What is the difference between polymer clay and modeling clay

Take a small ball of white clay and roll it into a log. Curve the log into a C shape, and press the ends onto your coffee cup. Then take your needle tool, and blend the edges of the ends into your cup.

See how easy that is once you break it down into steps! This technique reduces the risk of cracks and may even help the clay retain more vibrant colors when compared to the baking method.

Standard modeling clay like plasticine cannot be baked. While you can harden some of the oven-baked clays without an oven, the results may not be to your liking, as the clay may cure unevenly. Only use polymer clays to make arts and crafts items, not for drinking or eating utensils. While air dry clay sets with air, polymer clay sets by heat.

Another important difference is that polymer clay is known to be more durable than air dry clay after baking. Once polymer clay is baked, it is waterproof and long-lasting. Meanwhile, air dry clay has the tendency to dissolve in heat or water. Because modeling clay is mostly used in non-drying applications, polymer clay is a more durable material for finished projects. It is waterproof when hardened, making it a fitting material to use for buttons, fish tank accents or jewelry.

It is also paintable, whereas non-drying modeling clay is not. Polymer is quite soft when first removed from the oven. It needs to be cooled completely to reach its final hardness. When polyclay is cured correctly your cooled piece will be difficult to break, but if it is thin it might bend easily. It will break or cut cleanly, without a crumbly texture.

It makes sense, because you can sculpt with it. Place the polymer clay creation on a nonstick surface, such as a piece of ceramic tile or block of wood. Polymer clay, on the other hand, has to be hardened in an oven.

You can leave polymer clay out for several years and it will still be workable. It only hardens once you bake it in an oven. You can use your own kitchen oven for baking polymer clay which makes it an ideal choice for a lot of hobby crafters as no kiln is required. Polymer clay can not be worked with again once it has fully hardened.

Not even water, oil, or heat will make it malleable again. Polymer clay will be water-resistant and very durable as soon as it hardens while air dry clay has to be sealed in order to be durable.

This is why a lot of sculptures prefer using polymer clay. You simply bake it and it will be durable enough to survive the elements and maybe even a few falls from the table. The biggest reason to use air-dry clay for most people is the price of polymer clay. So polymer clay is almost twice as expensive as air-dry clay. This is also the main reason why I still see so many people using air-dry clay instead of polymer clay even though polymer clay is much more convenient to use in most cases.

In this article I hope to enlighten you on these types so you can decide which is best for you and your situation! It came in this rainbow of vibrant colors and was pre segmented right out of the package. What you see in the left image is pretty close to what I was using. It was mainly developed to give kids an outlet for their creativity no doubt. The first self-hardening clay I worked with, at the age I was, was a brand called Das, which was made in Germany, and is an excellent brand.

The material makeup is a composite of things, like minerals and oils. Very often this is what your typical clay display at the local craft store looks like. Notice how the modelling clays come in larger sizes? Polymer clay has a different makeup altogether. It is made from polyvinyl chloride , also known as PVC, and is meant to be cured permanently in a home oven.

It comes in lots of different colors too, from conservative neutral colors like white or tan, to bright and funky colors, there are even pearlescent and neon colors, too!