How to Make a Polymer Clay Button
Crafters enjoy working with polymer clay for its versatility, despite the fact that it's not really clay at all. You can bend, shape and mold polymer clay into just about anything and your only limitation is your imagination. A quick and simple project that you can make and use is a polymer clay button.
Things You'll Need
- Oven
- Polymer clay
- Pasta roller
- Cutters
- Quilting needle
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Paintbrush
- Varnish
Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 275 F degrees.
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2
Choose a small amount of polymer clay and condition it by rolling the clay between the palms of your hands. Conditioning the clay makes it warm and easy to work with.
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3
Feed the clay through a pasta roller to flatten the clay and give it a uniform consistency.
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4
Use cutters to cut out small shapes or design your own button using polymer clay tools.
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5
Pierce two buttonholes into the polymer clay cutout using a quilting needle.
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6
Bake the polymer clay button on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for about 20 minutes.
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7
Brush the polymer clay button with varnish once it has cooled.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For interesting looking buttons, try marbling the polymer clay. Simply choose two or more colors and begin conditioning them together between the palms of your hands. Before long, the polymer clay will resemble marble. Be careful not to overwork the clay, as you will end up with one solid color.
Although polymer clay comes available in a wide variety of colors, it can also be painted to add detail.
As polymer clay contains plasticizers, always follow the baking directions listed on the package. If burned, polymer clay can release toxic fumes.
