Crafting with polymer clay - instructions and 4 DIY ideas

• Fimo Cane tinker: pattern from the roll
• Make beads from polymer clay
• Create earrings from polymer clay: Flesh tunnel
• Make buttons from polymer clay

From home decor to jewelry for your own body - with polymer clay, a kneadable crafting material made of PVC, succeed the most diverse accessories. We have picked out four great crafting ideas and present them in detail in this DIY guide!

Polymer clay or polymer clay, as the practical product is called in English, is a soft PVC plastic modeling compound. The pleasantly malleable crafting material is available in many color variations, so that the imagination and creativity are limitless. After modeling, transfer your works to the oven at about 100 degrees Celsius (or more) and let them harden. So you get jewelry, figures or other decorative elements - as finished objects and / or ready for further processing. In the following, we will introduce you to four DIY instructions that you can retrain with relatively little time, money and effort.

Among other things, you can buy special fimo cutlery such as small knives, chopsticks with different tips or even cylinders for rolling out the fimo mass. Of course, other household items that fulfill the same purposes can also be found in the household. So you do not have to spend money unnecessarily - but the advantage is, buy a polymer clay set are often already included small instruments of this kind.

Tip: For about 30 small rectangles of polymer clay in various colors you pay about 15 euros.

Fimo Cane tinker: pattern from the roll

So-called polymer clay canes are rolls of polymer clay, which form a certain pattern in cross-section. These canes are already available in many, colorful variants - with flowers, fruits or even animals - to buy. With a little patience, you can also make a Fimo Cane yourself. The principle is actually quite simple, you just have to have an exact idea of ​​the pattern you want. For beginners it is therefore advantageous to paint a pattern in advance and to determine the colors that you want to use for the cane. Once you get the hang of it, the Fimo Canes are the perfect way to live out your own creativity to the fullest.

You need this:

• Polymer clay in different colors
• painted pattern
• Fimo cutlery or a sharp knife

How to proceed:

Step 1: Once you have considered and recorded a specific pattern, you can start crafting. We'll show you how to make a simple flower.

Step 2: Prepare the individual rolls you need for the polymer clay flower. These are five rolls for the petals and a scroll for the pistil. Cut as five pieces of the same size in one color, and cut an equally large piece of a second color.

Step 3: These six polymer clay elements roll on a smooth surface to equal length and equal thickness sausages.

Tip: Wash your hands neatly after rolling a polymer clay paint so that the second color will not be contaminated with small remnants of your fingers.

4th step: Now take a third polymer clay color. This becomes the border of the flower. Make several pieces of slabs that are as long and half the circumference as the sausages from step 3. These are used to wrap the flower rolls. Successively put all five flower rollers together with a sheath until you finally attach the flower pistil.

Step 5: Finally, fill in the interstices of the flowers with the third color. Finally, the entire roll is covered with a large plate of the third color.

Tip: You can flat-plate polymer clay with a rolling pin. If you have none at hand, a bottle with a smooth surface will work as well.

Step 6: Now gently roll the polymer clay Cane on the table. The role is getting longer and thinner. Roll it until it reaches the desired diameter. Do not worry, the ends of the roll can look uneven and look out. These are then simply cut off and the flower comes to light.

The polymer clay cane is now ready and can be used for many, colorful handicrafts. Simply cut off a piece of the roll in the desired width. Make a necklace, beads, earrings, buttons from this flower - whatever you want, your creativity knows no bounds.

Difficulty: medium
Time required: low
Cost: low

Make beads from polymer clay

You need this:

• Polymer clay and polymer clay cane in the desired color
• sharp knife
• pin
• Wooden skewer (optional)

How to proceed:

Step 1: Pick up a small piece of polymer clay and knead it into a "raw pearl". This does not have to be completely round, so you do not need to work too meticulously here.

Step 2: Place the polymer clay can you want to use first, together with the raw pearl, in the refrigerator for one to two hours. So the utensils do not deform so easily, which makes tinkering easier.

Step 3: Get the polymer clay can and the raw pearl out of the fridge. Then cut some slices off the sausage.

Tip: do not cut the slices very thin at the beginning. A width of about 5 mm is optimal.

Step 4: Lay the Cane slices on the raw pearl, so that the latter is almost completely covered (see picture).

Step 5: Flatten the edges of the discs with your fingers. Again, you do not (yet) have to work very pedantically.

Step 6: Roll your previous work. Incidentally, you do not need a bead roller machine for this. By hand, this step works just as well.

Tip: At this point it is time to work exactly. The bead should be as round as possible after the rolling process.

Step 7: According to the same principle, you can make other beads as needed.

Step 8: Put the finished rolled pearls in the fridge again for one to two hours.

Step 9: Get the beads out of the fridge and pierce each one with a pin. This will give you the holes you need to pull the beads onto a chain or ribbon at the end.

Tip: If your beads are on a thicker leather strap, you will need slightly larger holes. For this purpose you help after the Vorlochen with the pin simply with a Holzspieß after.

Step 10: Finally, the pearls are baked in the oven. Please note the Fimo manufacturer's instructions (regarding heat and duration). That's it, your beads are ready!

Difficulty: easy
Time required: low
Cost: low

Create earrings from polymer clay: Flesh tunnel

These fimo earrings are intended for stretched ear holes and are also called flesh tunnel. Before you start crafting, you should size the appropriate size for your earholes. Then you do not have the problem that the tunnels become too big or too small.

You need this:

• Polymer clay in the desired color
• Bottle cap for portioning
• Earring pendant or plug

How to proceed:

Step 1: You only need a little modeling clay per earring. Punch the dough with a regular bottle cap or cut a bar of the mass and halve it. So you have the required mass quickly ready for use.

Step 2: Knead the two polymer clay particles neatly and roll them into two small balls.

Step 3: Pick up one of the two balls and roll it on a flat surface with your palm to a sausage about 5 mm thick. Only make the ends a little thinner or leave.

Step 4: Repeat the same with the second bead.

Step 5: Roll in both "sausages" in the shape of a shell. In our case, now a red and white polymer clay roller are twisted together and formed into a snail.

Tip: The distance between the inner and the outer "circle" should be at least 5 mm, so that you can comfortably wear the earrings later.

Step 6: Place the two earrings on a piece of baking paper and let them harden for some time (observe the manufacturer's instructions!).

Step 7: Finally, the snail shell earrings have to cool down a bit. Simply use the "open tip" to turn the trinkets into the ear holes for carrying. Your stylish DIY look is ready!

Difficulty: easy
Time required: low
Cost: low

You can buy loose earring plugs and pendant blanks on the internet or in selected craft shops. These can be fixed with superglue or hot glue on small polymer clay figures - the polymer clay earring is finished. So easy and lightning fast you have created your own earrings. As a gift for the best friend or mom, these self-made earrings are a real eye-catcher.

Make buttons from polymer clay

Making polymer clay buttons is child's play. If you think about a motive, a size and which colors you need, then you are ready to go.

You need:

• Fimo
• needle
• knife

Step 1: First roll Fimo in the desired color on the table to a uniform sausage. For buttons are also colorful Fimo Canes, from which you can then simply cut off a slice.

Step 2: If the fimo roll has a uniform shape, then slices can be cut off.

Step 3: Shape each slice with your fingers as you like. Then the button is decorated. Decorate it with small polymer clay elements, flowers, tendrils, etc.

4th step: Finally, the button needs his holes. Take a metal needle and pierce holes in the middle of the disc evenly. This can be two, four or even several holes. Your button can be designed individually.

Tip: A wooden stick is not particularly suitable for piercing because the mass sticks to it.

Step 5: Finally, the buttons are hardened in the oven. Concerning heat and duration, please note the manufacturer information of Fimomasse. And the buttons are finished, which can now easily be sewn on everywhere, just for decoration or to really close something.

Crafting with polymer clay is fun - and brings wonderful accessories to light. For particularly creative objects you need next to the easily deformable plasticine other utensils. However, many of them are usually at home (such as glue, scissors, household gums, etc.), so the cost of each of our tutorials is limited - unlike the imagination: with a little practice, you will find many new DIY yourself Ideas for great jewelry made of polymer clay!

Tips for quick readers:

• Fimo is a kneadable plastic material made of PVC
• Must after modeling always in the oven at> 100 ° C cure
• 30 small colorful rectangles of polymer clay cost about 15 euros
• Create pearls, earrings, buttons, figures, pendants, etc.
• Nice results with relatively little time and cost
• In addition to polymer clay often other materials needed (glue, scissors, wooden sticks, etc.)