DIY polymer clay crafts beautiful for dolls, New Year, autumn, animals, master class for children

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Recently, polymer clay crafts have become popular.. For many people, modeling is a hobby, and some are engaged in this creative work on a professional level. The process of making designer souvenirs from plastic will bring a lot of pleasure, and with a little diligence, additional income.

What is polymer clay

Polymer clay is a plastic substance made from polyvinyl chloride intended for modeling. When heat treated, the polymer hardens and becomes similar to ceramics or plastic. Heat treatment involves baking the material at a temperature of 110-130⁰S. Both large sculptures and miniature crafts are created from modeling plastic.

Thermoplastic consists of the following components:

PVC (base), is a gelatin-like element;
liquid substances (plasticizers) that help plastic harden and retain its shape at high temperatures.

Polymer clay varies in texture and color. It can be hard or soft, and has different shades.

There are also the following characteristics of plastic material:

liquid;
translucent;
with the addition of impurities, resulting in a metallic shade;
pearl;
fluorescent or luminescent;
with glow effect.

Correctly selected material affects the quality of the finished product.

The most common brands of plastic are:

Name	Country of origin	Advantages	Flaws
Tsvetika	Russia	Moderate price	Great hardness, has a poor color palette. The finished product becomes brittle.
Fimo	Germany	A wide range of shades that retain their saturation after heat treatment; there are options with the addition of mother-of-pearl and marble.	Expensive price (from 230 rubles for a 57 g plate).
Kato	USA	High hardness	Needs to be baked at high temperature.
Cernit	Belgium	Durability, adds transparency and marble effect to products.	May change color after heat treatment
Premo, Sculpey	USA	Extensive color palette	May change color after heat treatment
Artifact, Sonnet	Russia	low cost (100 rubles for 56 g), wide range of shades.

Tools needed for sculpting

Crafts made from polymer clay are made using the following tools and equipment:

A flat work surface. Paper, polyethylene, smooth tiles or glass will work here.
A rolling pin is needed to roll out thin clay layers. It is replaced by a bottle or other round object, with the exception of wooden examples.
The pasta machine is a pasta maker with smooth shafts. It helps to roll out the plastic and create a smooth color transition.
To make polymer clay crafts easier, you need a pasta machine.
Blade or stationery knife. Suitable for cutting and slicing.
Needles and toothpicks are handy tools for creating holes. They are used in heat treatment of beads.
A device for grinding and leveling the craft. After baking, the plastic material swells slightly, the surface is polished with sandpaper or various nail files.
Gloves are used to avoid leaving fingerprints on smooth surfaces. It is better to buy thick rubber gloves that are rough on one side.
An oven is needed to bake the products. A mini oven with a temperature control device will do.
The thermometer helps to accurately determine the temperature regime.
Nippers, round-nose pliers and flat-nose pliers are needed for assembling finished crafts and processing wire.
Varnish for baked clay gives the finished souvenir shine and richness, and also protects it from environmental influences.
A varnish brush made from natural or synthetic materials.
A device for drilling beads with thin drills (1-2 mm).
Napkins are used to wipe hands and tools from thermoplastic.
Various cutting moulds.
Stacks make it easier to work with small elements.
Molds are used to create identical elements.
Foil helps form the base of the product.
The wire is needed to create the frame.
Cling film is suitable for storing plastic clay.
The extruder functions like a syringe and allows you to create unique color transitions.

How to work with polymer clay and bake?

Crafts made from polymer clay can be made in several ways:

Baked in the oven. First you need to heat the device to 110-130⁰C. After this, place the formed craft in the oven, placing it in a ceramic or earthenware dish. Use a baking sheet, previously covered with baking paper. The thicker the product, the longer it is baked. The time of continued heat treatment varies within 5-40 minutes. Complex works are sent to the oven several times. Finally, let the craft cool down without removing it from the oven.
Cooking in boiling water. Here you will need a dish that is not intended for cooking. First, you need to lower the clay object into boiling water for 3-4 minutes. If the souvenir is thick, then the time is increased, for every 1 mm of thickness add 1 minute. Remove the finished craft from the water and rinse under running cold water. The advantage of this method is that the object will not burn or lose its shape. Among the disadvantages, it can be noted that some types of clay at the end of boiling acquire a light white coating and lose their brightness.
There is self-hardening clay. Depending on the manufacturer, the curing time varies from 2 hours to 2 days. Such material is stored in a sealed container or in polyethylene film.

Toys

Simple toys are made from thermoplastic for children.

For example, to design a bunny, you should follow these steps:

Roll a large ball out of plastic material; this will be the body.
In the round blank, squeeze out indentations for the eye sockets, where you insert black pieces of plastic. Attach a pink nose a little lower.
Then, using the same shade of color as the body, form the ears and paws.
Bake the figurine in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
The chick is made in the same way, only instead of legs, a tail and wings of a different color are attached.

Step-by-step instructions for making a minion:

Roll a large ball from the baked clay.
Pull the workpiece out slightly and flatten it on one side.
Attach large eyes, arms, a smiling mouth and a blue jumpsuit to the convex surface.

Master class on creating a funny little man:

Make a ball out of green plastic.
Flatten the preparation into a bean shape.
Use tweezers to make holes for the eyes and insert beads into them.
Use a thin knife to draw a mouth.
Make hair sticking up from short thin black plastic rods and insert them into the head.
Form handles from white plastic material and attach them to the person’s body.
Place the character on a round stand, the diameter of which is larger than the product.

Crafts for dolls

Crafts for dolls are made from polymer clay.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a handbag:

Choose a brightly colored baking clay and mold it into a miniature rectangle.
Roll a thin sausage out of the same plastic and attach it to the product at both ends in the form of a handle.
Bake the preparation in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then cool it.
On one side of the bag, lay out multi-colored patterns or flowers using thermoplastic.
Bake the item again, then cool.

Master class on creating doll clocks:

Form a round or square watch case from beige plastic.
Use a toothpick to press out a dial on the blank.
Insert small pieces of wire into the body on both sides to attach the strap.
Bake the part in the oven for 30 minutes at a temperature of 110-130⁰WITH.
Take a strip of leather and align its edges. The width of the leather belt should correspond to the inserted wire pieces.
Using acrylic paint, paint the clock. It is recommended to use a silver or gold shade.
Thread the strap through the wire.
At the ends of the bracelet, they put fittings or tie the belt into a bow.

Statues

To create a polymer clay figurine, you should make a plan, which is as follows:

Maintaining proportions. For example, the gnome and elf figures are the same height, but the volume of their bodies is different.
The ratio of the proportions of the arms, legs, upper and lower extremities. These parameters depend on the type and age of the magical character. Thus, the proportions of trolls or gnomes emphasize the unusualness of the fairy-tale inhabitants.
The frame is made to hold all the parts of the figurine. Large figures require the use of foil and wire. The skeleton of characters with large flat surfaces can consist of elastic wire mesh. For tall creatures, metal rods are used.
Using templates to help maintain proportions.

Master class on creating a complex figurine:

Heat up the plastic material of the desired color.
Form a frame from wire.
Increase the volume of the figurine to the desired size using foil.
Wrap the workpiece in thermoplastic; during the wrapping process, it is recommended to smooth out any unevenness with a damp napkin or piece of cloth.
Bake the craft in the oven or leave it to harden.
Finish the remaining strokes with a toothpick and attach the fittings.
Finally, apply a layer of varnish to the head of the figurine.
Place the figurine on a glass stand, 2 cm thick, and with an area twice as large as the base of the product.

Flowers

Crafts made from polymer clay, such as flowers, can be easily made by beginner needlewomen.

Step-by-step technology for making calla lilies:

Select 2 differently colored light-colored thermoplastic blanks and make a sausage out of each of them.
Fold one piece around the other.
Roll the formed figure into a ball. Repeat the same steps until a marble shade appears.
Next, cut the sphere into 2 equal parts.
Form a rounded flat plate and stretch its edge slightly, then pinch it with your fingers.
Roll the opposite end into a paper cone.
Straighten the edges, and the result should be an opening bud.
Use a toothpick to make small holes and insert beads and an earring into them.

Instructions for forming a rose:

Make a sausage out of a piece of clay, cut it into pieces, then form 9 balls of different sizes.
From the round blanks, mold the petals. Place the ball on your left palm and press it with the thumb of your other hand, creating a leaf. Make the edges of the part thin and compact the base.
Do the same with all the balls.
To assemble the inflorescence, roll the petal into a roll.
Then attach all the pieces to the center, starting from the smallest and ending with the largest. Each subsequent piece should cover the previous one.

Keychain

To make a keychain with your favorite photo, you need to follow this technology:

Separate the required amount of plastic material, then knead and flatten it.
Take the selected photograph and place it on the part with the front side facing up, align and iron, removing air.
Wipe the surface with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
After drying, apply the alcohol solution 2-3 more times.
Remove the paper from the image, leaving the paint layer intact.
Use a knife to cut off excess material, giving the product the required configuration.
Bake the keychain together with the design.
Cool the craft and cover with varnish.
Finally, attach the fittings.

Step-by-step design of a souvenir with imitation leather:

Roll out a layer of polymer clay to the desired thickness.
Crumple a piece of foil with your hand, then straighten it out.
Press crumpled metallic paper onto plastic to create imprints.
Cut out the shape of the future product from the raw material.
Make a hole for the fittings.
Treat the edges of the workpiece with crumpled foil.
Bake the keychain, cool and cover with brown acrylic paint.
Wipe the craft with a towel and a hard material.
Attach the fittings.

Decorations

Craftswomen can make designer women's jewelry from polymer clay.

Step by step process of making earrings:

Silicone molds are used for blanks.
On one side of the part, you need to insert fittings for the clasp.
Use a toothpick to smooth out the plastic material everywhere.
If you need to highlight a certain area with a different shade, use a soft brush.
For stylistic earrings, any sweet or fruit is taken as a sample and a smaller copy is made from it.
The height of the finished product should be no more than the length of the little finger phalanx.
Using a toothpick, apply the appropriate structure in the form of veins or slices.
Fix the hardware pin in the “stem” area, mask the connection point with plastic of a suitable shade, and then bake the craft.
Cut off the excess rod with nippers, bend the end with round-nose pliers, then insert the connecting ring and attach the earwire (hook) to it.
If desired, earrings can be decorated with a clay leaf, chain or beads.
Finally, bake the piece and apply finishing touches with acrylic paint.

Animals and birds

Master class on making an owl from baked clay:

Draw the outline of the bird.
Roll out the plastic of the chosen shade and mold the body in the image of the created picture.
Form the head from a material of a different color.
Using any convenient object, press the eye sockets close to each other.
Then you should insert beads there.
Use a toothpick to make cuts like feathers.
Make an oblong nose, which needs to be attached to the space between the eyes.
Use a needle to pierce holes for the nostrils at the bottom.
Create wings from plastic material in the form of droplets, and make grooves on them to depict feathers.
Roll balls for the paws, flatten them slightly and mold the tail.
Attach all the parts to the base and bake the figurine.

Step-by-step process of creating a hedgehog:

For the body, form a small, dense oval out of foil.
Take white plastic and roll it into a ball, then flatten it out and wrap the resulting flat cake around the oval.
Connect all edges of the clay plate and smooth out the joints.
Make a small ball out of milk clay and attach it to the abdominal area.
Press the navel in the center.
From plastic of the same color, mold the neck and glue it to the body.
Form arms and legs from 2 white sausages and attach them.
Make the head in the same way as the body.
Make an elongated nose, mold ears from 2 balls, draw a mouth and press out eye sockets.
For the eyes, you need to insert brown clay blanks, and attach a black plastic ball to the tip of the nose.
Bake the resulting figurine in the oven for 15 minutes.
Divide the thin dark brown sausage into small pieces, then mold each into a carrot, these will be the needles. Make a lot of these blanks.
Each needle is glued and fixed to the back of the figure. They can be placed in any direction.
Bake the craft in the oven for 30 minutes.
Finally, tone the needles with brown acrylic and cover the entire body with beige acrylic paint.

Autumn and New Year crafts

Polymer clay crafts will decorate your Christmas tree.

Step-by-step technology for making a ball:

As a base, take a foam ball or form a sphere from foil with a diameter of 3-4 cm. If the toy is made entirely of plastic mass, it is difficult to bake it correctly.
Cover the created figure with clay mass and roll it in your palms until it acquires an even round shape.
Take a paper clip and stick it into the part so that it protrudes slightly.
Roll the ball again in your hands to secure the paper clip.
The next step involves baking the product.
Cool the toy, then use aerosol paint to create a background shade. Dry the sphere.
Finally, paint the craft with a brush. You can paint New Year patterns, Santa Claus or a snowman.
Pull the thread through the eye of the paperclip and tie a loop.

To make a bracelet with leaf decor, follow these instructions:

Take polymer clay of 4 warm bright shades. Separate small pieces and roll them with a rolling pin into a 2 mm layer.
Cut out leaves from the rolled out blanks using a template and a knife.
You need to make 2 pieces of each color.
Use a wavy blade to trim the edges of the leaves.
Glue the multi-colored parts onto the tin can, making sure that the edges of the leaves are securely fastened together.
Place the product in the oven to bake for 20 minutes at 110-130⁰WITH.
Cool the baked bracelet and cover it with brown acrylic paint.
Dry the craft and sand it with sandpaper on both sides.
Finally, apply a varnish intended for polymer clay to the finished decoration.

Other ideas for modeling

Step-by-step preparation of clay sweets:

Combine pieces of clay in bright, juicy colours.
Form multi-colored barrels and cut each piece into 3 parts, then lay them out in a stack and squeeze through a medium-sized circle.
Twist the resulting lollipops into a spiral and, if desired, wrap them into a flagellum.

An exclusive photo frame can be made from plastic material.

Step-by-step process of its registration:

Take plastic of 3 different shades, then knead it and roll small balls. Put them one by one into the syringe.
Squeeze out the thermoplastic with a syringe.
Place the resulting sausages into a square, placing 3 pieces on each side.
Remove the glass from the collapsible photo frame and degrease it with vodka or alcohol.
Cut the formed square into slices and place them on a glass surface.
When laying out the plastic part, leave a protrusion so that you can later bend it to the side of the glass.
Take a large bead and stamp it onto the multi-colored border to create an additional ornament.
Bake the finished frame in the oven at 130⁰WITH.
Finally, cover the product with varnish.

Due to its affordable price and elasticity, many needlewomen make polymer clay crafts, and amazing souvenirs made from this material are often found at hand-made fairs. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment and show your imagination.

Video about polymer clay crafts

Options for homemade products made from polymer clay:

Beautiful DIY polymer clay crafts for kids. Master class