GUIDELINES FOR WORKING WITH POLYMER CLAY

NAVIGATION:
PROPER BAKING PROPER GLUING RECOMMENDATIONS

When working with polymer clay and the necessary tools, use caution. When working with a blade, stay alert and do not get distracted.
Thoroughly clean the work surface and your hands using wet wipes. Keep them clean throughout the entire process.
It is recommended to work with warm hands so that the clay is more pliable and easier to condition.
After sculpting, thoroughly clean your hands with a damp cloth or wipe; if desired, you can then wash your hands with water 💦

DURING WORK, also try not to touch “hairy/fuzzy” items; if possible, keep animals away from the workspace. After each contact with linty or fuzzy objects, repeat the hand-cleaning procedure.

🔞 14+ Working with polymer clay is not intended for children under 14 years old. Only under strict adult supervision!

PROPER BAKING

For proper baking, you need to test your oven and find the “correct” baking setting at which the clay does not burn and bakes through completely.
To do this, take a small thin piece of clay and bake it at 130°C / 275°F, or at the temperature indicated on the clay packaging if it is different.
If at the selected temperature the clay does not burn and, after baking, does not break but bends — the temperature is correct!
If not, try again 🙌

ATTENTION!!!

Baking polymer clay is a toxic process if the clay gets burned. In this case, it releases a sharp, acrid smell that is impossible to confuse with anything else, so the room must be ventilated immediately.

When polymer clay is baked, polymerization of the plasticizer occurs, which is harmful even if no smell is present. Therefore, it is recommended to bake polymer clay in a separate oven, or to thoroughly wash your regular oven before the next cooking, so that toxins do not get into food.

How to bake a polymer clay piece:

1. The décor must be baked in a preheated oven, and the baking time depends on the thickness of the layer. Your kit uses two brands of clay: Cernit and Sculpey. They have approximately the same baking conditions.
The required baking temperature is 130°C / 275°F, and the baking time is 30 minutes for every ¼ inch / 6 mm of thickness. On average in practice, the finished piece is baked for 1–1.5 hours at a stable temperature of 130°C / 275°F.

 

2. You need to test your oven using a heat-resistant oven thermometer. You can order such a thermometer separately on our website or use any thermometer you already have.

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Usually, while the oven is heating up, the temperature inside may fluctuate. However, it is important to understand that all ovens are different, and your oven may not behave this way.

I use an inexpensive oven from Walmart, and this is how it works for me: I set the required temperature and leave the oven to preheat, with a thermometer hanging inside. I constantly check the actual temperature inside the oven. After about a minute, the oven beeps, indicating that it is supposedly preheated, but in reality it is not. The temperature continues to rise and fall (fluctuate) for about another 15 minutes. So you should place your polymer clay piece only after the temperature inside the oven has stabilized.

Through trial and error, I found that the actual temperature of 130°C inside my oven is reached when the display shows 230°F, not 275°F. You need to determine your own working temperature.
If you don’t do this, the piece may turn out brittle (underbaked) or burned (overbaked). Both outcomes are harmful both for the piece and for you personally.

This is a feature that, once understood, allows you to bake polymer clay items without damaging them. Use this knowledge!

3. Place the mug horizontally in the oven. It is best to place the spoon with décor inside the mug. Small details can be baked on a sheet of paper or on glass/ceramic.
❗Important! Do not place items close to the heating elements — there is a risk that they will burn, even if the overall oven temperature is stable and correct.

4. If the clay starts to burn (smoke, bubble, or change color to dark), immediately open the windows for ventilation and remove the décor from the oven. Try not to breathe in these fumes! It is best to take the décor together with the baking tray out to a balcony or outside.
If the décor is not damaged, try baking it again after reducing the temperature.

5. After baking, let the décor cool down inside the oven, remove it from the mug/spoon, and then proceed to gluing.

PROPER GLUING

For proper gluing, you will need any two-part epoxy adhesive.

Steps:

  1. Prepare the decor for gluing by sanding the back surface (the part that will touch the mug) with sandpaper, or by scratching it with a needle (awl), and degreasing it with nail polish remover.
    If you are gluing the decor onto a spoon, simply degrease the spoon.

  2. Prepare the mug/spoon by degreasing the surface where you plan to attach the decor.

  3. Squeeze a small amount of each epoxy component onto paper and thoroughly mix the two components according to the instructions (about 2–3 seconds).
    Pay attention: everything must be done quickly but carefully, as the glue sets within 3 minutes.

  4. Apply the prepared glue in a thin layer onto the decor, or inside the decor if it is a spoon.

  5. Firmly press the decor onto the mug / put it onto the spoon. Excess glue can be removed with nail polish remover or a wet wipe.

  6. Wait until the glue grabs, keeping the mug placed flat so the decor does not “slide.”
    The spoon can be placed inside a mug.
    The glue fully cures within 24 hours.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING ITEMS WITH POLYMER CLAY

You can:

  • Drink any hot or cold beverages🍵

  • Admire and enjoy🥰

  • Show them off to guests😉

  • Give as gifts and collect🎁

Not recommended:

  • ❌Wash in a dishwasher

  • ❌Heat in a microwave

  • ❌Soak

  • ❌Break or pick at the decor

Care instructions:
Wash with a soft sponge and a non-abrasive detergent. After washing, gently pat dry with a towel.

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