You can use a Wax, Acrylic Sealer, Varnish or Liquid Epoxy. If you want a smooth finish, then use sandpaper and wax to seal your Polymer Clay and if you painted your clay, then you should seal it with an Acrylic Sealer or Varnish.
Can I paint polymer clay after baking?
The short answer is, you can do both but painting the polymer clay before baking it may cause some problems if not all of the water from the paint evaporated completely. The better and safer way is to paint the clay after baking when it is completely cooled down and hardened.
Can you paint on Sculpey?
Yes! Oven-bake clay can be painted after curing. We recommend using water based acrylic paints. … If you seal the piece with 2 or 3 thin layers of Sculpey Glaze, you can use any type of paint.
Should I paint polymer clay before or after baking?
Paint Before You Bake
Polymer clay doesn’t shrink or expand as it cures, meaning you can paint it before you bake. Unbaked clay may create a better bond with paint as it cures. Test different types and brands of paint to find the best results.
Do you glaze polymer clay before or after baking?
We recommend applying two to three thin coats of glaze after baking, and always gently stir the glaze before use to avoid air bubbles.
Can I bake polymer clay twice?
If the piece in question has not been glazed or painted, you absolutely can rebake polymer clay. … As long as you’re following the package instructions — and using an oven thermometer to maintain the proper temperature — you can bake polymer clay multiple times and complete a complicated piece in multiple steps.
How long should you cook polymer clay?
Sculpey, preheat to 275 degrees F (135 C). Bake for 30 minutes per quarter inch of thickness. It is suggested that thicker pieces be initially baked for 15 minutes, then another 5 minutes, another 5 minutes, etc. The clay needs at least 15 minutes to cure properly.
How do you color polymer clay after baking?
You can use alcohol-based colors, powder pigments or crayon shavings to color your polymer clay. Acrylic color and other water-based colors can be used as well but the water within these colors has to evaporate from the clay before you bake it.
Can you seal polymer clay with clear nail polish?
It seems like such a simple solution to use nail polish to accent your polymer clay creations. Or use clear nail polish as a glaze. Don’t do it. … The solvent in nail polish will begin to soften and dissolve your polymer clay, even baked clay, making it sticky and gooey over time.
Can you wet polymer clay?
As polymer clay is a waterproof oil based material it can get wet, either in it’s baked or unbaked state. Water can however make the clay a little more brittle, if a design is submerged after baking.
Can you sand polymer clay after baking?
Sandpaper is used to sand your clay after it has been baked, however you must make sure that you are using Wet/Dry Sandpaper so that you can keep the polymer dust out of the air and use it with water. … You can get a lot of different grits of sandpaper, from below 400 all the way up to 1500 or MORE!
Can I mix acrylic paint with polymer clay?
What is the best paint for polymer clay? … I prefer acrylic paints and in many cases “heavy body” acrylic paints, but any type of acrylic craft paint is safe to use directly on polymer clay. You can use acrylic paints before baking OR after baking your clay.
Can you use Mod Podge to glaze polymer clay?
Mod Podge. Mod Podge is a decoupage medium that paper crafters use as a “sealer”. Therefore new polymer clayers sometimes advocate its use as a glaze, sealer and varnish as well. … But Mod Podge does not make a good polymer clay glaze or varnish.
What does polymer clay feel like after baking?
It will break or cut cleanly, without a crumbly texture. Of course the first hint that you’re finished baking polymer clay is when your kitchen timer dings. But it won’t feel done. Polymer is quite soft when first removed from the oven.
Why does my polymer clay crack after baking?
Polymer clay breaks after baking because it has not cured properly. This is due to either the temperature being too low or it wasn’t baked for long enough. It does also depend on the brand of clay you are using, as some are more brittle, some are harder.
Can you bake polymer clay on glass?
You can bake your polymer clay on the glass but after cooling down, the polymer clay will not stick to the glass. … Polymer Clay will not stick to glass on its own after you have baked it, so you need to find a way to stick it to the glass surface.
How do you know if polymer clay is baked enough?
Bake for 15 minutes per quarter inch of thickness. For example, a piece of 1/2″ thickness should be cured for 30 minutes. To test the curing, try pressing the tip of your fingernail into the bottom of your piece after it has cooled; it will leave a mark but will not actually enter the clay.
What happens if you over bake polymer clay?
Do Not Overbake
Overbaking may lead to darker colors, and you definitely do not want to burn your masterpiece. We want each of your clay creations to turn out great, so we highly recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your oven’s temperature is set right.
How do you keep polymer clay flat when baking?
Baking surfaces include metal plans, glass, ceramic tiles, index cards & batting. To prevent brown spots from oven spikes, tent your work with aluminum foil pans or an index card. To avoid flat spots on beads, bake them on quilt batting or a bead baking rack. You CAN bake your polymer clay more than once!
Can polymer clay harden without baking?
You don’t need an oven to harden polymer clay if you choose a clay that cures by air-drying. … While you can harden some of the oven-baked clays without an oven, the results may not be to your liking, as the clay may cure unevenly. Only use polymer clays to make arts and crafts items, not for drinking or eating utensils.
Does polymer clay break easily?
It is a plastic after all. Polymer clay beads should be bendable if they are baked correctly. Under-baked polymer clay won’t be bendable. It will be brittle and easy to break.