Polymer clay is not a food, so you don’t want to eat it, of course. Touching polymer clay, working with it, and even baking it in your home oven is not dangerous. Polymer clay has been tested and is certified as being non-toxic and safe to be used as a normal crafting material. Fimo is known for having a lot of paint incompatibility, whereas Sculpey III can often work better. Always test your paint with the clay brand that you’re using. Most acrylic paints work very well for painting the surface of polymer clay, but some of them do get remain a bit sticky. The chemicals in the nail polish can dissolve the polymer clay and/or cause it to turn sticky over time. Never use nail polish to color or add gloss to any polymer clay project. Read much more, including advice on ovens, temperature, and baking tips in Baking Polymer Clay. This will prevent the oven’s heating element from “toasting” your project. I like to use two aluminum foil pans, one inverted as a lid, and clamped shut with a binder clip. To protect your project against browning and color changes during baking, make sure to cover your project inside the oven. In fact, most artists agree that longer baking leads to a stronger finished product. Once your oven is preheated, begin timing and bake for at least as long as the manufacturer recommends. Lower temperature causes incomplete curing. Always bake your project at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer, never lower. Underbaking leads to breakage, and improper baking can cause color changes.Īll ovens need to be checked with a separate thermometer to verify that the temperature you set is, indeed, the temperature that’s being reached. I can’t stress that enough!! Polymer clay must be properly baked to ensure your project will be strong, durable, and attractive. If you don’t follow any of these polymer clay tips for beginners, make sure you follow this one. Learn more, including which sealers to trust, in Do You Have to Seal Polymer Clay?ĭo you want to check out other clear-coat options besides varnish? Read my article comparing the various glazes, sealers, varnishes, resins, and clear-coats. And putting varnish over acrylic paint can cause even more stickiness issues. But be aware that some varnishes may never fully dry on some brands of polymer clay. They come in gloss, satin, and matte finishes. Many people like to use the acrylic varnishes that are sold to protect fine art paintings. You can use most water-based varnishes to seal your polymer clay. Depending on your desired result, you might want to make a bead more glossy or a figurine more matte. You may also want to use a sealer to change the gloss level of your polymer clay creation. Acrylic paint used to decorate your polymer clay will only need to be sealed if there is risk of it being scraped or rubbed off. If you use surface embellishments with your polymer clay such as mica powders, foil, or metal leaf, then you will need to use a sealer to protect them. Only use them if you really, truly need to, and always test your chosen varnish before using it on a large or important project.īut there are times when you do want to seal your polymer clay creations, however. Sealers, glazes, and varnishes can very often become sticky, peel, become cloudy, or suffer from annoying brush strokes. The sealer will break down before the clay will. In fact, polymer clay itself will withstand water, weather, and wear better than any sealer. Because polymer clay is a durable, water-resistant plastic after baking, it is plenty strong and does not need to be sealed for protection.
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