Polymer clay for beginners. How to work with polymer clay. DIY polymer clay jewelry - projects for beginners Mk on polymer clay for beginners

In this article we will talk about such a popular material today as polymer clay. From it you can make a lot of beautiful things.

Polymer clay is one of the most common craft materials. And no wonder, because it is very elastic and completely non-toxic, and the crafts are simply fantastic!

Moreover, the variety of such crafts is striking - not only decorations, but also many other things that will definitely decorate your life.

How to work with polymer clay?

So, to begin with, let's deal with What should you stock up on when working with polymer clay?. Half of success in work depends on the right choice.

Of course, first of all, you need to stock up on the clay itself, which is sold in special stores for needlework. There are enough marks:

You can buy a domestic version of the type "Flower"- it is inexpensive, but unsuitable for sausage preparations. The color palette is not extensive, there are no special effects like mother-of-pearl, no metal

IMPORTANT: The most tangible drawback is that after baking, the products from the "Tsvetik" become very fragile.

Of the foreign brands, the most common is considered "FIMO"- it offers the buyer a large selection of colors that practically do not change after baking, suitable for a variety of techniques
There are the following types: soft Soft, standard Classic and interesting Effect with additives, transparency, sparkles and mother of pearl

Premo- has a greater similarity with wax than the previous version. It is very easy to mold from it. Good for sausages
"KATO"- you will have to suffer a little with this brand, as it is baked at a fairly high temperature. And as for trying to knead the clay, it will be quite problematic to do this if you do not use a hammer
You can pay attention and for Polish products- It is strong and affordable. Good for sculpting applications. However, if you plan to make sausage blanks, such clay is of little use.
Cernit- recommended for those who want to sculpt dolls and imitate stones such as marble. For those who want to bring a touch of transparency to their products, this brand is perfect. Clay is similar to wax, it is advisable to knead it well before sculpting

What else can the creative process do without?

Without workplace, of course. For this case, it is best to find a tile or glass, as you will have to work with a knife. A thick sheet of white paper is also possible, but this is in extreme cases.
Knife you need the sharpest, and preferably a special one for this kind of work. But if this is not found, you can use the stationery. Pay close attention to sharpness - the material should not be lubricated as a result. And look at the price, choosing the “golden mean”, since cheap ones are very often blunt, and expensive ones have an overly thick blade - these include, for example, Japanese

IMPORTANT: Do not use the kitchen under any circumstances! There is a risk of harm to health.

rolling pin also irreplaceable, but not plastic. The fact is that some types of plastic quickly deteriorate under the influence of polymer clay. But you can use a special roller for rolling clay or even
toothpicks they will help well in making holes in beads, forming details, in drying beads - it is very convenient to string round details on such sticks. As an alternative to toothpicks, stacks are used, but not made of plastic
Buttons, pendants and other accessories make crafts unique
For cutting out details, in the absence of special molds, it is quite possible to take lids or glasses
Emery skins with waterproof effect sand well and remove fingerprints from products. And dense material like felt, jeans will help to polish
Lucky will definitely be required. You can use building acrylic with a base on the water, but the best brands are Sculpey, Fimo

The basic rules for working with polymer clay are as follows:

The most basic - maintaining cleanliness. The surface must be clean, as are the hands. It would be nice to stock up on gloves. And try to keep the place of work free of lint

IMPORTANT: Wet wipes will help a lot when working. They will not only keep your hands and tools clean, but will also smooth out the unevenness of the material.

For clay softening you can use a special tool called a plasticizer. Experienced needlewomen recommend the Moldmaker brand. A few peas of the product is quite enough for a pack of clay. As an alternative, creams, petroleum jelly, a warming procedure are suitable
There are also cases when the clay sticks to your hands especially fresh. Then you can mix it with harder clay or leave it on a white sheet of paper for several hours. But if paint has already got into the material, it is hardly possible to do something.
Lacquering of details occurs in different ways. For flat ones, each side is processed in turn. Round ones are best first strung on a toothpick, which, in turn, must be stuck into plasticine. You can also dip the parts in varnish or apply it with a synthetic brush

Whatever clay is chosen, it must be properly used before use. knead- thanks to this, the material becomes plastic, soft and suitable for comfortable modeling

IMPORTANT: Do not ignore this step, otherwise air bubbles will remain in the material, which will turn into bumps when the clay is heated.

Stock up on special baked gel- for example, such as FIMO liquid. Sometimes you need to glue a pin to the part - in this case, the hole for it needs to be made a little larger, taking into account the glue
Store clay sausages you need in a film or a well-closing bag. Otherwise, they will not dry out, but will lose their plasticity and become brittle. This is explained by the evaporation of the plasticizer. It is even better to put the blanks in the refrigerator

At what stage do you need to do grinding? After the parts are baked, but before varnishing. It is recommended to wipe the parts with a linen towel after grinding - this way they become as if velvety

IMPORTANT: Do not think that the varnish will hide the defects of the material. As a rule, he only emphasizes them. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to polish.

How to bake polymer clay crafts?

The baking process should be discussed separately, but this does not mean at all that it is somehow too tricky and requires a special oven.

This is not ceramics - here an ordinary oven is enough, after all the temperature at which many types of polymer clay harden is only 110-130 degrees.

What do you need to bake crafts on? Never on utensils that are used for eating
It is better to adapt a special baking sheet for a creative impulse, covered, in turn, with accordion-folded paper
A lot depends on what is being baked. So, the beads will feel great strung on a toothpick stuck in foil. Flat parts are recommended to be placed on glass or ceramic tiles
You can place the glass in a baking sleeve, and then take out the craft on the street - this is if you are overcome by doubts about toxicity

In general, so that no toxic substances are released, you must adhere to the temperatures indicated on the clay packaging. And even with this, it is necessary to work with the hood. After each work, the stove must be thoroughly washed.

IMPORTANT: If there is a smell, and the craft itself has turned black and even charred, immediately stop baking and ventilate the room well.

If, after processing in the plate, the product becomes dense, thin parts are able to bend, and subsequent drilling produces long chips - everything is in order, you are on the right track.

Polymer clay crafts for beginners step by step: master class

Beginning needlewomen must first of all master master classes on making sausages from polymer clay. Having such sausages, in the future you can create spectacular details for various products.

So let's try to do the simplest strawberry sausages which even a beginner can do:

So, you need pink, red and white clay. From white blind a slightly elongated triangle, and from pink - layer about a millimeter thick

IMPORTANT: Before rolling out the layer, the clay should be thoroughly kneaded.

More from white clay you need to make sausages. Sausages will also be needed from red. Then they need to be connected to each other.

Carefully wrap connected red and white sausages with a pink layer

The resulting red-white-pink sausage should be pulled out as carefully as possible in length. Approximately until it reaches a length of 12 or 13 centimeters. When stretching, the product should in no case lose its original shape.
And after that the sausage can be cut in equal pieces

Now from scattered sausages a strawberry is formed. Forming it is not difficult at all: a white sausage is wrapped in a pink layer and stuck around with sausages made of red and white clay in a circle

IMPORTANT: Do not glue the entire core, leaving the bottom intact, as shown in the photo.

Now the core turns again, but this time with a layer of red polymer clay

At this stage the sausage needs to be stretched to a size that is convenient. Please note that for beads it should be thick and short, and for toy pieces it should be thin and long.

And here is the final step - baking! Do this for about half an hour, after which cool the workpiece and cut into strawberries
When properly manufactured, they should be easy to cut, resembling fairly dense rubber in structure.

The described master class is intended for the simplified production of strawberry sausages. If you want something more naturalistic, then you can use a pasta machine.

It allows you to achieve smooth color transitions. As an analogy, take an acrylic rolling pin, only it will take longer to tinker with it.

Fruits from polymer clay sausages can be used in manicure

Beginners can also practice on buttons- they are very easy to make, and the thing turns out beautiful and useful. So, for the simplest recipe for making need:

In fact, polymer clay
Acrylic paint for decoration
Sandpaper
The sleeve in which baking is done
Some kind of vintage style button

So, to get started, you just need to roll polymer clay balls. Choose colors as you wish. Attach a button to the balls

Now with a thick needle make holes. Such blanks can be immediately packed in a sleeve and baked at 110 degrees

IMPORTANT: It is better not to use a baking sheet, as it will not always be possible to fully wash it, like an oven. Even then, leave the oven door slightly open.

Sandpaper processed baked buttons. Edges can be neatly trimmed
Now you can add the finishing touches processing products with paint or varnish

But what if you want to make such a trinket, but you don’t have a vintage button at hand? No problem: you can create a craft in a different way and easy too!

Roll out the polymer clay layer thinner. Attach a piece of lace to the layer which is sure to be found in any home. But before applying, be sure to lightly sprinkle the clay with water.

Now cover the workpiece with polyethylene- without it, cutting will turn out sloppy

The mold must be pressed on the layer. The mold can be absolutely any shape

According to the resulting contours, it is easy can be carefully cut future button

With a toothpick holes are being made

blanks bake, cool- and now they can be covered with acrylic paint

IMPORTANT: The thing should cool in the oven.

Easy crafts from polymer clay

An easy and useful craft will be needle magnet. You will need:

Rolling pin and work surface
mold
Polymer clay
Acrylic paint, brush
Lace
Sandpaper
2 magnets

You can get started:

Clay needs it right knead hands
Then her roll out
Using a cookie cutter desired contours are cut. The edges are trimmed
Now for preparation pressed lace
You can bake the craft in the oven. However, if polymer clay is purchased with the feature of self-hardening, it's even easier - you just need to let it harden
sandpaper product is processed
And now can apply paint e the way you want. If there is a desire to somehow decorate the magnet in some other way, it's time to do it.
On the back side of the craft a magnet is attached. That's all, it is quite possible to use it! You need to apply a useful craft on a fabric previously fixed in the hoop

IMPORTANT: Do not forget about the second magnet, which is applied on the back of the fabric to the one attached to the craft.

The next easy-to-make and useful polymer clay craft is jar lid. The lid will outwardly resemble weaving from a vine, so any jar will look economic and comfortable with it. You need to stock up on these things:

Any of the most common jar lid
Polymer clay any shades. But to recreate the effect of weaving, beige, red, yellow, green, brown and dark blue are best.
If there molds- a special mold for creating three-dimensional figures - it will be very useful
PVA glue or liquid plastic
orange and brown pastel
Green, yellow, white, red acrylic paint
varnish, also acrylic
Device for rolling out polymer clay- acrylic rolling pin, glass rolling pin, in the absence of a regular jar
A special machine for processing polymer raw materials is desirable, called extruder
tassel for applying paint. In this case, choose a thinner brush
Wand sharper or toothpick

To begin with, a piece of brown clay is taken and rolls out to the state of the formation. Please note that it must be no smaller than the size of the original cap.
The source cover is lubricated liquid plastic or PVA glue

Now clay should be put on the lid. At the same time, it should cover the entire surface of the lid, but should not prevent it from closing. It will be necessary to immediately make incisions - this will release air bubbles. Alternatively, you can pierce the clay - then the air will come out during the baking process, otherwise the clay will simply rise
It's high time twist polymer clay into a sausage, then immersing it in an extruder. This must be done with brown and beige clay. The thickness can be any

IMPORTANT: If there is no extruder, you just need to gently knead the sausage - so that the shades do not mix. After that, you need to gradually cut off pieces from it, rolling them into thin threads.

Now we need to twist the strings. First, take a bunch of four and lay them horizontally on the lid. The ends should extend beyond the lid. Then take four more threads and put them on top of the previous ones, only perpendicular to them.
Lay out the threads so that their ends diverge from each other according to the principle of rays
Take a couple more polymer clay threads - and place them in the center of the impromptu web. Start weaving in a checkerboard pattern- threading the leading threads over others, then under them. If you have ever wove wreaths or baskets, you should be able to do it very quickly.

It is necessary to weave the cobweb to the edges of the lid. If the threads run out, new ones are simply glued to the old ones. After that, the weaving is carefully removed from the lid, transferred to paper
On the lid PVA or liquid plastic is applied. In the first case, you need to act quickly - before the glue dries

The polymer clay web returns to the lid. And now you need to complete this weaving with a fringing. It is created from six stripes intertwined with a pigtail.

Now you can decorate the lid to your liking- for example, create flowers or berries from polymer clay, do not forget to cover them with varnish

Lovers of weaving and just useful little things will surely like it miniature ring box. We will make it in the form of a basket

You will need:

Clay
Wire, the thickness of which is approximately 0.8-1 mm
Stationery knife
Capacity, which resembles a basket. Cream jars are very suitable for this purpose.

So let's get to work:

Roll polymer clay into a sausage. Its thickness should be about 1.5-2 mm. It is best to use an extruder, but not critical if it is not at hand
This sausage cut into pieces 3 centimeters long

IMPORTANT: Make sure that the number of pieces is odd.

The container itself should be turned over. After that you can stick cuts of polymer clay on it

Carefully cut off excess parts pieces so that they are the same length

Now a circle is made of clay. It must be attached to the bottom of the container. For the best effect, it will be good to iron this circle with a toothpick.

The jar is placed in this form in the oven. The temperature depends on the type of clay, but the time will be enough for 5 or 8 minutes. After baking, the jar is lowered into cold water, cools down and is freed from polymer clay

Roll up the sausage as long as you can. However, it will be possible to connect sausages during the weaving process, which is easier to do with an extruder

IMPORTANT: After weaving, the basket should not be corrected from the sides, otherwise the natural effect of weaving will disappear.

If you want to give the base of the basket completeness, you can weave two piece braid and stick it on top. A on the bottom from the inside you can stick a circle of clay- so the bottom will be more accurate

It remains to make the handle of the basket, for which the wire is useful. Measure the desired length and bend the arc

The final stage is wrapping the frame of the handle with polymer clay sausage. You must not forget to leave 5 millimeters on both sides. Next, the handle is attached to the base, and the whole composition is sent to the oven for 20 minutes

Do-it-yourself polymer clay doll

A doll made of polymer clay will be an excellent gift for a child, and it will fit well into the interior of an adult. Of course, each such doll is individual, but still the general nuances of manufacturing are present.

Experienced needlewomen are convinced that the proportions of a living person are not suitable for a doll - the head turns out to be small, and the arms are too long. AND best way to calculate proportions- is to remember that one body of a toy is measured by seven heads. The palm is equal to the width of the face, and the foot is 1.5 palms.

Creativity should always start from the head, twisting a loop of wire. Foil should then be wound on such a base.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to wrap the foil tightly.

Now polymer clay comes into play, which you need to knead well, then stick around the foil. All unnecessary irregularities are important to smooth out.

Perhaps the most difficult is start drawing facial features. It is necessary to highlight not only the eyes, nose, mouth, but also not to forget about the forehead, chin. Nothing needs to be painted yet - just a relief designation of features. And remember that the face should be convex.

After that the workpiece is placed in the oven. The baking temperature depends on the recommendations of the clay manufacturer.

Hands can be done next.- Cylindrical pieces are formed from clay. They need to be rolled out.

Using the stack fingers are formed. It is very important to carefully separate them without damaging them. Next, give the handles a natural look by rounding their outlines and not forgetting the folds.

Now you can treat your hands in the oven, after putting them on the wire.

The manufacture of legs begins, oddly enough, with the feet- they are made of parts, one side of which should be thicker than the other. The stack denotes fingers, folds.

Pieces are attached to the feet, which are then transformed into a leg to the shin. The legs are baked in the same way as other parts of the doll's body.

IMPORTANT: To put the legs on, take the longest pieces of wire, because they will form the main frame of the doll.

And now it's time to collect the disparate parts into general framework. To do this, the wire from the head is connected to the pieces from the hands, and a long wire from the legs is screwed to all this. Where the pupa is planned to have a waist, the wire should be twisted.

Now you can bake the doll.

And here begins the most interesting - the formation of appearance. Recommended for face painting Use acrylic paints and #10 brushes. For the eyes you will need the thinnest brush.

As for the hair then you can use a wig for a good cause, forming the hair in parts. You can form strands of silk threads.

And you can use wool for felting - it turns out just fantastic doll hair.

Outfit whatever is sewn, depending on the idea and the materials at hand.

Doll made of polymer clay by Canadian master Martha Boers

Another polymer clay miracle from Martha Boers

DIY clay toys

You can sculpt a lot of polymer clay toys - it all depends solely on your imagination. Let's try to make a symbol of this year in this lesson - fire monkey.

First of all carefully knead the clay and create an oval from the orange piece- this is the future head of the monkey. Flatten it a little for the face
For body need to make another oval, only remade in the form of a drop

The head and body are held together so that the body is attached to the smaller side of the drop
A thin pancake is formed from beige polymer clay, on which you need to make a recess on top

IMPORTANT: A thin toothpick for forming shapes on pieces of polymer clay is just right.

Beige pancake superimposed on the head. And closer to the bottom. And the recess should "look" up
With the help of dots small dimples for the eyes. By the same principle, the nostrils and mouth are indicated.
Roll two small circles from black polymer clay. They are placed with light pressure in the eye sockets.
2 balls roll from orange and beige clay. And beige is less than orange. They make pancakes. Beige superimposed on orange

Ears made of polymer clay

The resulting ball is cut into two parts - these are the ears. They are attached to the sides of the head with pressure. Joints should be smoothed
A monkey can be made playful with a bang- this is a small orange droplet, glued with the wide part up. The bottom one needs to be screwed down a bit.
And now handles-legs are formed from 4 sausages in the form of drops. For hands, roll smaller drops. In all four sausages, make indentations in the wide parts

Form 4 drops from beige clay, and cut fingers on their wide parts - these are hands and feet. Attach them to the recesses of the arms and legs

from orange clay tail is formed, pointed on one side, and also twisted in the form of a question mark - on the other

Now all parts of the body are attached to the torso, and the toy is baked

DIY clay sculptures

Garden sculpture - both interesting and functional. It is unlikely that you want to spend money on buying a finished sculpture, but you can try to make one yourself. Eg, owl, for which you will need:

Capacity for mixing material approximately 5 liters
Approximately 6 cups building plaster
500 grams polymer clay, which itself can harden
Water
skewers wood or thick wire, stacks
Plastic bag
Paint brushes#1 and #5
More useful for decorating owls gouache, glass eyes, matte varnish, yellow and black nail polishes

So, let's start with the fact that you need to tightly lay a plastic bag in a bucket for mixing material. Separately knead about 4 cups of plaster

IMPORTANT: The consistency of the dough should resemble cottage cheese with sour cream. But there should be no lumps.

After kneading, the dough is transferred to a bucket- it will take up a third of the capacity. The form in which the material was kneaded, meanwhile, is quickly washed off. Well, skewers are inserted into the dough so that they stick out half of the plaster. Gypsum needs to be leveled and left to harden for 2 hours
After curing gypsum is taken from the bucket

Now you need to knead the gypsum again to the same state, same as last time. It is laid out on skewers. It is necessary to form the outlines of an owl. The container is immediately washed, and the workpiece hardens within a day

And so the creativity begins: breaking off pieces of polymer clay, stick them little by little to the gypsum base

IMPORTANT: After breaking off a piece, immediately wrap the rest of the polymer clay in cellophane, otherwise it will harden.

Then feathers are drawn- it is desirable to do this with the help of a pusher. Insert glass eyes

Made from polymer clay back and wings
Black and yellow nail polish eyes are painted. The advantage of this varnish is that it is transparent, and therefore retains the shine of the glass.

And now you can take tail. Moreover, for reliability, it must be formed in tiers and processed by a pusher
Are drawn wings

If there is excess clay left, you can make additional decorations in the form of a ladybug, for example. The owl is dried and painted with gouache. Finished with a matte lacquer

Polymer clay cup

It is highly undesirable to make a cup completely out of polymer clay, since when storing and serving food in it, there can be unpleasant consequences for health. But it is quite possible to decorate a cup. For this you will need:

Polymer clay
Toothpicks, stacks
Utility knife or good blade
Pastel of the color you need for decoration
Water at room temperature

Getting Started:

So first of all need to work on sketch, because in the process it will be quite difficult to decorate at random
Now, based on the sketch, you can begin to mount polymer clay, recreating certain details. Help yourself with toothpicks or stacks
Once the clay outlines are formed, pastel can be added- it emphasizes the 3D effect of the decor
Now burn the cup at 120 degrees
And after this procedure polymer clay parts must be carefully detached from the cup. It is best to help yourself with a clerical knife
Rinse the cup with warm water. Dry it, degrease it
Lubricate each of the decor details carefully with glue, and attach them to the cup. Remove the glue that goes beyond the decor with a toothpick.
The vase now needs to be placed in the oven for 20 minutes. Set the temperature to 120 degrees
Let the vase cool, cover it with varnish

We offer another option for decorating a glass vase:

In this case, use stamps, stacks, coloring pigment in powder consistency. Pour such a powder onto a layer of polymer clay, and rub it with your fingers - this will achieve smooth transitions of shades. Patterns can be pre-marked with stamps
Now cut out the figures from the layer. You can use scissors, or you can use a utility knife. Let the figures be of different sizes - in design it looks just fine
Figurines need to be baked, following the directions on the clay packaging
Roll out another layer of polymer clay- figurines will be attached to it

IMPORTANT: The base layer must be the same size as the glass vase. And in terms of thickness, it should be denser than the layer from which the decor details were cut.

Use glue to attach the base layer to the vase. Push the details into this layer, helping yourself in this work with glue
Apply pearlescent varnish to the entire surface. It is recommended to work with a large brush
Now put the vase in the oven for 5 minutes. Temperature - 265 degrees
So we processed only one side. Repeat this algorithm for others don't forget to let the vase cool down after each baking

DIY clay flowers

Polymer clay makes gorgeous flowers for decoration. Eg, delicate sakura flowers

First, make a sausage out of pink and white polymer clay. Color transitions should be smooth, for which you can use a pasta machine. But clay will need a little, so you can try to make it manually
Once the sausage rolls up, cut it into pieces. per millimeter or 1.5 millimeters thick

IMPORTANT: It should be noted that a real tandoor is made exclusively from clay - only thanks to it will the stove have thermal insulation properties. What's really impressive is that it stays at a temperature suitable for cooking for about 3 or 4 hours.

What is the device of this furnace? It is an earthen vessel, tapering upward - food is placed there. And traction is provided thanks to the blower at the bottom. The bottom is covered with brick, and clay, salt or sand are placed between it and clay to keep warm.
In addition to all of the above, you will have to stock up sheep wool or camel wool - this will allow the oven not to crack when high temperatures are set.
- So first of all you need to mix clay with wool. Pre-cut the wool into fibers of 10-15 millimeters
IMPORTANT: The consistency of the mixture should resemble thick sour cream, have a viscosity.
- This mixture should be left until it reaches a suitable state for at least a week. But during this time, stir the workpiece, otherwise it may dry unevenly. And make sure that water does not accumulate on top - otherwise the tandoor will be covered with cracks
- If the workpiece is similar at the end of the week to dense plasticine - you did everything right! From such plasticine, mold oblong sheets, the thickness of which should be at least 5 centimeters. It is from them that a tandoor is formed with a height of 1.5 meters, a diameter of the wide part - a meter, and a neck diameter - 0.5 meters
IMPORTANT: Be sure to leave a hole on the bottom side - it is necessary for blowing.
- Leave this blank for a month for complete drying
- Now you can overlay the workpiece with bricks. The same clay is used as a solution. You can replace it with a mixture of clay, plasticizer and quartz sand
- From the inside, the oven is lubricated with cottonseed oil.
- And now - kiln firing until it looks like ceramic. The temperature rises slowly, so don't worry if it takes 24 hours to burn.
Polymer clay jewelry
Polymer clay makes excellent jewelry - bracelets, necklaces, rings. But they will be discussed in another article.
As you can see, polymer clay is just a godsend for creative people. From it you can do a lot of excellent things that will bring positive, comfort and benefit to your life.
You can hardly resist buying such a thing, and if you begin to be interested in the process of working with polymer clay, you are unlikely to resist trying to make something yourself.
Video: Magic polymer clay peonies
Video: Bunny polymer clay
Video: Unrealistic polymer clay sculpting

Girls strive to express their individuality, and what if not bright, unusual, unique handmade accessories can help with this?

Polymer clay modeling is an entertaining hobby for women who are drawn to beauty! This is a unique material from which you can create decorations, accessories and crafts for the interior, embodying the most incredible creative fantasies. Working with plastic is no more difficult than creating figurines from plasticine, but finished products are not afraid of moisture, do not wrinkle or break.

A little history of an exciting hobby

Unlike traditional materials such as glass, wood, ceramics, leather, which have been used for centuries, plastic has appeared relatively recently. It was first developed and released by puppet master Fifi Rebbinder in 1930 in Germany. It was intended to model the heads and faces of dolls.

After 34 years, Fifi sold the formula of his invention to the owner of the pencil factory, Eberhard Faber from Nuremberg. An enterprising businessman, having improved the composition, two years later organized the mass production of polymer clay, under the brand name "Fimo" (Fimo), which is still popular.

As a hobby, polymer clay modeling appeared even later, but today it is one of the first places on the list. Plastic is used for modeling souvenirs, decorative dishes, jewelry, flowers for decor and bouquets.

How to start a beginner sculptor

Passion for modeling does not require large material costs. The only thing you have to spend money on is plastic, otherwise you can get by with improvised means. To get started you will need:

polymer clay. You need to buy material in white, black and a few pieces already tinted, depending on the color combination of the final product. You can also independently paint white clay with oil paints to the desired shade;
stationery knife;
rolling pin for rolling plastic. Usually, professionals use a pasta machine for these purposes, but it can be replaced with any metal or glass object that can perform the functions of a rolling pin. It can be a smooth glass, a narrow bottle without embossing on the surface, a hairspray can;
work surface. For this, a glass board, thick cardboard, or plain white A4 office paper is suitable. It is not recommended to use plastic surfaces, since the plasticizer that is part of the thermoplastic may react with it;
devices for forming the texture of the product. There can be any available materials with which you can create the desired texture - toothpicks, fabric, corrugated paper, tree leaves, flower petals, etc.

Types and features of the material

First of all, polymer clay for modeling is divided into self-hardening and baked. The difference is that in the first case, plasticizers, which give the mass softness and plasticity, evaporate at room temperature, and in the second, it is necessary to place the finished product in “hot conditions”.

polymer clay without baking

Self-hardening plastic- a modern material that hardens in air without additional heat treatment. To gain hardness and strength, small crafts need a few hours, large ones - a few days.

In this group, light and heavy clays are distinguished. Products made of heavy polymer clays are difficult to distinguish from pottery, they can be subjected to additional processing - sanding, painting, varnishing. This type of plastic is ideal for large souvenirs, figurines, decorative dishes. The disadvantage of heavy clay is shrinkage, so not all materials in this group are suitable for delicate work in which details are important.

Lightweight plastic looks like a marshmallow mass, the main component of this material is cellulose. It is a real pleasure to work with light plastic, it produces believable artificial flowers. The disadvantage of cellulose plastics is the fear of moisture, such works cannot be washed and wetted, so they are not suitable for jewelry.

Features and types of thermoplastics

thermoplastic requires heating up to 110-130 degrees to evaporate plasticizers. To do this, use a conventional home oven or an electric oven. Thin products (for example, small flowers) are baked for 5-8 minutes, for baking products with a width of 3-5 mm, about 20 minutes are needed. Small items, such as beads, are conveniently boiled in water.

There are different types of baked plastic:

standard, sold in bars according to this color or in sets;
with fillers, imitating natural stones and metals;
with glitter and mother-of-pearl;
colorless;
changing color after baking;
gel, used to connect parts;
flexible, able to bend after processing.

It is not recommended to make products from thermoplastics with a width of more than 1 cm, since the material does not polymerize inside, over time the product will become loose and may crumble. Therefore, it is better to make large and voluminous figures hollow.

How to work with plastic

In terms of properties, the mass resembles plasticine, only it is more plastic and does not stick to hands so much, but finished products, hardening under the influence of temperature, have hardness and strength. Ripe fruits and berries, mouth-watering muffins and cakes, incredible flowers, favorite cartoon characters - the possibilities for creativity from plastic are unlimited!

To start working with plastic, it must first be kneaded. It is better to start with small pieces, do not try to knead the entire material at once. To facilitate the work, you can put the briquettes on the battery, or warm them in your hands.

You need to knead until the mass becomes soft, elastic and viscous. If the clay is too hard, crumbles and cannot be kneaded, this means that part of the plasticizer, which gives it plasticity, has evaporated. In order to restore plasticity to clay, you need to add a little plastic softener or mix dried plastic with fresh material.

The different colors of polymer clay blend perfectly together. Therefore, if you do not have enough of a certain color or need to get some kind of shade, feel free to connect them together. It is better to work with thermoplastics with gloves, so the products are more accurate, without prints. The work surface must be clean, free of dust and debris.

Workshops on modeling from polymer clay

Based on our step-by-step polymer clay modeling workshops, you will quickly master all the subtleties of this needlework and learn how to create designer jewelry and original gifts with your own hands.

Making various accessories from polymer clay has already become commonplace. Every girl heard about such material and certainly saw works of art. Sculpting from this material is a pleasure, and the process does not cause any inconvenience. The main thing is to know the basic rules for preparing and baking clay.

How to choose polymer clay for creativity?

First, you need to pay attention to the fact that there are many types of polymer clay on sale from different manufacturers. It is very difficult to choose from such a variety, especially for a beginner, because he does not understand all the nuances of this material. It must be said right away that it is better to use expensive polymer clay for modeling, since cheap, most often, will be of poor quality and it becomes impossible to work with it.

For beginners, some things need to be clarified. For example, it is better to buy clay not fresh, but not old either. The production time should be average, if I may say so. Because soft clay is difficult to mold due to stickiness, and hard clay will crumble during the modeling process. Of course, there is a special tool that can soften clay, but it is expensive and rarely used.

You can buy special clay in any stationery store that has a creative direction, or in online stores. When buying clay on the Internet, you need to be careful, because there are often times when the seller deceives the buyer.

What tools are needed for sculpting?

Once the clay is purchased, you can start sculpting. At first, different tools that are in every home will come in handy. You need a surface on which the product will be molded, and on it you can immediately bake it. Ceramics, glass, or plain paper are fine for this process, but ordinary glass can break, so it's best to find heat-resistant glass.

You will also need a stationery knife or blade, a toothpick or a needle, a rolling pin (it is better to buy a special rolling pin). For hygiene, you will need napkins and gloves to protect your hands, and cutters will come in handy for cutting clay.

In the process, the main thing is to do everything step by step, there is no need to rush or do several things at the same time. First, the clay needs to be kneaded well so that it becomes soft, and after that, any detail or accessory can be made from it. For example, you can make a small bar of chocolate from brown clay, use a toothpick to make divisions that will resemble the divisions of a bar.

Each element can be done in its own way, it all depends on the imagination, and it doesn’t matter what tools are available for this.

We sculpt a flower from polymer clay

For starters, you can try to make a flower with leaves. To do this, you need to take green clay and press a few balls to a flat surface, give it the shape of a leaf and apply veins with a toothpick. After that, you need to take bright clay and make several petals, which eventually need to be combined with each other. After the flower is ready, it must be combined with leaves and can be baked in the oven.

Baking process

Baking is the most important step in polymer clay modeling. You need to carefully read the information about how long and at what temperature the acquired clay is baked, and only after that you need to start baking. If the clay is baked in the oven, it is better to use containers or special food sleeves, otherwise you will have to wash the oven every time.

After the product has passed the baking stage, it must be treated with a detergent to remove the greasy layer. If there are any flaws, such as bumps or prints, the product can be sanded with sandpaper.

Lacquering

And the very last stage of modeling is varnishing. For polymer clay, you need to use a special varnish, other varnishes will not work. Instead of varnishing, you can rub the product with a cloth to make it shine, but the varnish will keep your creation longer.

After the polymer clay product is ready, you can use it for yourself or give it to someone. Having learned how to make simple things from polymer clay, you can move on to more complex ones and not be afraid to make accessories or items to decorate the interior.

You can make earrings, bracelets, brooches and many other jewelry from polymer clay. To see how such items look, you can see photos of finished products. You can also take a master class on making jewelry or a decorative item. In any case, there are many different educational materials for working with clay, they will help you understand the nuances and rules for handling this material.

Any item that has been made from soft clay will make a great birthday or other holiday gift, so you can learn how to sculpt from polymer clay to give your friends and family all sorts of cute things.

Video on the topic of the article

It is very nice to make beautiful things with your own hands. Any creativity cleanses the soul and raises self-esteem. Especially when such elegant products come out of your hands, which are obtained when you sculpt from polymer clay. A miracle happens when ordinary polymer clay turns into a delicate rose, a carved daisy or a small baby doll.

Polymer clay is not terrible for beginners, the master classes below will help you take the first steps. A prerequisite for working with polymer clay is the cleanliness of hands. This material is very sticky, and all the most microscopic specks will stick to it.

clay toys

Working with polymer clay is no different from modeling with plasticine. Suffice it to say that it is more convenient to use clay for sculpting dolls and animals, which hardens after baking.

Today, in specialized stores, you can buy molds for doll feet, faces, hands, so the work becomes even easier. On a ready-made face, you can stick eyes from the same store. Molds can also be used to apply any pattern, relief, texture.

Fans of home puppet theaters should also take advantage of this relatively new material. From it it is very convenient to sculpt the heads of puppet artists. It is enough to glue a cardboard tube for a finger and then sculpt the head of a fox, an alien or Barmaley on it. Do not forget to make a shallow groove along the edge of the neck for attaching the product to the rest of the body.

Tools and materials

For details on the necessary tools and materials for modeling polymer clay, see the video:

Step by step instructions

Flowers of amazing beauty are obtained at home when we sculpt them from polymer clay. These products look like they are alive. For greater reliability, you can use silicone molds with prints of wildlife: leaves, grass, inflorescences.

The first clay sculpting for beginners is usually carried out with the study of making techniques, attaching flower petals and using molds.

Almost alive dandelions

In order for our work to be continuous and pleasant, we will prepare the following materials and tools in advance:

polymer clay (yellow and green);
blade;
paper strips;
rolling roller;
toothpick;
talc or flour;
nail scissors.

Roll out a very thin plate of yellow clay and cut it into strips 2.5 (2 pieces), 3 and 3.5 cm wide.
Fold the paper pieces in half lengthwise and insert the yellow stripes into them. Sprinkle talcum powder on the plastic left without paper to stop it from sticking.
Cut strips of clay with scissors to the very edge of the paper.
Make such a fringe on all four yellow stripes and one green.
Take a toothpick and wind all the strips on it in turn, starting with the narrowest one and ending with the green one.
Carefully cut off a toothpick from the product and straighten the petals. Insert the stem and attach the leaves. They can be made using molds.

The simplest flowers

In order to subsequently create products of any complexity, you must first learn how to sculpt the simplest flowers from polymer clay.

Take a small piece of material and roll it into a ball first, then give it the shape of a pear.
With a sharp knife or blade, cut the workpiece crosswise.
Further work depends on what kind of flower you want to make. If it is a fleshy violet, then simply straighten and flatten the petals a little. If you want to make a fragrant lilac, you need to stretch out and form thin petals in a stack.
Insert core. If you want to make a flower arrangement, at this stage you need to insert a wire rod "pedicel" of the product.
Or make a small hole with a needle in order to later use the flower as a keychain or earring.

Lilac from simple flowers

Having collected a bouquet of buds of varying degrees of promiscuity, you can create a flower arrangement - a lilac branch. This painstaking work begins with the manufacture of flowers and buds and sticking them on pieces of thin wire.

We roll the petals in a stack on the finger from the middle to the edge. Try not to let the clay stick to your skin. Then we collect flowers and buds in an inflorescence, tying the wires to the "trunk". We use molds to mold lilac leaves from polymer clay.

Clay violet

Molds could also be useful for this work, but it is much more interesting to make each petal separately as shown in the photo.

Prepare wire rods with balls at the end.
Make blanks in the form of mushrooms from pieces of clay.
Flatten the mushroom cap in the palm of your hand.
Fold the petals in 4 pieces.
Squeeze the legs, form a flower.
Pierce with a rod and remove excess clay. The work is finished, it remains only to collect the inflorescences.

Sculpting not only trains children's motor skills well, it can also become a hobby for adults. You can sculpt from cold porcelain, plasticine and polymer clay. The latter is especially popular in the manufacture of flowers, small figurines and other accessories. The recipes below will help you with the question of how to make clay for modeling yourself.

How to make polymer clay at home

From a material called polymer clay or plastic, you can create the most unexpected elements. It is often taken as the basis for jewelry, fashioning bracelets, rings, headbands, or brooches. All these decorations will shimmer with bright colors that you choose to sculpt. Jewelery around the neck looks especially beautiful - these are pendants, necklaces or just beads. In second place is the dishes, which are decorated with polymer clay with their own hands. Glasses, mugs, teapots or spoons - they can decorate your table for months.

You can make toys in the form of hinged dolls completely from polymer clay or mold a small utensil set for them: modeling it will be especially interesting for a child. Today, skilled craftswomen make everything that their imagination has enough of this material - from key rings to a bouquet of flowers, while there are already many recipes according to which polymer clay is prepared by hand. If you buy it in a store, then polyvinyl chloride and liquid additives are found in the composition, i.e. plasticizers. For self-production, starch, glue with glycerin and soda are taken as the basis.

Polymer clay for modeling from potato starch

The first DIY polymer clay recipe is based on potato starch. Often corn is used instead. The only difference is that the appearance of their potato starch products turns out to be a little grayish. If corn was used for crafts, then they look whiter. For the recipe itself, you will need the following ingredients:

petroleum jelly or hand cream - 1 tsp;
baby oil - 2 tsp;
PVA glue - 100 g;
lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.;
potato starch - 100 g.

To work, you need an enamel pan. Fill it with about 1 liter of water, put on fire. While the liquid boils, follow the instructions below:

Take disposable cups. Pour glue into one of them, pour starch into the other.
Send glue to another enameled container. Add butter with cream and lemon juice there, mix well.
Next, heat the mixture over a saucepan of water, i.e. in a water bath. Just don't do it too long or the clay will overheat and become tight.
After that, add starch to all the ingredients. With such small proportions, you can do it all at once, and not gradually.
Stir vigorously so that the mass does not stick to the bottom of the container.
Lumps will begin to appear in the mixture, it will become like cottage cheese, and then turn into a large lump. At this point, remove the container from the water bath.
Grease your hands with cream, start kneading the mass.
Roll up the clay, giving it the shape of a ball, cover with a layer of cream and wrap with a film so that air does not get inside. So the material should ripen for about 12 hours.

Recipe from glue and glycerin

The following instruction involves the addition of glycerin at one of the stages of work. This substance helps to avoid cracking of finished products. For such a recipe, you will need materials in the following proportions:

PVA glue - 2 tbsp. l;
cold water - 1 tbsp.;
glycerin - 10-15 drops;
potato or corn starch - 1 tbsp.

To prepare polymer clay according to this recipe, go through the following steps:

Arm yourself with a heavy bottomed saucepan. Mix the glue and half of the water there.
Cook the mixture over low heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
Take a separate container, where you combine the remaining water and starch.
Send the starch mixture to a saucepan with water and glue, drop glycerin there, then mix thoroughly.
Turn off the heat, leave the pot for a while to cool.
Place the clay on a table sprinkled with starch.
Knead the dough. It will be sufficient if it becomes pliable and its surface is smooth.
Form a ball out of clay, as shown in the photo. Then wrap with cling film, send to the refrigerator shelf for a couple of days.

DIY self-hardening polymer clay

According to the latest recipe, you can prepare self-hardening clay. For this option, you will need the following materials and tools:

baking soda - 2 tbsp.;
water - 0.25 st.;
corn starch - 1 tbsp.;
spatula for kneading dough;
wax paper for baking;
non-stick saucepan.

Self-hardening polymer clay is prepared according to the following instructions:

Combine all of the above ingredients in a saucepan.
Heat it on fire, stirring constantly. When the mixture is a little dispersed, drip a couple of drops of any fragrant oil, such as cinnamon. So the finished raw material will have a pleasant smell.
Keep the mass on fire until bubbles appear and a large lump forms from it. All this time, do not forget to stir, scraping the mixture from the bottom.
When you see that the mass began to resemble mashed potatoes, turn off the heat.
Dump the contents of the pan into another container lined with waxed baking paper.
While the "dough" is cooling, grease your hands with a fat cream.
Knead the mass into one large lump. Keep it in an airtight container so the edges don't dry out.
The raw material is already ready for molding. Roll out thin layers from it, cut out any figures with molds, make patterns on them with a toothpick, and then dry them in air or a battery.