Jewelry-Making Articles

Blending Fimo® Polymer Clay Colors

Design Idea FB2U Pendant

by Leslie, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®

Fimo is a favorite polymer clay brand in the jewelry-making industry for its rich pigments and blendability. The clay gives designer-artists the ability to create custom-hued components to match the exact color scheme of a jewelry design. A problem, however, can occur when trying to recreate colors you've mixed in the past. The solution is to create a color chart of polymer clay chips for easy reference.

You'll want to start by cutting the clay into sections that will result in similar-sized chips for easy reference. Make sure your chips will be large enough to write on or stamp so you can record the parts per color used to create the hue. Many clay artists add holes to the clay with an awl before curing and string the chips in gradients after completion.

This color wheel displays standard Fimo colors and varying gradients. Colors do not shift during proper baking.


In this mixing chart, you'll see the mixtures for the corresponding color. Colors are best blended in a sturdy poly-roller machine.

For instance, to create this rosy pink hue under the RI row, you'll see a mixture of "4 W + 1 RI."

To start, you'll want to create RI which is a combination of 3 parts standard red with 2 parts standard magenta. Next, combine 4 blended parts standard white with your RI blend. After combining thoroughly, you'll achieve the desired blush tone.

Experiment with your own color combinations as well, and label a chip with these unique blendings so you can re-create them later. While this may sound like a daunting task, the result becomes an invaluable tool. You can even make a social event out of creating these chips! If you belong to a polymer clay society or have a group of creative friends, make it a group project by:
  • Assigning each person one row of color
  • Have each person make enough of each of their colors to share with everyone in the group
  • Use a clay cutter shape you all agree upon and be sure to leave a hole for stringing
  • Label the chips using letter and number stamps
  • Bake according to manufacturer's instructions
  • Share and string for quick access (ball chain is a great choice because the closure is secure, but you can open up the connector and add custom chips later)
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