How to Make Foiled Polymer Clay Shapes

Clay Preparation

Condition black Fimo® Professional polymer clay by running it through a poly clay roller on the thickest setting then place the conditioned sheet of clay onto a smooth ceramic tile.

Lay a sheet of Fiesta Sunset craft foil from the Lisa Pavelka Celebration Collection on the strip of clay with the colored side of the foil facing up. Using scrap paper, burnish the surface of the foil with the flat pads of your fingers to transfer the foil to the clay.

Remove the sheet by pulling the edge of the foil in one swift motion, doubling the sheet over on itself for the best application. Do not pull the foil straight up as this will not transfer well.

Tip: It's important to pay attention to which direction you're initially ripping from.

If any gaps in the foil appear on the clay, reapply the foil sheet with the remaining foil over the gap on the clay. Vigorously burnish the spots with missing foil then rotate the clay on the workstation so the foil is being removed in a different direction than it was originally. Rip the sheet by pulling the edge in one swift motion directly away from you.

Tip: If a large spot remains, concentrate a little more pressure in that area and burnish longer, approximately 30 - 60 seconds.

Remove the stamped clay sheet from the work surface by carefully sliding the clay blade underneath the sheet at a 45-degree angle.

Note: A quick shimmying motion with the clay blade works best to detach the sheet from the work surface.

Continue to use the clay blade to cut the foiled sheet down to a manageable size, approximately 4x3 inches (or whatever size may be needed for the project) then place the clay sheet back onto the smooth ceramic tile.

Creating Shapes

Using a rippled clay blade, cut away the closest smooth edge of the clay sheet by pressing the blade straight down into the clay then pull the blade towards yourself for a clean cut. Discard this first thin strip of clay.

Repeat, cutting just over the textured edge of the clay sheet to create a rippled shape.

Repeat, cutting just over the textured edge at an angle to create a lightning bolt shape.

Repeat, cutting just over the textured edge in a mirrored fashion to create a bubbled shape.

Note: Carefully knock the clay off the rippled blade to retain the shape that has just been cut. Do not pull the clay from the blade, this will straighten the clay out and make it lose its shape.

Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Punched

Use scissors to cut one to two inches off the end of a drinking straw at an angle. Use the flat end of the cut straw to punch a circle out of the foiled clay. If the clay gets stuck inside of the straw, a beading awl can be used to remove the clay. Simply run the awl down the inside edge of the straw and carefully push the edges of the clay out without puncturing it.

Use the shaped Kemper® clay cutters to get more diverse punched shapes. If the clay gets stuck inside of the cutter, simply press down the plunger to pop out any stuck clay. If the clay does not fully dislodge from the sheet, use a clay blade in a shimmying motion to lift the clay from the workstation then pull the edge of the sheet up and use a small clay blade to poke out any stubborn pieces.

Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions.