Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Polymer Clay Ideas

Bake polymer clay in your oven instead of a kiln.


Polymer clay's low-fire temperature makes it a more feasible option for those who want to complete clay projects without having to fire them in a pottery shop or studio. While polymer clay is not suitable for pottery that comes into contact with foods or drinks; you can create a large number of decorative and useful objects.


Jewelry


Make earrings, necklaces and bracelets with polymer clay. Form the clay into beads for necklaces and bracelets by building them around toothpicks or skewers to create holes to thread them onto stringing material. Create earring by forming the clay over the ends of earring posts or inserting a jump ring into the top of a polymer clay shape to hang it onto a dangling earring post.


Personalized Push-Pins and Magnets


Create a set of refrigerator magnets or cork board push pins with your own clay designs. Sculpt shapes, people, animals or seasonal decorations around blank magnets to create custom refrigerator magnets. To create decorative push pins, build the clay forms around plain metal thumb tacks. Do not use the plastic type, as the plastic will melt when you bake the items in the oven.


Mirror or Picture Frames


Create your own frames to add a decorative look to mirrors and photo frames. Use the clay to build a border and backing around a frameless mirror and bake the frame with the mirror intact. To create a photo frame, build the clay around the front panel of a wooden or metal photo frame. After covering the frame or mirror, add detail to your frames by cutting out small shapes in different clay colors and pressing onto the frames.


Ornaments and Knick-Knacks


Design your own ornaments for windows, key chains and Christmas trees or knick-knacks to decorate your home. Sculpt objects, people or animals with the clay. Straighten one end of an ornament hook for each sculpture and insert the straightened end into the clay figure. Bake the clay according to package instructions, leaving the hook in place for an ornament.