It is not necessary to buy special expensive tools for working with polymer clay. It is quite possible to get by with the things that are in the house.
How I want to try to work with baked plastic. The tools for working with polymer clay cost money, which you don't really want to spend, given that the experience will be sporadic or infrequent. Or you just need to try your hand. But you can always use things that can be found at home or in the household departments.
First you need to decide on the most necessary requisite to make a product. If you want to mold a volumetric figure, such as a statuette or a bead, then you will need the very minimum of tools, but in the case when the product is flat, for example, a magnet or pendant, you will need to prepare more thoroughly.
- Rolling surface. For this, a tile left over after repair or a small glass, preferably tempered, is suitable, the product will be conveniently baked right on the work surface. The main thing is a smooth surface, without relief.
- What to roll out. Rolling pins for polymer clay are not cheap. Therefore, for the first time, any straight glass bottle or jar will do.
- Wet wipes. Possibly the cheapest. They will be needed to wipe the work surface and hands from dust, dirt, the remnants of the clay itself. The plastic will periodically stick to the surface of the rolling pin. Wipes will also help to wet the surface of the tool when this happens.
- Stack replacement tools. These can be screwdrivers, nails, toothpicks, spatulas from a manicure set. In general, everything that has some form useful for the product.
- Replacement blade for a utility knife, perfect for neatly cutting a piece of clay or carving out a shape.
- Oven. Well, how can it be without it. It should be able to work at low temperatures, because the maximum mode for polymer clay is 130 ° C. You need to read the instructions on the plastic packaging to know for sure. If the temperature regime of the oven is higher, then you will have to experimentally achieve what you need. For example, opening its door slightly when baking. An electric stove is best suited for such purposes.
- Molds. The most convenient way to cut out the desired figure is with the help of a ready-made template. Ideally, metal baking molds will work, but if there are none, you can get by with plastic ones. At worst, use any lid with a more or less sharp edge.
- Jewelry. Any beads, beads, rhinestones. What is enough imagination. Just remember that you cannot bake plastic elements together with polymer clay. If there are doubts about the composition (it happens that it is not clear whether the rhinestone is made of glass or plastic), it is better not to risk it and supplement the already baked product with decor. Otherwise, there is a risk of spoiling both the product of creativity and the oven in which the process will take place.
You don't need any special skills to work with plastic. The main thing is desire and inspiration. Well, you can buy special tools on the sly, making sure that polymer clay is exactly the round of creativity you need.
