Tips on working with polymer clay

• For a smooth, easy clean-up work surface: Tape wax paper around a piece of cardboard, or tape the wax paper down to your table.
  
  
• Even freshly cleaned hands have a surprising amount of lint on them that will be picked up by light colored clay. Roll a wad of scrap clay around in your hands before you begin working.
  
  
• Keep baby wipes or handcleaner towlets by your work station so you can clean your hands easily between colors.
  
  
• Use a blunt needle to make holes in your beads. Twist as you push it through to make sure you are going in straight.

Tips on Beading:

• To keep beads from rolling around, work on a towel or cloth placemat.
  
  
• Secure thread knots with a little dab of nailpolish. Glues such as cyanoacrylate (super glue) are too brittle and can cause the thread to break.
  
  
• Keep a standing make-up mirror at your beading table so you can pre-view your necklace lengths.
  
  
• Fishing tackle boxes are usually cheaper than those specialty organizer boxes sold at craft stores.
  
  

• Like anything in life, the most important thing is to read the directions. The second most important thing is to follow those directions.
  
  
• Dedicate any tool that you use for clay just for clay. Lots of kitchen utensils are great tools, but you should never go back and forth between using the equipment for food and clay.
  
  
• The clay doesn't dry out, but you should keep it individually packaged to protect it from dust and lint, especially colors like white. Individual blocks can be put into ziploc bags or wrapped in wax paper and then kept together in a box. Some plastics will turn to mush when left in contact with the uncured clay. If in doubt, you can line the container with wax paper. The plasticizer in uncured clay leaches out and can "re-plastize" some materials. (surf some of the Links for more info)
  
  
• Wash your hands after handling raw clay.
  
  

• Baking Beads: Bake beads on skewers; for skewers you can use bamboo skewers or cut lengths of clothes-hanger wire.
  
  
• Place the skewers across a shallow baking pan.
  
  
• Place a piece of parchment paper or cardstock on the bottom of the baking sheet when baking flat pieces to avoid shiny spots.
  
  
• Follow the package instructions for baking. You want to be sure to sufficiently cure the clay. Higher temperatures, though, can cause harmful fumes to develop. It's OK to bake the clay for longer than the instructions say. But, the clay can burn if left in too long.
  
  
• Re-baking is no problem. In fact, you can bake a piece, add more clay, and then re-bake, over and over again.
  
  
• Some colors, like lights and translucent, can burn and show discoloration at higher temperatures. If you have a piece that is predominantly translucent clay, bake at the minimum time and keep a close eye on it.
  
  

Varnishing:

• Some of the clay manufacture's have their own varnish. My experience with the sculpey brand was dissapointing, it peeled way to easy. My favorite thing to use is Flecto Varathane wood finish. Check out glassattic.com or polyclay.com (SeeLINKS) for more info.
  
  
• Keep in mind that you won't be able to sand if you've used any surface application like paint of leafing. If you want shine, go for the varnish. If you use leafing, varnish to protect against tarnishing.
  
  

  Sanding:

• Use Wet/Dry sandpaper, starting at 400 grit, then through 600, 800, and 1000. Some people continue through to 1500-2000, this isn't neccessary for a decent luster (I usually go to 800 and then varnish). Either way you'll have to buff to bring up the shine. The easiest way is to rub the bead on a piece of denim cloth.
  
  
• **Please don't sand under a running faucet, conserve water.
  
  
• Sand under water in a bowl or sink and add a drop of liquid soap. For the best finish you'll want to change the water between each grit.
  

• Mostly now I don't sand at all. I will coat a bead in a layer of translucent liquid clay, bake, then clean off any greasy residue with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab, and then varnish with two coats of Flecto Varathane.
  
  
• You can also get a smoother finish if you gently rub the clay surface smooth with your finger before baking. Some people use a little water on their finger tip.