Choosing A Brand Of Polymer Clay

Making Dollhouse Miniature Food From Polymer Clay
With Crown Jewel Miniatures

Choosing A Brand of Polymer Clay

Choosing a brand of polymer clay

Fimo, Sculpey, Cernit, Makins, Premo, Kato… How do you choose?

All polymer clay is not alike! Choosing a brand will depend on your project. Some projects, including canes and millefiore, require a firmer clay that will hold detail.

I prefer to use Fimo. Fimo is not as soft as other polymer clays and it holds a shape better. The end result is a more defined product. Using a firmer clay will also inhibit the appearance of fingerprints. When making miniatures, it is especially important to do everything you can to reduce the possibility of fingerprints otherwise when you take pictures of your minis using the macro feature or zoom on your digital camera all the little imperfections that you can’t see with the naked eye will become obvious! If you’re not selling your minis or you don’t want to take pictures of them, then this won’t be an issue, but if you’re like me and you sell your miniature creations for a living you’ll want the very best pictures possible.

Cernit is also a firm polymer clay. Like Fimo, you will need to warm it a little longer than most other brands of polymer clay and soften it to the point you can comfortably work with it but there are a few tricks you can use to shorten the process! Place your polymer clay into a small piece of plastic wrap and tuck it in your pocket for a while or roll it between your hands for a minute or two and run it through your pasta machine several times. The more you work the clay by rolling, kneading etc, the more pliable it will become. I don’t usually use Cernit for making miniature food because it has a more porcelain-like quality and in my opinion miniature food tends to look fake when made from Cernit (unless you mix it with a different brand of softer clay). Cernit is great for making miniature plates, dishes, cups and bowls!

I have found translucent polymer clay, regardless which brand you use, is always soft. Keep this in mind when choosing a brand of clay to make mini foods with! For example, if you’re going to make a miniature chicken, you’ll want good definition. Don’t choose a soft polymer clay and mix it with the translucent because your chicken will appear slightly softer, rounder and all around less defined than it would had you chose the Fimo. If you’re making a bunch of grapes, it won’t be a problem.

There are also many different varieties of polymer clay to choose from! Some resemble marble, granite, metal, wood, etc. Some have glitter in them, others have a pearlescent effect. Experiment with several brands and varieties until you find what works best for you.

Polymer clay is widely available. I buy it from my local craft stores (A.C. Moore or Michael’s) or I order it online from Hobby Lobby, Dick Blick, etc. If you’re on a budget, visit the website of the store before you shop and get their weekly coupons! Usually they are 40% any item but sometimes they offer 50% off or more! Ebay and Etsy are other good places to find polymer clay, especially if you find them in lots! From time to time I offer polymer clay in my Ebay store too.

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About - IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell

Crown Jewel Miniatures by IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell. Fine 1:12 scale dollhouse miniatures in ultimate realism! My blog is a compendium of new art, announcements, and advice on creating miniature food for the dollhouse and 1:12th scale shops, stores and scenes.
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