I've been thinking of getting started in working with polymer clay. I got a few books from the library and it says in there all of the different types of clay, how to prepare them, use them, etc. I was just looking for some advice on which would be the best for someone just starting out with it.

I know I want to do some beadwork but also thought some of the things they did in covering containers was really cool. Mainly I just want to start small and see how good I am before investing too much $$$ moola.

Also, what tools do I need to get to start with? I know the metal cutter and something sharp to make holes with. Also some sort of brayer or rolling pin, I figure I can get the pasta roller later if I stick with the hobby.

Can only get so much from books & websites. Any advice appreciated! :thumbsup:

I make inspirational coasters with polymer clay & tiles. I roll the clay out with a rolling pin, press it on top and around the tile, stamp whatever words I want into the clay, and then just bake it. After that I seal them with a can of spray sealer from Walmart. The only expense is the clay which can get pricey. The biggie though is that it takes me several days to complete the process and many hours.

From what I remember about making beads, you don't really need anything special to make the holes. I always heard that you can push a toothpick through them before & during baking. That way it keeps the hole in tact.

I would think the majority of your time is going to be actually rolling the clay out. That takes me forever and leaves bruises on my palms. I hadn't even thought about a pasta roller. I just might have to look into that one. Then maybe I could make enough coasters to sell on Ebay :)

Which brand of clay are you working with? According to the books I have, the difference in the brands is huge. Different brands require different work surfaces. Fimo needs to be kept warm but Sculpy needs to stay cool. Do you use a brayer, a glass roller, a rolling pin, etc? From the books I got at the library, the pasta machine really helps to condition it as well as to get colors to blend. I priced one at the craft store, it was like $25.

I think I use Fimo, but not sure. I'll check when I get back home tonight. Whichever brand it is, it had the instructions on the wrapping and I've just followed that.

I use a regular wooden rolling pin. I wasn't sure how this was all going to work out for me and I found a wooden pin for $1 so I figured give that a shot. I DON'T recommend it. The clay sticks to it and I've had to redo several of my pieces because they ripped while rolling. The colors of clay I use also have dyed the pin and now I have color bleed over issues.

I like the pasta machine idea. With a rolling pin, it takes me at least 3 hours to roll out 8 coasters! So I'm definitely looking into the machine :)

I'll post back again tonight with the clay brand.

I was thinking of a wooden rolling pin too, but then I realized that is is porous, so it would absorb color and moisture out of the clay. What if you rook a paint on primer and gave the rolling pin a few coats of paint? That would make it so it wouldn't aborb colors or moisture. Also, they make rolling pins out of other things, too. I've seen glass ones in antique stores. My Mom used to have a plastic one. I've also seen them made out of marble. Keep looking-maybe you can find a cheap one made out of something else.

Red, sorry it took me a bit to get back online. I checked and I have Fimo. I've just always kept it room temp. I have noticed that different colors are easier to knead than others, but other than that it works ok.

I'm going to look into the roller thing & a pasta maker. Anything has got to be better than my cheapy wooden one :)

I was reading in a book from the library that once you use your oven for clay, you must clean it again before using it for food! Yuck! I hate cleaning! But some very smart person put an interesting note in there-put your clay items in a plastic baking bag to cook then you don't need to clean everything! It also said that once you use any container, utensil, pasta machine, etc for clay, that you NEVER use it again on food. Interesting....I would have thought if you washed it good enough, it would not be a problem, but I guess it is.

Oopsie :) I don't re-use anything plastic or wooden that has been in contact with my clay. But I re-use my knives, pizza cutter, cookie sheets.

Also, I haven't cleaned out my oven. Well, to tell the truth I'm really really lazy and never cleaned my oven much anyway ;)

Does that book say why you are supposed to clean after use? The clay doesn't put off any "smell" when cooking and it doesn't "splatter". I never thought there could be any problems. That's what I get for not investigating :)

So when you do the tiles, how are you doing the design? Is it one big design, a pattern that repeats (like using canework) or just an all over cool swirl of colors?

I guess the reason they say that about the clay is that it lets off certain chemicals. Personally, I would think a good cleaning with soap and water and most things would be fine. But the book is very adament on it. You should go to the library and check out some of these books. The ideas in here are just amazing and when you see how they do it, it doesn't really look that hard. Some absolutely beautiful creations-things I would have never thought possible!