- Warm the clay with body heat. If your clay is only slightly hard, you may be able to soften it just by warming and kneading it with your hands.
- Warm the clay using a heat source.
- Roll the clay in your hands.
- Roll with a rolling pin.
- Hit the clay with a mallet.
- Knead the clay.
- Smash and Soften. This technique is best to soften older polymer clay that is just a bit firm and simply needs to be conditioned well before use. ...
- Use a Conditioning Machine. ...
- Mix It With a Clay Softener. ...
- Combine With Softer Clay. ...
- Use a Food Processor.
What can you make with Sculpey clay?
Make your Own Necklaces. One very popular idea for polymer clay is to make jewelry. You can make necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches…anything really! Instead of working with pre-made charms or beads, polymer clay allows you to have complete freedom with your jewelry. In the picture below, you can see how Antonia Crafts is able to create ...
How to harden sculpting clay?
Part 2 Part 2 of 2: Baking the Clay Download Article
- Place the baking tray on the center rack of your oven. ...
- Bake your sculpture for the amount of time indicated on the package. ...
- Take your sculptures out and wrap them in a kitchen towel. ...
- Wait 10 to 20 minutes for your sculptures to cool completely. Try not to handle your sculptures until they are completely cool to avoid cracking them.
What is the best way to soften clay?
The Best Way to Soften Clay Soil in a Few Hours
- Consult with an expert at a garden center or nursery regarding the type of organic material to use for your clay.
- Dig up or till the top eight to 10 inches of your soil. Break apart any clumps in the clay soil. ...
- Spread a layer of organic material 2 inches deep onto the newly-tilled soil and work it in; continue to break up any clods of clay you find.
Can you put clay in the microwave to soften it?
To soften polymer clay, hold it in your hands so your body heat can warm it up. If the clay is especially hard, lay a hot water bottle over the clay for about 20 minutes, or microwave it for 10 seconds at a time until it is warm. Once the clay has warmed, knead it with your hands for about a minute, then roll out the clay into a snake shape.
How do you make polymer clay soft?
How To Soften Polymer Clay By Adding Plasticizers:The best option is to add a few drops of translucent liquid polymer clay. ... You can also use mineral oil, baby oil, Sculpey Clay Softener or Fimo Quick Mix.More items...
How do you soften Sculpey firm?
In general, the basic procedure is to chop up the clay in tiny bits (with a blade, crumble it up, or use an old thrift store food processor). Then add some Sculpey Clay Softener, mineral or baby oil , or liquid polymer clay to it. Mix it up, put it in a ziploc sandwich bag, and leave it alone for a few days.
Can you soften polymer clay in the microwave?
To soften polymer clay, hold it in your hands so your body heat can warm it up. If the clay is especially hard, lay a hot water bottle over the clay for about 20 minutes, or microwave it for 10 seconds at a time until it is warm.
How do you soften hard clay quickly?
0:212:12How to soften hard air drying clay easily - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPut as much of it in as you want all the little bits. And then you just add some water. There's noMorePut as much of it in as you want all the little bits. And then you just add some water. There's no exact measure i've just added quite a bit in fact i might put a bit more. In it's quite a bit.
Can you use vegetable oil to soften polymer clay?
So you can use Sculpey Clay Conditioner, oils (baby oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil) to soften polymer clay.
How do you soften polymer clay with baby oil?
Oils that can be added to soften many different brands of polymer clay, are Sculpey Clay Softener, Mineral Oil or Unscented Baby Oil. Mix crumbled clay in a Ziploc bag with 1 drop of oil until your clay is fully mixed, softened and workable. It will become very pliable in your fingers.
Can I microwave Sculpey?
The directions on Sculpey® packages say not to put the clay in the microwave, but could you use it for baking polymer clay? The short answer is no. Polymer clay's chemical composition doesn't react well to the radiation that the microwave employs.
What happens if you microwave polymer clay?
Microwave ovens heat the inside of clay just as much as the outside, so as the cooking continues, parts of the mass will begin to superheat, melt, and actually bubble and boil while other parts of the polymer clay mass will merely begin to harden. After a few minutes, the overheated polymer will expand and ooze out.
Can you bake polymer clay with a hair dryer?
Oven-Cured Polymer Clays When you don't want to cure clays that harden at a specific temperature in the oven, you can use a heat gun, hair dryer or heat-embossing tool set to the desired temperature.
Can hard clay be made soft again?
Break up any leather hard clay into small pieces with a hammer and chisel and leave the pieces out until they are completely bone dry. This may take a day or two. You cannot re-moisten leather hard clay as it is not porous, so it is important to dry it out thoroughly.
Does Sculpey go bad?
Unopened polymer clay won't go bad if it is stored in a cool location. The same is true for opened packages of polymer clay that are stored in sealed plastic containers. However, if the clay spends significant time in a hot place (around 100 F) for an extended length of time, it will cure.
What is Clay, And Why Do I Need It to Be Soft?
Clay is made up of tiny particles that stick together to form a solid material. Many different types of clay exist, with each being useful for different purposes.
What will Happen If My Clay is Too Hard?
If your clay is too hard, it won’t stick together very well-meaning anything you make with it will be fragile and likely to break.
How to Soften Hard Clay for Beginners?
Many novice potters ask this question while working with clay. The truth is that any clay can be softened to make it easier to work with, but some things must be considered when you soften or condition clay.
The Benefits of Softened Clay Over Hardened Clay
Hardened clay is a bit harder to sculpt with because of its firmness. It’s not as moldable and tends to break more easily. On the other hand, softened clay is a lot easier to sculpt with!
Tips for Working with Softened Hard Clay
Let it dry out a bit before sculpting. The clay will feel drier, which will help prevent your hands from becoming too slippery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a lot of people microwave their clay before conditioning because it makes the clay easier to work with. You can microwave your clay for as long as you want, depending on how soft you want it.
Final thoughts
With a little practice and some helpful tips, you’ll be able to know how to soften hard clay like a pro!
Step 1
Knead Super Sculpey with your hands until it is soft enough to use. When mixing two different colors, knead until the colors have mixed to form a uniform color. Mixing two types of Super Sculpey together is a good way to know the clay has been conditioned enough.
Step 2
Set the pasta machine to the widest setting for conditioning harder Super Sculpey. Roll the Super Sculpey through the pasta machine. It may come out looking crumbly if the medium is particularly hard. Add a few drops of Sculpey diluent to the clay and work it through with your fingers.
Step 3
Fold the Super Sculpey in half and run it through the pasta machine again. This will help distribute the diluent to the clay. Refold the clay and run it through again, adding the diluent as necessary until the clay is smooth and pliable. This process may need to be repeated several times.
How to soften clay?
1. Warm the clay with body heat. If your clay is only slightly hard, you may be able to soften it just by warming and kneading it with your hands. Before you start kneading the clay, hold the clay in your hands to warm it. You can also warm it using the heat of your body by sitting on top of it.
How to soften polymer clay?
To soften polymer clay, hold it in your hands so your body heat can warm it up. If the clay is especially hard, lay a hot water bottle over the clay for about 20 minutes, or microwave it for 10 seconds at a time until it is warm.
How to soften clay in food processor?
If you wish, add a few drops of diluent or liquid polymer clay to the food processor as well to further help soften the clay. Then place the lid on the food processor. You can also use a coffee grinder, but you may have to grind in several batches.
How to make hard clay pliable?
Add in liquid clay. Liquid polymer clay is another material that can be used to make hard clay more pliable. Use liquid polymer in a similar way as you would the diluent, adding it drop by drop and kneading the clay in between drops until the clay has reached the right consistency.
How to use solid clay softener?
Use one part of solid clay softener to five parts of clay. Warm the clay, then add the bar clay softener and knead until the clay and the clay softener are mixed. Bar clay softeners are whitish colored and therefore work best with highly saturated clay.
How to make clay more workable?
Instead of being liquids that you add, the bars are made of a neutral mixing compound that helps your clay become more workable . Use one part of solid clay softener to five parts of clay.
How to use petroleum jelly in clay?
To use petroleum jelly, dab a small amount on your fingers and rub it into the clay. Then knead the clay to mix in the petroleum jelly. Keep adding more until you reach the optimal consistency.
How to revive old clay?
Revive tired, old clay by adding plasticizers. Translucent clay, translucent liquid clay, mineral oil, baby oil, Sculpey Clay Softener or Fimo Quick Mix can all be used to get the job done. Give your hands a break by using an old food processor to mix in your plasticizers. Prevention is better than cure.
How to keep polymer clay from drying out?
Keep opened packets in sealed ziploc bags. This prevents the clay from drying out. (Make sure to use a brand of ziploc bag that does not react with your clay. Some plastics react with polymer clay and leach the plasticizers from it - the exact opposite of what you want!)
What is the squish test on polymer clay?
The block on the right is the fresh clay. Well, it's called the squish test. Pick up your clay and give it a good squeeze. All polymer clay brands should be squishable to some degree if they are fresh, even if they are cold.
How to store polymer clay?
Once you have your lovely, fresh polymer clay blocks in your hands, it's up to you to make sure that you don't let them get hard and yucky: 1 Try not to keep your clay blocks for too long. It's best to buy regularly and keep your stock turning over rather than buying huge quantities at a time and using them up slowly. 2 Store your polymer clay away from direct sunlight in a dark or shaded area. The heat from direct sunlight can cure the clay, especially in the warmer months. 3 Keep opened packets in sealed ziploc bags. This prevents the clay from drying out. (Make sure to use a brand of ziploc bag that does not react with your clay. Some plastics react with polymer clay and leach the plasticizers from it - the exact opposite of what you want!)
How long can you leave polymer clay on top of a bag?
If the bag remains clear it should be alright to use for storage. Test your bag by leaving a small amount of polymer clay lying on top of it for a week or so.
When is the best time to buy clay?
If you are ordering internationally, make sure to take into account the season of the place where your distributor is located. Spring and Autumn are the best times to buy.
Can old clay be revived?
Although old clay can be revived, it's a hassle we could all do without, and cured clay is useless, so here are a couple of tips to help make sure that you start off with fresh workable clay:
