Almost 90 years ago, an excellent material for sculpting was created in Germany. Initially, they planned to make doll heads from it, but the sculptural mass made it possible to convey fine details of faces, amazingly imitated various surface textures, and became strong after processing.

The doll's faces did not fade and remained cute for a long time. This is how a wonderful plastic mass appeared, which was so loved by craftswomen and needlewomen.

What is polymer clay?

A modeling mass with a specific smell that looks like plasticine. Contains plasticizers that impart plasticity to the workpieces and facilitate the creation of the required initial shape.

During heating, these chemical additives evaporate. The polymerization of products made from such clay is irreversible; the mass hardens so much that it does not change its shape in the future.

What is polymer clay used for?

The ease of working with such clay and the availability of technologies for its processing are used by masters of decorative and applied arts and designers of small forms. Selling beautiful clay products self made became a source of income.

Polymer clay used for making:

• women's jewelry, costume jewelry;
• souvenirs
• small-sized interior items;
• Christmas tree toys;
• designer dolls.

Not only a professional designer or sculptor can make beautiful products; this article will help you turn your favorite mug into a unique and unique art object. Just watch a master class on modeling with clay with your own hands and make a decoration in the form of an applique on the wall of a mug.

Types of Clay

There are various plasticizers in the composition of polymer modeling masses, but they all require heating for polymerization. Sometimes polymer clay is called plastic self-hardening masses that do not require heating to fix the shape.

Polymer clay is sold in packaging of various weights and color scheme. Manufacturers produce these ornamental masses with different properties: colored, transparent, shiny, matte and other effects. All these properties are marked on the clay packaging, as well as the shelf life.

Important: If the clay's shelf life is coming to an end, refuse such a purchase. The mass may crumble during preparatory kneading, and nothing can be made from it.

Tools

Modeling tools are sold in art and craft stores, located on the shelves next to the polymer clay. Beginners don’t necessarily have to buy anything at once; they can make do with improvised means.

Before you start creating your own masterpiece, you need to prepare. For full work you will need:

• work surface, you can take ceramic tiles or glass;
• PVA glue, which is useful for gluing parts;
• sharp knives, or office cutters;
• sanding sheets for processing uneven surfaces;
• a piece of suede for polishing;
• toothpicks to help create effects;
• rolling pin for rolling the mass into a flat sheet, it is better to take a glass bottle.

Cutting molds can be replaced with caps from plastic bottles; these will be the simplest figure templates for beginners.

Methods of sculpting and textured surfaces

Before you start sculpting, you need to knead the mass in your hands and warm it slightly, similar to plasticine. Single-color works only require checking the homogeneity of the mass when creating product parts, for example, when making designer dolls.

In multi-color works, such as in the manufacture of beads or small souvenirs, different techniques are used. For beginners, we can recommend techniques that will show you how to learn to sculpt with polymer clay:

• smooth transition, the simplest and most common technique, when two bars are taken and kneaded at the same time, after which the necessary parts are formed;
• sape, in which layers of different colors are placed on top of each other, then carefully rolled into a roll, the parts are cut crosswise.

Other techniques, such as filigree, kaleiloscope, salt, can be mastered later.

Note!

Securing the shape of parts

Polymerization requires compliance with the clay manufacturer's conditions. It is important to follow the instructions and not violate the baking temperature indicated on the package. Products that are underheated will not retain their shape; products that are overheated will lose color and become dark.

Flat parts are baked on a ceramic tile in the oven. Small details such as beads are pricked with toothpicks onto a ball of foil. Baked parts should cool gradually, under natural conditions.

Connecting parts

Sometimes, with complex techniques for making products, the parts are glued together immediately after firing. To do this, use PVA glue; it must be applied pointwise, so the parts fit together more accurately.

Finishing surface treatment

Before coating the polymerized product with a special varnish, the surface is cleaned of irregularities with sandpaper and, if necessary, polished with suede.

Varnishing gives the final look to hand-made masterpieces, as can be seen in the photo of polymer clay stucco. Matte and glossy varnishes are chosen according to the design of the craft. Manufacturers of polymer clay also make their own varnishes that are most suitable in terms of chemical composition.

Note!

The varnish is applied in layers in two ways:

• Using a brush, covering the product in the usual way.
• Dipping the entire product into varnish at once. To do this, you need to secure it, for example, on a toothpick, dip it in the solution and turn it in it. Then take it out, stick a toothpick into the foam, let the excess varnish drip off.

Ideas and instructions for modeling with clay will bring the joy of creativity, only if you follow safety rules. It should be remembered that under normal conditions polymer clay is not toxic. But the polymerization process is accompanied by the release of harmful volatile compounds due to heating.

Important: When firing products, ensure that the room in which the polymer clay is baked is ventilated.

Photo of modeling from polymer clay

Note!

IN Lately Handmade products are in great demand. Modeling from polymer clay and cold porcelain is very popular; any novice needlewoman can make such crafts with the help of master classes and even without tools. In order for the finished product to be of high quality, it is necessary to follow a certain technique and sequence of actions.

What is polymer clay

This substance was created artificially German woman Fifi Rebinder for creating heads for handmade dolls. Polymer clay for modeling has a specific herbal smell and contains plasticizers, which give it plasticity. When baked, they are absorbed, the mass hardens and can no longer change its shape. Polymer clay (or plastic) comes in two types: self-hardening and thermoplastic.

The latter requires heat treatment, but you can sculpt anything from it - from small parts to large figures. The self-hardening material dries naturally in the sun, which will take at least a day. If you have not heard about the properties of clay before, then know that after drying, the finished product decreases slightly in size, the surface is uneven, but it can be drilled and processed with a file. This type of material is more suitable for sculpting dolls and other large crafts. The mixture should be stored in closed packaging.

What can you make from polymer clay?

Modeling from polymer clay opens up great scope for imagination. You can make anything from fine jewelry to handmade dolls and figurines. Thanks to unique properties plastic, working with it is easy and simple. Some types of thermoplastics can imitate the properties of different natural materials: stone, wood, metal, fabric. For beginners in sculpting, it is better to start with simple techniques and techniques, gradually moving on to more complex ones.

Products

Decorations, costume jewelry, key chains, pendants, souvenirs, and refrigerator magnets are often made from plastic clay. Plastic is non-toxic, so it can be used in games with children. It’s easy to teach a child how to make vegetables, fruits, and simple flowers. More experienced needlewomen sculpt complex items from polymer clay, such as doll heads, arms and legs. The properties of the mass allow you to make crafts as similar and realistic as possible.

Ideas for modeling with polymer clay

Inspiration for creating masterpieces from polymer clay can be found in different sources. There are special printed publications on sale that teach such modeling. There you can find a lot useful information, step by step instructions and many craft options. Modern needlewomen find ideas for modeling on the Internet, where there are photo/video instructions with detailed description actions.

How to sculpt from polymer clay

To create with polymer clay, you don’t need any special skills, because the mass is similar to plasticine. In your hands it becomes soft and pliable, ready to create any crafts. To make the product beautiful and durable, choose high-quality material for your creativity. There are many types of polymer clay: Sculpey, Cernit, Viva Pardo, Deco (Japanese), Kato Policlay, Sonnet, Pro, Flower (sold in sets) and others. Most jewelry is created from Decoclay and Fimo clay.

Tools

Polymer clay tools can be purchased at any arts and crafts store. Some items can be replaced with improvised materials, but some special tools cannot be done without. Before starting work, you need to prepare for the process. You will need:

1. Working surface made of large glass or plastic.
2. PVA glue. It is useful for connecting thermoplastic parts together.
3. Sharp knives, maybe stationery ones.
4. Sandpaper to remove roughness.
5. A piece of suede fabric that adds shine to the finished product.
6. Toothpicks, rolling pin for rolling.
7. Cutters are special molds for cutting out figures.
8. Extruder, rolling pin.

Modeling techniques

There are several popular techniques that are used in creating crafts from different types plastics:

1. Smooth transition. The method is to mix two different colors.
2. Sausage (sape, cane, millefiori). Several layers of different polymer clay are combined, and then the mass is rolled into a roll.
3. "Kaleidoscope". Multi-layered, using the kaleidoscope technique, the pattern is symmetrical and multi-colored.
4. Watercolor. A technique for smooth color transitions when sculpting.
5. Filigree. Complex, requires professional skills and patience.
6. Salt technology. Salt is used in sculpting to add texture to the creation.
7. Mika-shift. Creates a 3D effect.
8. Mokume Gane. It consists of layering several layers of plastic clay of different colors.

Some parts need to be glued together after firing to avoid damage during baking. Use liquid or gel glue for this purpose; it is better if it fast acting and will set in 15-20 seconds. This way you will have the opportunity to adjust the details as much as possible better friend to friend. Do not apply glue in strips to avoid smudges, do it in the form of separate droplets.

Baking

This process requires certain conditions to be met. The most important thing is to adhere to the baking temperature indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. If you violate this indicator, the product may not bake or change color. It is better to bake the mixture in the oven on a ceramic tile or a regular baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Small parts need to be pinned onto a toothpick and placed on a ball of foil, so they are baked better. Flat parts are laid on a flat surface.

Complex crafts can be baked in several stages, for example, if they are made using the filigree technique. Each stage lasts a certain amount of time (from 1 to 15 minutes), and the total duration of the process can take up to half an hour. It is also necessary to remember that in its raw form the material is not toxic, but when heat treated it emits an unpleasant, harmful odor. Follow safety precautions: ensure the room is ventilated, remove food from the kitchen, and wash the oven after firing.

Varnishing

Finished products are coated with a special varnish, which gives them a finished look. There are matte and glossy varnishes; you need to choose them based on the desired effect of your craft. Many plastic manufacturers also make varnishes, so you can purchase products from the same brand. It has a composition that will not fade over time and will not begin to stick to your hands. Some needlewomen varnish their creations with water-based varnishes for wooden floors. The main thing is that they do not contain latex, which is incompatible with thermoplastics.

You can apply the varnish with a brush, but it is better to “put” the product on a toothpick and dip the whole product into the liquid, twisting it around its axis. This way the substance will be distributed evenly and the excess amount will drain off. Next, the toothpick with the craft is inserted into a piece of foam plastic (or other material) and left to dry. If after a while a drop of varnish forms at the bottom, it must be carefully removed. It is necessary to cover the crafts in several layers, drying each of them for a certain amount of time (indicated on the packaging), sometimes this time is several hours.

Safety precautions

Working with any material, even food, has its own safety rules. If you decide to sculpt from plastic, take the following precautions:

1. After sculpting, be sure to wash your hands with soap, or better yet, wear rubber gloves.
2. Do not burn the mass in the oven where you cook. If there is no other, and you are forced to do this, wash the oven thoroughly and ventilate well.
3. Observe the baking temperature, and if the material is burnt, be sure to ventilate the room and wash the oven.

Having prepared everything necessary materials, tools, you can start creating different masterpieces. View several simple lessons modeling and start with the basics, moving on to complex crafts with the acquisition of certain skills. Over time, this exciting hobby can develop into small business, bringing a good regular income.

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Polymer clay crafts for beginners

For those who have basic knowledge and are starting to work with plastic for the first time, a simple master class on sculpting a refrigerator magnet from polymer clay will help:

1. Stock up on: self-hardening polymer clay in pink, yellow, white, green, light green colors, a soft magnet, acrylic paints, glue, scissors, toothpick, beads.
2. Roll small balls from yellow, white, pink polymer clay, form a drop out of them, cut the thick edge into 4-5 pieces with scissors.
3. Flatten them and give them relief with a toothpick. You will get flowers.
4. Form droplets from green-colored material, flatten them, and make veins with a toothpick. These will be the leaves.
5. We make buds: we press stripes on a white droplet, imitating unopened petals. We wrap the bottom of the workpiece with a piece of green mass.
6. Paint the magnet with paint of a suitable shade and glue the resulting blanks onto it, creating a composition. Complete it with decorative beads. Leave until completely dry.

New Year's crafts

An excellent gift for New Year will become a magic ball made at home from polymer clay:

1. Prepare: a small transparent spice jar with a screw-on lid, plastic (white, black, red, pink, beige), glitter, glitter, glycerin, vodka, pin, glue.
2. Roll 2 white balls of different sizes, put them on a pin (thin wire) to make a snowman.
3. Make indentations for the eyes and insert 2 black balls there. Insert a carrot made of red plastic into the recess for the nose. Draw a smile.
4. Roll 4 white balls, flatten 2 on one side - these are the legs. From the rest, make elongated droplets - these are hands. Build a snowman.
5. Roll out 2 thin long sausages from beige and pink polymer clay. Twist them with a rope. Form them into a scarf and hat for a snowman. In the same way, we make a candy in the form of a hook (we use red and white mass), insert it into the hand. Bake.
6. Coat the inside of the jar lid with waterproof glue, place a snowman in the center, and sprinkle glitter around it.
7. Pour different medium-sized glitters into a jar, pour 1 tbsp. l. glycerin and vodka, add water, taking into account that the snowman should still fit.
8. Coat the lid threads with cream, tighten, and let dry. Shake, turn over.

Decorations

As a decoration, try making a simple “knitted” bracelet for your wrist that imitates real yarn:

1. You will need: a base for a bracelet, plastic of the desired color, liquid gel plastic, an extruder, a knife.
2. Place the plastic mass into the extruder and extrude. Take 2 strips and twist them into a rope. Do the same with the other two strips, twisting them in the other direction.
3. Coat the surface of the base with gel, apply the first tourniquet, cut the required length. Then attach the second tourniquet as tightly as possible to the first one, cut it off.
4. You will get an imitation of knitting. Repeat the steps until you have knitted the entire bracelet. Do the same with inside(optional). Bake it.

Toys

Modeling toys using thermoplastic is a great pastime with children. Try making a turtle like this:

1. Stock up on baked polymer mass (blue, light green, pink), a brush and 2 small black beads.
2. From blue color make 4 large drops - this is the preparation of the legs.
3. From a piece of light green plastic, form a blank in the form of a bell with a recess inside - this is the future shell.
4. Place the legs side by side with the wide part down and put the shell on top. Using the handle of the brush, holding it vertically, make a depression in the front of the future turtle - a place for the head.
5. We form a head blank: roll a ball and a cylinder out of blue plastic, connect them. You should end up with a head on your neck. Attach it to the body.
6. Roll pink balls, flatten them, stick them to the shell - these are spots. Make eyes from beads. Roast the turtle.

Flowers

So understandable step by step master class Making flowers from polymer clay is easy and simple:

1. Prepare the following materials: white and blue thermoplastic, toothpick, 2 white beads, knife.
2. Make 2 balls of different colors, connect, knead them until you achieve a marble pattern.
3. Divide the resulting ball in half, sculpt each half into a flat plate with 1 elongated edge.
4. Roll each into paper seed bags so that the elongated edge is at the top. Pin it and straighten the free edges as if a flower is opening. Bake, glue a bead in the middle.
5. If you first make a hole in the middle with a toothpick before firing, then you can then insert the fittings and form earrings from the flowers.

Children's crafts

Children love cartoons very much, so they will be interested in the process of creating popular characters from polymer clay. Let's make Krosh from Smeshariki:

1. Prepare: plastic (white, mint, red), 2 black beads, knife.
2. Roll a mint-colored ball - this is the head blank; prepare 6 more small pieces of mass separately.
3. Take 2 small white pieces, roll identical balls, press them down, attach them to the head close to each other - these are the whites of the eyes. Stick black beads to them - pupils.
4. Roll a small ball of red polymer clay and stick it just below the eyes - this is the nose.
5. Using a knife, cut out Krosh’s mouth, fill it with red, and stick on 2 small white teeth.

Let's look at the types of techniques used when working with polymer clay. Not sure. that I have described all kinds of techniques. Perhaps I missed something.

1 Salt technology

This is perhaps the simplest plastic sculpting technique. The name speaks for itself: when making products with its help, ordinary salt (fine or coarse, food or cosmetic) is used, and sugar can also be used.

2 Millefiori technique, cane, cane, sausage.

Simply put, it is a technique for creating a complex pattern from more simple elements. The principle of the technique is as follows: a pattern is laid out on the surface from pieces of plastic, then it is pressed evenly and cut into thin “slices”, obtaining the same pattern on the cut. Millefiori (from the Italian “milli” - thousand and “fiori” - flowers) is an ancient technique of Italian glassblowers, in which a pattern on the glass is formed along the entire length of the glass cylinder. 1981 Esther Olson first used a similar technology in working with polymer clay. She conducted a master class on making decorative miniature plastic candies using the principles of glassblowing techniques. In the world of polymer clay, this technique is called “caning” from the English “cane” (“cane” - cane). In Russian, these sticks with a pattern inside began to be called sausages. This is the most popular and basic technique for working with polymer clay. Sausages are made not only with flowers, but also with a variety of designs.

3 Kaleidoscope technique

This technique is very similar to the previous one, only in the process the sausage is also cut and pressed differently into triangles, squares, etc.

4 Mokume gane technique

The method was borrowed from the technique of Japanese gunsmiths, where metals of different colors were used. methods of obtaining a unique pattern by folding layers of color. These layers are then pressed through with various stamps and shapes. And then they are carefully cut off from above with a blade and as a result, we see a unique pattern every time.

5 Mica shift technique

- this term combines various ways obtaining a pattern in metal clays. The pattern is formed due to different orientations of metal inclusions. Translated, it means “mica shift”, because to perform work using this technique you will need so-called metallics. Due to the fact that mica particles reflect light differently, it is possible to create three-dimensional patterned effects on a completely flat surface. For example, in the picture we see a convex image, although in fact the plastic cabochon is absolutely smooth.

6 Bargello technique

Translated, the name of this technique means “chips.” Narrowly cut strips of polymer clay, moving relative to each other, form various patterns.

7 Filigree technique

Filigree plastic products are created as follows: colored polymer clay is rolled into thin sausages (about 1 mm thick), then these sausages can be flattened or intertwined with each other. The resulting cords are used to decorate stones, beads, or other plastic products. An important addition is the “grain” - small balls of polymer clay that are attached in those places where emphasis is needed.

9 Imitation techniques

An unimaginable number of different imitations can be made from polymer clay: turquoise, amber, opal, malachite, glass, wood, leather, ivory, asphalt, mosaic and even confectionery. This technique itself can be divided into many subsections that are meaningful in their significance.

10 Watercolor technique.

The principle of this technique is as follows: first we roll out a colored layer of clay, place white and black thin layers under it, roll it all together, and then tear it into pieces. We sculpt the resulting torn pieces onto our product, roll it up and get an interesting effect.

11 Lentil technique

Such beautiful beads can be obtained if in a special way roll out the bead using a small square of glass.

12 Technique for transferring images onto clay.

The name speaks for itself. The peculiarity of this technique is that when translating images, a special gel for polymer clay is used.

13. Smooth color transition (Skinner blend)

The Skinner Blend technique got its name from the name of polymer clay designer Jutit Skinner, who first used this technique in her works. This technique allows you to produce products with a smooth transition from one color to another.

14. Through

A technique that makes it possible to obtain beads, cabochons, etc., that are hollow inside. The materials used in the technique are varied - glue, wax, paper... But the end result is the same - an openwork product, hollow inside.

15. Potal

Potal is thin, almost weightless metal sheets used for decorating various products. Potal comes in silver, gold and copper colors, as well as with streaks various colors and variations. Naturally, craftswomen who make jewelry from polymer clay have not ignored this wonderful material, which gives an incomparable cracking effect. There are quite a few methods for using gold leaf in plastic products; you can experiment and choose what you like best. However, they are all united by one thing an important condition: the gold leaf needs to be fixed after the product is finished. A variety of plastic varnishes, transparent hardening polymer gels, and epoxy resin are suitable for this.

16. Stamps and textures

An excellent option for decorating flat, smooth surfaces of plastic products. Now in special stores you can find ready-made stamps for every taste. But you can search for master classes on the Internet and make a stamp yourself, exactly the way you would like to see it.

17. Brain Kane (Brain Technique)

The technique is also not fundamentally complicated, the point of which is to apply a layer of plastic with a gradient stretch of two, three or more colors onto black and white rolled out layers, which is not difficult to achieve on a pasta machine. Subsequently, a pattern is laid out from the resulting layer.

18. Syringe (extruder) technology

This technique uses an extruder - a device that allows you to squeeze out clay into sausage shapes on a cut.

19. Torn edge

The “Torn Edge” technique is based on the principle of torn edges of layers of polymer clay. This effect (or is it a defect?) is obtained by rolling cooled polymer clay in a paste machine.

Anatolevich

This technique is very similar to the previous one, only it involves giving plastic sausages different shapes, pressing them in one way or another (square, triangular, etc.). As a result, the cut produces a symmetrical pattern, most often geometric.

Works by master Yana Roberts Benzon using the kaleidoscope technique. Photo from the official website: http://janarobertsbenzon.com

Technique "Mokume Gane"

This technique always has an element of surprise! Layers of clay are stacked on top of each other, alternating contrasting colors. The resulting layer is rolled out, cut in half, one half is folded on top of the other and rolled out again. Then we use various stamps, tools and cutout molds or texture mats: we press on the plastic with stamps, leave cuts with a blade, as well as with molds; traces of violence can be left either through or incompletely. As a result, it remains on a piece of plastic specific pattern. Then, using a blade, you need to cut off the sheets of clay on top. Each new cut reveals a new drawing.

Melanie Moore's work using the Mokume Gane technique. Official website: http://www.melaniemuir.com/

Filigree technique

A pattern is laid out on a plastic base with thin sausages.

The filigree technique in the work of Jennifer Morris. Her Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/jennifermorrisbeads

“Volume painting” technique

Also, on a plastic base, the desired design is laid out in small pieces of different colors, be it a landscape or a portrait.

This photo shows my work using the “volumetric painting” technique.

In the next article I will conduct a master class on creating a pendant with elements of the filigree technique. Stay with us!

about the author

I invite you to visit my workshop! I am Tanya Emelyanova, master and creator, mother of three beautiful girls, sociologist who dreams of becoming a jeweler. I live in the Moscow region, in the city of Vidnoye. IN free time I create jewelry from polymer clay. In my works I want to reflect the miracle of the moment, I want to show it right here, right now! Show all the beauty of every second, the value of this moment. Hence the name of my workshop