The question of where polymer clay is sold is of interest to people who love to create various crafts with their own hands. This material is used by craftsmen to sculpt jewelry or sculptures, flowers and small dolls. Visually, such clay resembles plasticine, to the touch it is as soft, it is well molded, has a characteristic smell. In the work, polymer clay retains its plasticity due to plasticizers. In order for the created figure to harden and be stored for a long time, it must be subjected to heat treatment. At a temperature of 100 to 130 degrees, they evaporate because polymerization occurs, resulting in the formation of polyvinyl chloride.
In the article, we will consider where polymer clay is sold, what types are available on store shelves, how much is such a mass in stationary retail outlets and when ordering online. Readers will also learn the details of working with this material, how the finished work is baked, what can be done with polymer clay to a novice master or in a game with children.
Where is polymer clay sold?
Plastic mass for crafts in several varieties is presented in stores where materials for needlework and art are sold. This can be either specialized stores or office supply departments. In large retail outlets there are all available varieties, and many of them have already been invented.
If you need a set of polymer children's clay as a gift to a creative child, then you can pre-order it on the Internet. But first, let's figure out which type suits you best, and which manufacturer to give preference to. We will also orient you how much polymer clay costs in the store, so that it is easier for you to sort out the huge amount of goods available on the market. Knowing in advance what you need in your work, you will save not only time, but also money, and this is important.
Varieties of clay
To understand the types of polymer clay, grades and their properties, we first consider the classification according to the method of solidification.
Material is divided into:
- Self-hardening clay, which in turn is divided into light, heavy, puppet and the so-called cold porcelain.
- Baked, which also has several varieties, namely, liquid, translucent, with fillers and ordinary.
They are sold in hermetically sealed packaging. May have different weights.
Properties of clay of different types
Each subspecies has its own differences. Consider them carefully:
- As the name implies, self-hardening clay hardens in the open air for several hours. The light mass resembles marshmallows and stretches well and rolls into thin sheets. Most often on sale you can find the popular clay of the Japanese manufacturer ClayCraft Deco.
- The heavy mass is more like clay. Its properties are also similar to natural. It crumbles in a dry form, and for modeling it needs to be soaked with water. One of the popular producers of this subspecies is the Czech company Koh-i-noor.
- Dolls are most often made from Darwi. It is well polished and cut in layers.
- Modena, Modern, Fluer are common manufacturers of cold porcelain. This is a mixture that wrinkles and bends; florists make flowers out of it.
What is baked clay?
Thermoplastics is called polymer clay, which hardens at high temperatures. How to bake polymer clay? Some masters use a domestic oven for these purposes, while others simply cook crafts in ordinary water. Categorically it is impossible to put hardness in a microwave oven!
After opening the package of baked clay, it can easily be kneaded in hands. If it stays a little open and weathered, it begins to crumble and loses its plasticity. Therefore, do not forget to use clay to tightly wrap it in polyethylene.
Consider what are the types of thermoplastics in more detail:
- Liquid clay is more like a colorless gel.
- Ordinary clay is sold in bars, has a different color. The color of crafts after firing does not change.
- Clay with fillers can be of different types. One can imitate metal, the other - natural stone or have bright sparkles.
- Translucent, which, as the name implies, has no color or is slightly tinted, and after firing, the paint slightly brightens.
Material manufacturers
Before baking polymer clay, let's consider who produces it and how the materials of different manufacturers differ in quality.
Sculpey (USA) - often used to work with children. Premo Sculpey is widely used in the manufacture of women's jewelry and jewelry.
FIMO (Germany) - high-quality clay of different types. There are interesting bars that can accumulate light in the dark, with imitation stone and with sparkles, translucent. Colors can be selected as a rich palette, and pastel colors.
Pardo is made in Italy, but an analogue is sold in Russia - To-Do You Clay. It is considered a hypoallergenic material that is used by professional craftsmen to make jewelry.
In Russia, they also produce several good brands of goods that can be used for children's creativity. This, for example, "Artifact", "Sonnet", "Flower", "Hezki".
Product price
If we compare the prices for polymer clay, then it is more profitable, of course, to buy goods from domestic producers, especially since it is not inferior in quality to imported analogues.
57 grams of “Fimo” costs 220 rubles, and 56 grams of “Artifact” - only 145 rubles. The weight is almost the same, and the price of imported goods is almost twice as expensive.
The Sonnet set weighing 120 grams will cost you 608 rubles. The cheapest is to buy polymer clay Fimo made in China. Such products cost 1049 rubles per 324 grams. Basically, it is suitable for games with children.
From the article you learned what types of material exist, who produces them, and where polymer clay is sold. Now you can choose the best option for the implementation of your creative ideas.