You have your Sculpey® polymer clay sheet in hand and want to play around with your latest idea, but something’s missing — texture. You can come up with all sorts of clever and fun ways to texturize your clay without having to leave your home and buy a polymer clay texture sheet.
Below are some of the most fun ways we know to create a polymer clay texture sheet when you don’t have one specifically made for the job. You’ll appreciate how easy and imaginative these methods are, as well as how quickly they will transform a standard sheet of polymer clay into something more exotic.
Preparing Your Regular Polymer Clay Sheet to Accept Texture
Before you begin adding texture to your clay:
- Lay it flat on your workspace.
- Use an acrylic roller or the clay conditioning machine to flatten it to the desired depth, if the clay’s not already in sheet form.
- Make sure the sheet has a uniform depth to avoid cracks or uneven spots while baking.
Grab Some Aluminum Foil
Many kitchens have at least one tube of aluminum foil. Grab it, rip off a sheet and then crinkle the sheet into a tight ball. Using just a bit of force, roll the ball very firmly and slowly over the upper surface of your clay sheet. You don’t have to press down very hard to get some magnificent texture in the clay.
Are you unsure if you want such tight textures or designs? You can opt for a less close-together texture by not crunching up your aluminum foil ball quite as much. The looser it is, the greater the distance between the clay surface’s divots and marks.
Dive Into Your Sewing Kit
You can probably find some lace in your sewing kit or crafting drawer, which can be useful to add texture to your clay, especially if the lace is made from a firmer material such as sisal. Just lay your piece of lace on top of the clay sheet and press down with your fingers or the heel of your hand.
After you peel the lace off the newly texturized sheet, you’ll see the intricate pattern transferred into the clay. From that point, you can either bake the clay or add Liquid Sculpey® or permanent ink to highlight the lacework designs.
Reuse Old Toothbrushes
Don’t throw away your toothbrushes or combs when they get old. Instead, sanitize them and add them to your polymer clay tool supply.
You can create a polymer clay texture sheet by running the stiff bristles of your toothbrush over the clay’s surface. Try “stippling” the bristles into the clay for a different look.
Get Out Your Beading Items
Do you bead and work with clay? Many beads have interesting surfaces that feature indentations and beautiful motifs.
Press the patterned sides of your beads into the clay and see what kinds of textures they reveal. This is an especially enjoyable rainy day activity for kids!
Start Adding Texture With Products From Sculpey® and Your Home
You don’t need to worry when you realize you’re out of polymer clay texture sheets. Let your imagination guide you as you play around with different items in your home to add texture to Sculpey® clay.
