Polymer Clay Tools 

Whether you're experimenting with mixed media or making beautiful jewelry, having the right polymer clay tools is just as important as using the right clay. As a beginner clayer, you may only be looking for the absolute essentials to get started. For a more experienced crafter, however, you may be on the hunt for the latest tools, tips and tricks for taking your clay creations to the next level. 

Keep reading for ideas on what to include in your clay starter kit as well as advanced craft materials to spark all kinds of creative projects. 

 

Basic Polymer Clay Starter Kit 

One of the best things about putting together a basic polymer clay starter kit is that you likely have most of the items you need lying around your home. To get started working with polymer clay, make sure you have:

• - A ball stylus.
• - A long scraper blade.
• - Needle tool.
• - A craft knife.
• - A rod or roller.
• - An old toothbrush.
• - An oven — Sculpey® polymer clay is safe to bake, so your home oven will do just fine.
• - Oven thermometer 

Polymer Clay Tools: Store Items 

Beyond the basics, there is a wide range of polymer clay supplies you can pick up on a quick trip to your local hardware store or supermarket:

• - Ceramic tiles
• - Foil pans 
• - Travel spray bottles
• - Basic cookie cutter shapes
• - Sandpaper

Polymer Clay Tools: Items for Your Studio

Polymer clay supplies to keep on hand in your home or office studio include:

• - Baby wipes
• - Scrap copy paper
• - Paper towels
• - Cornstarch
• - Toothpicks

Methods for Storing Your Polymer Clay 

Storing your polymer clay properly is crucial to freshness and prolonging the shelf life of your material. Zip-close bags are excellent storage solutions for your projects, as many plastics react with polymer clay. From there, the clay should be stored in a clay compatible container in a very cool, dry place, unexposed to the direct rays of the sun. We recommend containers or bags made out of polypropylene (PP) plastic. Hint: Look for the recycling symbol #5 on the bottom of the container.

Upgrade Your Polymer Clay Tools 

As a seasoned clayer, you're probably eager for some insights into a more advanced set of polymer clay tools. You can think of these upgraded craft tools as an investment for the long term:

• - Pasta machine motor: A pasta machine makes the process of conditioning polymer clay efficient and easier on your hands. 
• - Clay oven: This one seems simple. As an experienced crafter, you're probably well aware of the significance of an oven that will reach and maintain the proper temperature through the baking process. Your home oven will work fine for baking polymer clay projects — just make sure you have an oven thermometer so you can routinely check that your oven is at the correct temperature. 
• - Slicer: A slicer will allow you to produce repeatable, paper-thin slices of large sections of polymer clay, as well as tiny canes. 
• - Extruder:Extruders will enable you to create a log in a specific shape by squeezing clay through a disc. 

Find Your Favorite Polymer Clay Tools From Sculpey®

Ready to get inspired? Head on over to our projects page to view some incredible pieces from our friends and fans. Or, shop our vast inventory of polymer clay tools explicitly designed to make crafting easy and fun.