About Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a synthetic clay. Unlike organic clays, it doesn’t require extremely high heat from a kiln to make it hard and durable. It also doesn’t dry out like organic clays do; Kept wrapped in plastic, polymer clay can stay soft and usable for years. It cures (gets hard) at low temperatures, between 230 and 300 degrees, depending on the brand of clay used. It comes in a wide variety of colors, from translucents to florescents, metallics to opaques, pearlescents to glow-in-the-dark. All brands and colors of polymer clay can be blended together to create pallettes of custom shades.

The compounds found in polymer clays are similar to those found in the plastic water pipes in your home. Polyvinylchloride is the main ingredient in both polymer clay and pvc pipe. It is non-toxic and will not create harmful fumes when being baked, as long as the correct oven temperatures and baking times are used so the clay doesn’t burn.

After baking, polymer clay can be drilled, carved, sanded, painted, inked, and polished to a high shine. While raw, polymer clay can be textured, colored with inks and paints, painted with (in its liquid and semi-liquid forms) and treated in a thousand ways and techniques. Raw clay can be added to cured clay and the item cured over again without any damage to the original. Simulating natural materials such as stone, wood, and glass are common techniques for polymer clay.