An Introduction to Polymer Clay

What Is Polymer Clay?
Polymer clay isn't a natural clay that you can find in the earth. It's a soft, pliable compound made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) particles suspended in a plasticiser. One of polymer clay's many advantages is that it doesn't dry out, which is one less thing to worry about when you're working with it. It becomes a hard plastic when fired at a low temperature, which means you don't need a kiln; you can just bake it in your oven. It comes in a variety of colors, all of which can be mixed to make even more colors, so you don't have to paint your creations if you don't want to.

There are different kinds of polymer clay. Polyform Products makes several, such as Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, and Premo. There's also Fimo, Fimo Soft, and Kato Polyclay. They have each have their own qualities that make them different to work with. I suggest trying out at least a few, because not only will you become familiar with what's available, you'll get a better feel for your own needs and preferences.

Here's a rundown of some of the different kinds of polymer clay:

Sculpey III: This was what I started out using. It's an extremely soft clay that's easiest to find in craft and art supply stores. It's often recommended for children and beginners. It's good for simple projects, but I often found it difficult to use. It's too soft to hold details very well.

Super Sculpey: A soft pinkish-beige clay that's ideal for flesh tones. Like Sculpey III, I found it too soft. In addition, it's prone to "plaquing", or "moonies"-- little crescent-shaped cracks that appear just below the surface upon baking.

Premo: This is my favorite clay to work with. It's a soft, slightly tacky clay, but generally not too soft for what I do, and it holds details well.

Fimo Classic: A very stiff clay that's hard to condition. (Conditioning is where you work the clay in your hands until it's soft enough to use.) Many people run it through a food processor to help soften it up. It's supposed to be very good for millefiori caning, where keeping tiny details intact and colors separate is extremely important.