Texture: How To Think Creatively About Polymer Clay Bead Surfaces
Six Unique Tips for Texturing Your Sculpey and Fimo Beads:
Today's inspirational photo is of the frost covered grass in the field next to my home. What I love about this picture is its textural qualities. The fine and coarse lines of the aged yellowed grass and the way the light hits the blades making the background dark and dramatic!
This Fall image got me to thinking about all kinds of techniques for adding texture to polymer clay surfaces. Here's 6 of them…
1) Press leaves, bark, stones or the seed heads of grasses into the surface of Fimo, Premo or Sculpey clay to give a natural texture to your clay. If you are concerned with the item sticking to your clay, spritz the clay with water or dust with cornstarch as a release agent.
2) Try using lace. I have been able to create some very interesting textures on clay by pressing a piece of lace into the surface. Using an ink pad to color the lace before pressing it into the polymer clay makes for an interesting effect. The color goes deep into the grooves of the pattern. Or an alternative would be to antique the clay with paint after it has baked to make the features of the lace show up better.
3) Sandpaper can give an interesting look that mimics stone and other rough surfaces like that of an orange peel. Try all the grits for different textures, even drywall mesh sandpaper for a totally different, geometric effect.
4) Miscellaneous junk is fun to play around with too. Route around in your junk drawer for creative ideas on adding texture to polymer clay. Screws, safety pins, old tooth brushes, combs, onion mesh bags, scrunched up tinfoil, screwdriver tips, washers, buttons, chain, etc.
5) Rock salt. You can make the coolest lava rock beads by pressing chunks of rock salt into some black, brown or terra cotta clay. After the beads are baked they are soaked in water to remove the salt. It kind of reminds me of the candles we made in the 70's with the ice cubes in them.
6) Sea shells. Seashells make great molds for polymer clay beads with wonderful textures and shapes. Just ask Heather Powers and Tina Holden! Here's a couple of links where you can see examples of their beads: Making Polymer Clay Molds and Scallop Shell Pendant Jewelry
What is the coolest thing you've ever pushed into clay to get a texture on it? I'd love to hear some of your ideas!
Filed Under: 02: Tools, 05: Techniques, 14: Feature Guests by Comment. 
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Comments on Texture: How To Think Creatively About Polymer Clay Bead Surfaces
4:50 pm
Pumice stone is another cool tool for texturing! Learned that one from the Crafty Goat Angela Mabray.
6:57 pm
As usual, such cool tips, this time about textures.
6:05 pm
Thanks Daisygirl!
3:16 am
I am venturing into the unknown here. I haven't even opened the variety pack of sculpty I just purchased. Would it be possible to push the polymer clay through a cake decorating ( icing ) bag with a decorator tip? O just thought I'd ask before I make a mess.
-Claudia
7:38 pm
Hi Claudia great question!
It is possible to push the clay through a pastry bag, but it would have to be 'thinned down' to the consistency of icing to do it. You can thin the clay with liquid polymer clay or baby oil. You could however lose some of the strength in the clay if you used the oil.
You may want to try an extruder instead. Click the link by my name for more info on those.
2:59 pm
I have to experiment with Liquid Polymer Clay. I've never heard of it.
4:27 pm
I so appreciate the Polymer Clay Beginners course and all the comments that are made. A relative had shown me a flower petal bead last summer and when I lost my dad Dec. 10, 2009, I really began to think about making petal beads and after going online and finding your website and course available, just had to take it. Experimented with crushed dried flower petals and the polymer clay and have made bracelets for my two sisters, mother, and myself; also matching earrings. They loved them. For the bracelets I added Swarovski lead crystal beads and 14k gold plated corrugated beads. One had sterling silver corrugated beads and Swarovski lead crystal beads. These gifts meant so much to them and also to me. We had a wonderful dad and miss him so much. What a precious way to have keepsakes. Thank you Cindy.
4:46 pm
Hi Teresa – I'm so glad the course helped to give you and your family some comfort following the loss of your father. Thank you for sharing such a touching story.