Comments on: Tools for Polymer Clay Bead Making You Can Personalize

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:23:38 +0000

LOL! Just had to rebirth this thread! Seems like, thanks to Cindy’s inspiration, just about everything I touch these days is made of polymer clay.

Over the last few years I’ve redone my bathroom fixtures (poly clay cleans with a steamer beautifully), all my kitchen drawer pulls and door knobs, every pull cord imaginable, the light switches, the electrical outlets, the fridge door handle, made every magnet type available, gone on to cover clips and magnetic clips (clipboard style), pushpins, wall art holders, display stands, whew…..and more. As long as food, ollie ollie in free!

Something satisfying about covering your inside front door knob with clay and still having it work, lol.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:12:57 +0000

Thanks for the info Kat. Plan to do it today.

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sun, 30 May 2010 06:59:53 +0000

@Eileen: Hi Eileen, polymer clay won’t form a permanent bond with metal, so after baking, you’ll have to add some glue. Bake the clay with the hook inside, though, so the hole stays perfect and in the right place. After baking, remove the hook, add glue, and put it back in. There are lots of articles and comments to read here at the blog to help you with your project. Use the search box at the top left of each page and type in things like “conditioning clay” “how to bake clay” etc. for information. Be sure to read the comments under the articles, too, since there’s often even more info there than in the original article.

If you haven’t chosen a clay yet, you might want to go with Premo Sculpey. It’s available at most arts/craft stores, and an all-around great clay. Cindy’s favorite! Strong, but not difficult to condition. If you decide you want to work with polymer clay for other things, like beads or cool buttons for your crocheted creations, you should check out Cindy’s Polymer Clay Basics Course. It teaches the fundamentals, from choosing a clay to baking to sanding and buffing, and everything in-between. It’s a great way to learn to “do it right.” The link to the course is at the top of the page.

Good luck with your project! Just leave a comment if you have other questions, and someone will be happy to help. Enjoy working with your clay (be careful, it’s addicting!) ~Kat Riverside, CA ;~D

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:22:22 +0000

Recently, I saw polymer clay used on a steel crochet hook to increase the size of the grip. I plan on trying this myself but, though I’m fairly crafty, I have never used clay. will the clay adhere the hook or will I need a glue of some sort? Thanks.

By: Sarah Young

Sarah Young — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:17:34 +0000

Thanks phaedrakat :) I tried gluing it with a multi-purpose glue and it worked. :) well up to now it does. :) don’t know in the long run. :))

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:17:00 +0000

@Sarah Young: Hi Sarah, did you try putting the bit in a vise and hitting gently with a hammer to bend it? What about asking a big strong man to do it? :-) I’m just guessing, (never tried it,) but maybe using a torch to anneal the metal would soften it enough to bend? Otherwise, you can try roughing up the lower edges of your bit a little by gouging with a file or something, so the clay has something to grip. Make sure the handle covers enough of the bit, at least up to the first few “twists”. If it does come loose later, you can use a good multi-purpose glue to fix it. The one shown in the preview video above works well for both metal and polymer clay. You could also buy some cheaper drill bits — the dollar store kind bends easier… Good luck making your cool, personalized tools!

By: Sarah Young

Sarah Young — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:21:24 +0000

Hi. I really like this article. Another inexpensive way of getting things done. I was actually planning on buying a pin vise but thank God I found this article. :) Anyways, my drill bit is a bit hard and wont bend. what could I do to put a handle?

By: Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Beads Course Feedback

Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Beads Course Feedback — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:53:37 +0000

Hello BJ – Thanks for your question. Several others here at the blog have also asked about getting my tutorial videos on DVD. Each time the topic comes up, I try to encourage more feedback so I can gage the overall level of interest. Currently I’m still waiting for more people to speak up before going to the expense of setting things up for DVD distribution.

If you like, you can type “DVD” into the keyword search box at the top of this page. This will provide you with a list of articles and comment links where the DVD topic has been discussed before. Feel free to leave your comments at these other articles to see if more people will join into the conversations. I would love to be able to make it work.

By: BJ Weems

BJ Weems — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:37:44 +0000

Is it possible to purchase the lessons on DVD? We have Internet access through Hughes Net — but we only have a limited amount of download per 24 hours — not enough for me to watch videos for any extended time and also allow time for my husband’s time on the Internet. BJ Weems

By: Cindy Lietz@Polymer Bead Making for Newbies

Cindy Lietz@Polymer Bead Making for Newbies — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:06:53 +0000

Cute 'boring' pun Sue! Excellent idea for customizing handles for people with disabilities or mobility issues. What a wonderful, cheap and easy way to adapt tools! With all the arthritis in my family and the trouble I have myself with my wrists, I can identify with the value of having tools that would be easier to hold and more beautiful to look at. I can see this idea used on other everyday items as well, such as hair brushes, mascara wands, toothbrushes (if they can handle the heat) as well as the cutlery you mentioned. My mind is spinning with the potential of this! Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Slicing Fimo Nail Art Canes | Sculpey Polymer Clay Cake Toppers