This is my list of polymer clay, tools and supplies you may find useful.
- Polymer Clay
- Sculpting tools
- Blade or knife
- Board
- Pasta machine
- Hot water bottle
- Aluminum foil
- Disposable gloves
Polymer Clay
FIMO – High quality, best colors
There are many different brands of clay, my favorite, and also the original brand is FIMO. This clay comes in dozens of beautiful colors and is available in two versions: regular (hard clay) and soft.
The standard hard clay is best for artists creating fine sculpture, crafting tiny miniatures and highly detailed millefiori rolls. It is more difficult to use, I would not recommend it for beginners or for children. It is expensive, and they would likely find it frustrating to use.
Soft FIMO is a good choice for older kids and first time crafters. It is excellent quality and the same good choice of colors, but faster and easier to soften and mold.
Sculpey – Best for sculpting
Sculpey is another good quality clay. It is higher priced as well, but worth it if you want a good quality clay for sculptures. It has a soft consistency, but is firm enough to hold fine details. It holds it’s shape well, so if you like working a bit larger, this is your best choice.
Amazon Brands – Cheap, good for kids and beginners too
There is a wide variety of uncommon brands available on Amazon. These all offer the same basic package, full color clay set, some clay tools and jewelry findings in a plastic storage box. I have ordered several of these from different sellers and they are great fun to use. Soft, easy to sculpt and everything in one box.
Sculpting Tools for Polymer Clay
- Clay tools
- Knife
- Roller
Some of the best polymer clay sculpting tools are things you find around the house. Just about anything can be used and it helps to be creative. Things like pencils, nails, marker pens and your hands are just great. Find objects that can be used for texturing the surface, such as leather, or molded plastics.
Amazon has many great kits that contain everything you need. You can also re-purpose old clay sculpture tools or your kids old playdough tools, as they grow up and want to do more serious sculpting.
Blade or Knife
You probably want something to use for cutting the clay. An old kitchen knife will be very handy. If you are trying out the millefiori technique for making polymer clay canes, you will definitely need a sharper, long, smooth blade for slicing the rolls. A razor blade, or utility blade from the hardware store will work well. This kit has a selection of cutting tools, and for large work, this one has an extra long, straight blade that can be very useful.