

Flumo - Air Dried Porcelain Slip for Pouring/Casting into Molds. Works like ceramic only a kiln is not required. Drying can be speeded up in a home oven at a maximum of 260° F. Used with plaster molds as its the absorption of water from the slip into the plaster that carries the slip into the plaster and then carries the solids to the outside of the mold cavity and creating a hollow casting. Flumo contains Kaolin, the clay of porcelain, cellulose, binders and water. Only comes in white but you can tint it with paint tings or paint it when cured. Just like ceramic this stuff has some pretty good strength to it when cured resulting in a very smooth and easy to clean casting as soon as removed from the mold without damage. remove seems with wet brush, wire loops or knives, and or sanding. Shrinkage is minimal. Will not shatter like porcelain and can be repaired with white glue and wet FLUMO. Tutorial on how to use Flumo


Polymer Clay:

Creall-Therm, Fimo Classic, Fimo Soft, Fimo Transparent, Kato PolyClay, Modelene, Premo, Prosculpt, Puppen Fimo, Original Sculpey, Sculpey III, Super Sculpey, Sculpey Ultra Light Cernit, LA Doll and Prosculpt has to be baked in an oven.

TLS - Translucent Liquid Sculpey (bakeable transfer & color medium) WAYS TO USE

FIMO - decorating Gel (oven hardening, exceptionally translucent, super flexible)

Read: What are the different types of polymer clay?


Ceramic Clay

Earthenware, Low Fired Clay, High Water Clay, Mid Range Clay, Raku, Porcelain, & Stoneware

Read: Clay Basics


PMC - Precious Metal Clay

Art Clay Silver:

Art Clay Silver is a brand new pure silver material in clay form. It is water based and can be freely modeled like clay. It is made of finely powdered pure silver, water and organic binding agents (binders). After it is shaped, dried, and heated at 800C / 1472F for 30 min., binders burn off, leaving only pure silver retaining its modeled shape.

There are 5 types of Art Clay Silver: Clay,  Paste, Oil Paste, Syringe and Sheet type

Now also available in GOLD


Sand Clay

Materials:

4 cups sand
2 cups cornstarch
1-1/2 Tbs. cream of tartar
3 cups water
large pot
molds for casting dough

  • Heat 3 cups of water in a large pot.

     

  • While the water is heating, mix the sand, cornstarch and cream of tartar thoroughly in a large bowl. You can use colored sand from the hobby store.

     

  • Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the water, stirring constantly. Continue to stir the mixture over medium heat until the water is almost gone.

     

  • When the dough starts to form and is too stiff to stir any more, remove it from the pot. Set the dough aside to cool.

     

  • The dough will stay workable for a few days as long as you keep in an airtight container or plastic bag.

     

  • There are all sorts of options when it comes to molding your dough Try a variety of small containers, shells or anything with an interesting shape. Putting rocks or other objects in small containers before adding dough to embed them in the final product or, put the dough in a pie pan or other flat container and use it to make handprint sculptures.

     

  • When your creation is complete, let it air dry for a couple of days. It should be hard as a rock!

Fimo

Cernit

Kato Polyclay

275 F (135C) for 30 minutes per 1/4" (5mm)

Premo! Sculpey

Baking Time Per 1/4" of Thickness is 275 Degrees F/130 Degrees C for 30 Minutes unless otherwise Indicated on Package

Sculpey and Sculpey III

 Baking Time Per 1/4" of Thickness is 275 Degrees F/130 Degrees C for 15 Minutes

Sculpey Soft [New Formula]

230 Degrees F

Sculpey Bake & Bend

285 F (130 C) for 20 minutes per  1/4" (6mm) thickness.

Prosculpt

275°  F (130° C) For 10 - 15 minutes per 1/4 inch (.6 cm) of thickness

 

Understanding Fahrenheit and Celsius

Begin by subtracting 32 from the Fahrenheit number.
Divide the answer by 9.
Then multiply that answer by 5.

Celsius to Fahrenheit Converter

 

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Other Clay Recipes

Did you Know...

 

Avoid Hairline Cracks when Using Metal Armatures

 "When using polymer clay, If you do sculptures with metal armatures and sometimes get hairline cracks they are due to the slight shrinking of the clay and the expansion of the metal in the baking process.

If you wrap your armature with floral tape or air dry clay or use oven dry clay to make a skeleton baking it first before creating your sculpt and then you can avoid these hair line cracks."

Create More, Spend Less

 

Achieving a Bronze Looking Sculpt

To make a sculpture look  like a real bronze sculpture, use three parts black to one part gold polymer clay.

 

Your advertised banner can be seen by 1000's

Do you have a clay or miniature related website and wish to advertise it here?

email: sales@tinycrafts.com

 

Polymer Clay Sculptors Blog for OOAK Clay Artists

 

Did you know?

Mokume Gane ;pronounced moe-koo-may-GAHN-ay, is a Japanese term for "wood grained metal".  In terms of use with polymer clay it is a method of putting together, layering, or stacking the clay to achieve a innumerable amount of interesting and breathtaking designs that can be used for just about any application. 

 

Salt Dough Clay

See these amazing images of a horse driven carriage sculpture made entirely from Salt Dough Clay

Click Here

 

 


POLYMER CLAY TESTING 101


 

Clay Conditioning & Blending

 

Did you Know?

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