Polymer Clay for Beginners: Getting Started | How to Condition & Mix Clay | Demo, Advice & Tips

This comprehensive video is aimed at beginners to polymer clay, who want to get stuck into this craft but don't know where to start.

I go through the different brands of clay and what the differences between them are, what tools you need to start, how to mix clay, how to condition clay, and I also cover the main problems people face when using polymer clay.
I have a list at the beginning of the video so you can view all of the sections and their start times. The last topic is about baking your clay creations and advice about how to get the best results.

What is polymer clay anyway? It's a man-made clay that is essentially a plastic (being mainly PVC), that hardens in an oven. It is a modelling material and can be polished to a shiny finish once baked. It allows people to sculpt plastic-like products at home without specialist equipment like kilns, and is extremely versatile.

I really hope you find my video helpful, and thanks very much for watching!

00:00 Intro
00:30 Tools & Materials
05:35 How to Condition the Clay
12:40 Tip for Hand Rolling the Clay
14:40 Different Brands of Clay
22:15 Storing Clay
24:00 Keeping Your Workspace Clean
27:20 Clay Too Soft?
29:00 Clay too Firm?
29:25 How to Mix Clay
31:30 Liquid Clay & Its Uses
33:25 Preventing Fingerprints
36:00 Baking the Clay

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[chrissaalexion]

straighforward, no stupid music, no nonsense, no family pets!!! really informative. thank you

[appleoneill]

6 years later but still brilliant and relevant. Thank you so much for all these useful tips xx

[Anna-hkxw]

00:30 Tools & Materials
05:35 How to Condition the Clay
12:40 Tip for Hand Rolling the Clay
14:40 Different Brands of Clay
22:15 Storing Clay
24:00 Keeping Your Workspace Clean
27:20 Clay Too Soft?
29:00 Clay too Firm?
29:25 How to Mix Clay
31:30 Liquid Clay & Its Uses
33:25 Preventing Fingerprints
36:00 Baking the Clay
SUPER INFORMATIVE VIDEO! Wanted to make a table of contents for myself and others because I'm sure I'll be coming back here for reference!

[mindymorales]

This is the best polymer clay beginner video I have found on YouTube, even though it's nearly 3 years old. Informative, well paced. Great job! Thank you!

[creativojavier]

Wow, this is the ultimate polymer clay guide for beginners. Thanks a lot!

[SharoninKentucky]

Wow what a great teacher. My granddaughter wants to make some earrings so I sent her your video. She needs to learn not to buy everything they sell at first. After watching you I know she’ll be a lot happier and informed on how to get started. Thank you

[Angel]

BEST comprehensive video on polymer clay I've seen yet, and I've seen quite a few!!!!

[ceenflamingo]

OH THANK YOU!!! ❤ I'm just exploring polymer clay, and most videos are more advanced and don't really answer the very basic, beginner questions that I have. Your video is excellent and I have now gotten answers to many of my basic questions. I will watch this video several more times and take notes! Please keep up the good work. ❤❤

[CupcakeScares]

I saved the video so I can watch it again when I need to remember something! Amazing video!

[Bethechange]

Great video. Perfect for beginners like myself. It was straight to the point and super easy to understand. You spoke clearly and and at a nice speed. 👍 even though it was long it was informative and engaging. Well done and thanks for sharing.

[firecat]

LOVE that you gave the right way to cook clay, so many people just say to put it in the oven follow the package. Thank you.

OMG! It’s the best video for insomniacs! Absence of visual elements helps a lot. Takes me about 10 minutes to fall asleep. Thank you!

[AndrewSmith-xscg]

As someone who is trying to figure out where to start, this was incredibly handy and very appreciated

[sycamoreshadestudios]

Thx so much for so much helpful information - direct and to the point

[verasouza]

This is the most accurate and complete video I’ve seen on the subject! Congratulations

[michellecramp]

The most easy to follow and comprehensive video for beginners I have found. Thank you so much.

[judyfekry]

This is the best polymer clay teaching tutorial ever learned do much and became an expert after one day of starting

[jacoville]

Thanks very much for such a clear and informative instruction video! You deserve so much more views!

[mindakahn]

Extremely comprehensive tutorial. Thank you. I think I will continue to buy from the pro’s at this art.

[Rose]

So much handy tips. Thank you for your well planned and thought out video. Thank you. Huge help for a beginner.