Crafts made from colored clay. Clay crafts

Clay crafts are a hobby that has not gone out of fashion for many centuries. To get started, all you need to do is purchase regular white or gray dry clay from your nearest craft store. In terms of consistency, this material is close to plasticine, but it is stronger.

The finished figurine must be allowed to dry and then fired. The step-by-step process of making DIY crafts at home can be complicated by the lack of the necessary kiln.

But this problem can be solved in a simple way - to bring the product to readiness, you can put it in a tin can and heat it over a fire.

Technology is constantly moving forward, and now polymer clay is gaining popularity among fans of this hobby. It is easier to use than its natural counterpart, due to the fact that it easily hardens in the open air, bakes in the oven, and some brands even harden when boiled in water for several minutes.

It is possible to make a lot of different original crafts from polymer clay, the main thing is to have a little time and inspiration left.

How to make a beautiful craft from clay? First, you need to stock up on supplies and set up your workspace.

Brands of polymer clay

There are many companies offering polymer clay on the modern market. They all differ in color, variety of options, baking time and other small distinctive features. Having tried several of them, you will definitely choose the best option.

The most common are:

“Tsvetika” is a budget domestic option. It will please you with its price, but will disappoint you with its limited color range and lack of special effects. After baking, the products are handled with care; they become fragile.

FIMO is the most widespread foreign company offering a wide range of colors that, after heat treatment, completely retain their original appearance. Thanks to the variety of types, it is suitable for any technique.

“Premo” is a very soft, pliable type, ideal for forming sausages, its structure resembles wax.

"Cernit" - even the illustration on the packaging, clearly indicates that it is ideal for sculpting structures and dolls. In addition, it can well imitate natural stones, mold well and knead.

To create a unique and original doll, it is better to watch a master class on clay crafts in order to correctly form all the details and not waste material.

When the necessary pieces of clay are available, you need to organize your workspace and start creating.

Workplace

You can form the figures on any horizontal surface, except the kitchen table, so as not to cause harm to health. In addition, you should stock up on a sharp knife, varnish, rolling pin, toothpicks, sandpaper and distinguishable decorative accessories - buttons, paper clips, fittings.

It will be convenient to roll out the clay with a rolling pin, a toothpick to make small holes, for example, for beads, and sandpaper is simply irreplaceable - it erases fingerprints from the surface.

If the clay available is too hard, a plasticizer can be used. Just a few peas are needed to make a whole pack of clay elastic. If not available, perhaps replace it with Vaseline or fatty cream.

There are special paste machines that quickly roll out the canvas, while creating unusual smooth transitions of shades if you use several colors. The same effect can be achieved using a regular rolling pin, but the process will be much more labor-intensive.

Clay strawberries - the easiest task for beginners

The simplest clay crafts for beginners are the creation of elements for subsequent products - sausages. To do this, you need to roll several sausages of different colors and wrap them in a layer of a third shade.

If the sausages are not the same length, they can be easily trimmed with a knife. Next, use the same object to cut the resulting solid strip into pieces. If you used white, red and pink colors, you can create a strawberry.

To create a shape that fully resembles a berry, wrap a large white piece in thin pink, and place the resulting sausages around the edges. Then wrap what you get with a thick layer of red polymer clay and your product is ready.

Polymer clay flower

It’s as easy as shelling pears to make a flower, which in the future will serve as the basis for a more complex composition. It can also be used to decorate a hairpin, bracelet or other item.

You should choose a specific color for the base and roll it into a pear-shaped piece. Using a stationery knife, make two cuts crosswise on the thick side and form petals from them.

Insert a small ball of a different color into the middle, which will serve as an inflorescence. If the blank will be used as decoration, you need to immediately pierce it with a toothpick so that you can string it on a thread.

There are many different ideas and instructions for making crafts that can be found in thematic brochures or on the pages of Internet resources.

Professionals can, by combining various details, create more complex compositions, based on the examples shown in the photo of clay crafts or using their imagination.

Clay vase

To make a magnificent vase that will become a real decoration for your home, you need to use some kind of blank. For example, take a plastic bottle. Its surface is carefully covered with clay, folds and irregularities are smoothed out well.

Next, pre-cut circles from sausages are pressed into the surface - one-color or multi-color. It is possible to use purchased sliced sausages; they already come with patterns and whole designs, for example, in the form of orange or lemon slices.

The remains of the first material that appeared after pressing the decor are removed so that the surface is as smooth as possible. It is better not to use more than three or four colors, otherwise the vase will not look harmonious. When the structure is dry, the vase is ready for use.

Ladybug made of clay

Any complex idea consists of small details and parts. To make a ladybug, just connect two rolled out flattened balls, leaving several indentations on the back for the wings.

To form the wings, several very thin plates are rolled out. In addition, the clay can be supplemented with beads or buttons, which will serve as circles on the back of the insect or with wire - from which the mustache will be made.

Using specially developed step-by-step diagrams, you can easily sculpt cartoon characters or animals, create entire bouquets of different flowers that are indistinguishable from real ones. You can decorate dishes with clay by first sculpting individual parts or assembling a full-fledged necklace.

Keychains and buttons

To get souvenirs of this type, you need blanks: either surviving parts from old keychains, or new rivets to which you can attach clay decor. The main thing in this matter is to find a beautiful stencil.

Having rolled out the clay, you need to squeeze out the desired shape from it using molds - an asterisk, a circle, a bell. Next, use a stencil to give the surface a pattern on both sides and do not forget to make a hole for fastening in the upper part of the keychain.

With buttons the technology is similar, only you need to make a few holes at the end. After drying, the clay needs to be coated with varnish - then the products will be shiny and more presentable.

conclusions

Inconspicuous pieces of multi-colored clay in the hands of a creative, talented person can turn into real masterpieces. Even if you don’t have spatial thinking, you can safely use the instructions and master classes to create products.

With each new job, you will want a greater variety of accessories, add-ons, powders, glitter and other consumables.

By spending time, but at the same time enjoying the work, you can create a unique and inimitable handmade product, suitable for a souvenir, gift attachment, or simply capable of decorating an apartment.

Photos of clay crafts

To teach children useful creativity, first see for yourself how to sculpt figures, flowers, and a whistle from clay; read about this natural material.

Selection of material and its preparation for work

Pottery is one of the oldest crafts. Until now, archaeologists have found fragments of pottery and jewelry that belonged to people during the birth of their civilization.

And now this material is one of the most accessible. It can be found on the banks of ponds, in pits, or even in your summer cottage. It’s enough to dig deeper, and the coveted building material is in your hands. In nature there is reddish and blue clay. For crafts, the first one is most often used. Its pieces are poured with water for 1–2 days, then mixed to form a mass of uniform consistency.

In order to make clay figures, flowers, dishes, jewelry, it should feel like soft plasticine to the touch. Therefore, pieces of clay for such creativity are mixed with a small amount of water. If you are laying a brick oven or want to coat an already finished one, the solution should be more liquid - like thick sour cream.

Clay can be thin, medium and fat. To understand whether this product is suitable for modeling, knead it in your hands and roll it into a sausage. If it doesn’t crack or stick to your hands, you can create from it.

If you don’t know what to do with your children at your dacha in the summer, give them softened clay and let them make animals, people, or a tea set for dolls from it. Then they will put these items in the sun, after complete drying they are ready for play. But there are certain methods to make pottery durable, which you will soon learn about. In the meantime, let's tell you that you can buy powdered clay, dilute it with water according to the instructions and work with this mass.

Modeling techniques

Here's how to sculpt from clay using various techniques:

Mash a piece of plastic mass in your hands. If you want to get a disk-shaped workpiece, roll it into a ball and flatten it. From such a circle you can quickly make simple clay figures, for example, a bird. To do this, pull the piece forward on one side of the ball at the top to form a beak. On the back side below you need to pull out part of the clay in the opposite direction, make a tail, and wings on the sides. All that remains is to place the workpiece on two small branches - the bird's legs, and the new clay toy is ready.
If you want to make a sculpture from several parts, create them first. To “glue” these blanks together, moisten the adjacent parts with water and do this. You can make a mash of clay and “glue” individual elements together with it. The same solution will help get rid of cracks that appear during the drying process of the product. It is enough to lubricate them with this mash.
If you plan to make original things from clay, you can use a toothpick and plastic cutlery. They press on an already formed, but not yet dried, blank made of this material, an interesting pattern is obtained. Using a toothpick, you can draw patterns on them.
The technology of impressions is interesting. If you cut a seal out of wood or take a ready-made one, press it onto a piece of clay, and then let the cast dry, you will have your own seal. And if the young sculptor presses his palm to the rolled clay, then he will receive its imprint. A great idea is to leave a hand or foot print as a souvenir that you can look at over time when the baby grows up.
If you wrap a toy or figurine in food foil and attach clay rolled out with a rolling pin on top, you will have to wait a day. After this, you carefully remove it from the base and leave to dry. After processing, the resulting figurine can be painted, and you will have a double of your favorite toy.
You can decorate a product that has not yet dried with beads, shells, pebbles, feathers, scales of cones, etc.

As you can see, there are many interesting technologies when working with this plastic material, choose any one and start creating. This activity will help you get rid of the autumn blues and give you many joyful moments and positive emotions!

DIY clay toys

If you want such a charming octopus to live in your home, stock up on:

clay;
water;
sponge;
toothpick;
gouache;
with a knife;
sandpaper;
white gouache;
paint;
varnish.

Manufacturing instructions:

If you bought powdered clay, dilute it with water according to the instructions. Modeling mass is also sold in vacuum packaging. If you obtained the clay yourself, dig it up and fill it with water. When unnecessary impurities, plant roots, and pebbles settle to the bottom, strain the solution through a colander or sieve and leave the mass in the sun for a day to dry a little.
Add a little water to the clay, knead the “dough”, it should not stick to your hands.
Pour water into a bowl to wet your hands while working and seal any cracks that form.
Tear off a piece of clay, knead it in your hands, and roll it into a ball on a work surface moistened with water.
For such a clay toy, tentacles can be made in two ways. For the first one, you need to roll 12-16 sausages, pointed at one end. With the other side, attach them to the body using water. In the second method, you need to pull out the lower part of the ball, cut it into tentacles with a plastic knife, and give them an oval shape.
Dip a sponge in water and wet the surface of the clay toy, smoothing out any unevenness or cracks.
Let the workpiece dry overnight, then sand the surface with fine sandpaper.
Few people have a special kiln for firing, so give the toy strength at home. Wrap it in a plastic bag with holes and place it on the hot battery.
Cover the toy with the first layer of white gouache, let it dry, then apply the second. After it dries, cover it with yellow or other paint.
The facial features and other small details can be sculpted at the same time as you make the toy itself, or you can create them separately and attach them with ceramic glue at this final stage.

To give strength to the product, you can wrap the clay piece in foil and put it in the fire. But the fire should not be high so that the craft does not crack.

See how Filimonov clay toys are made.

To create these funny cockerels you will need:

clay;
plastic knife;
modeling board;
water;
gouache;
acrylic paints;
a soft cloth to dry your hands.

Take a piece of clay, roll it into a “sausage”, divide it. Kindergarten teachers or parents will help young children do this. We divide it into 3 parts: the central one is the largest, on the left is a piece for the head, on the right is for the tail.

Let the child roll the largest part, giving it the shape of a carrot, bend it as in the photo - at an angle of 90°. We tilt the left, thin part - this is the head blank.

If cracks have formed, you need to smooth them out with wet fingers. Squeeze the opposite edge of the workpiece several times to give it the shape of a disk - this is the tail. And for the scallop, let the child roll the ball, flatten it a little, cut off half and attach the clay toys to the head.

To prevent the plastic mass from sticking to the board, place a sheet of paper here. Connect the parts with liquid clay called slip.

To quickly prepare this “glue”, make a bowl of clay and pour water into it. With a brush you will combine these 2 substances, and you will get a slip for molding parts.

Next, for the clay figurine you need to make a beard. To do this, roll a small droplet-shaped ball, which must be slightly flattened with your fingers, then glued under the beak onto a slip.

To make a stand for the cockerel, roll a cone out of a piece of clay, then insert a wooden stick inside (you can use the shaft of a brush) and roll it over the work surface. The result should be a cone-shaped workpiece, hollow inside, with walls of the same thickness.

Take this method into use, it will help you create long skirts for dolls and bells. Place this cone on the board, flatten it slightly on top, and use a slip to attach a clay toy to it.

Leave it to dry for 4-5 days. After this, it would be good to burn the toy in the oven at maximum temperature. You can do this in a country oven.

When the workpiece has cooled, paint it with a composition prepared by mixing gouache with PVA. You can also use acrylic paints.

If you want clay figures to also make sounds, then make a bird-whistle like this. To create it, take:

clay;
stacks, sticks;
water;
sponge;
acrylic paints.

A detailed master class with photos will simplify the sculpting process.

Take a piece of clay and roll it into a ball. Place your thumb inside and flatten the workpiece to create a plate with wide edges.
Without removing it from your finger, wrap it around it. Then remove it and join the edges together to leave an inner hole.
Wet your fingers in water and smooth the outer surface of the toy with them.
Cut a hole in the tail with a knife. Insert a stick into it and cover it with a clay patch.
At this stage, you need to check the toy by whistling into the hole made. The pitch of the notes can be adjusted to make it larger or smaller. To be able to blow out different notes while playing music, make a small through hole on the sides.
Let's move on to smaller details. Sculpt the eyes, beak, crest, paws. Apply a pattern on the wings using a stack.
Soak the sponge in water, wring it out, and run it over the surface of the toy to smooth out roughness and unevenness.
Let the whistle dry for 4 hours, after which it is placed in an oven for firing, where it will remain for 8 hours at 800°.

The whistle is ready.

For the famous Dymkovo clay toys, bright colors were traditionally used, which were applied to a white background. They were made with eggs and milk. Now craftswomen are replacing such “homemade” paints with acrylic ones.

But Kostroma cockerels are decorated with glaze. First, the sculpted clay figurine is fired for the first time at 200° for an hour. After this, the glaze is applied and sent back to the oven, but for several hours.

How to make flowers from clay?

Modeling helps develop not only healthy children, but also those with health problems. The master class presented below promotes the rehabilitation of children with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

To make a flower from clay, first we will make several petals for it. Let the child roll a sausage from this natural material and cut it into equal pieces with a plastic knife. After which they need to be rolled into a ball and flattened with your fingers.

To make it easier for your child, first draw a flower on a piece of paper and let him place the petals on the drawing. The core of the flower is also made from a “cake”; it needs to be greased with slip (liquid clay) and stuck to the center of the flower. It can be decorated by applying mesh and dots.

Next, you need to mold the petals, then dry and paint the blanks. All that remains is to place them on the panel and attach them. To do this, let the children cover a sheet of cardboard with fabric. They or adults will make 2 cuts in the upper part of the panel, pass thin satin linen through them, tie its ends, and then hang the picture.

In the meantime, lay out its elements and let adults attach them with a glue gun. Children will assemble the picture using PVA glue.

Having studied this simple technique, you will show children how to make clay flowers and various figures. You can make more complex samples yourself and enjoy the creativity.

We invite you to watch the following videos to expand your knowledge in this area.

Hand-made products have always been especially valued.

This is a way to get something unique, creative and something that no one else has.

The most popular material for creating unique handmade products is polymer clay. We have already written how to make such clay yourself at home.

However, you can not only make polymer clay and sell it as a separate product, but also create various things from this material yourself. From polymer clay you can make decorative ornaments (jewelry), key chains, photo frames, Christmas tree decorations, dolls, figurines and in general any things that may be useful for home decor.

Polymer clay (plastic) is soft material based on polyvinyl chloride. Polymer clay is initially plastic and soft; it can be used to sculpt like plasticine. When the product has been given the desired shape, it is heated, as a result of which it hardens and becomes hard. Some types of polymer clay harden without heating, simply by exposure to air.

When creating a product, you can immediately use colored polymer clay, or you can paint a ready-made solid product. Any acrylic paint will easily apply to it. If products made from polymer clay are not subjected to frequent impacts and other damage, then they can retain their “marketable appearance” for a very long time.

How to sculpt from polymer clay

Let us immediately warn you that artistic modeling is a creative process and requires certain talents. At a minimum, the arms should grow from the “right” place. If you were always praised in kindergarten for the fact that you sculpted a man out of plasticine well, this does not mean that you will be great at sculpting with polymer clay.

If you want to do sculpting purely for yourself, then, of course, you can do it however you like. But if you want to create your own business in the production and sale of plastic products, and make money from it, then your products must be at least competitive, and at maximum, stand out from the rest for the better. To achieve significant success, it takes practice. Therefore, if you feel that you are gaining skill by practicing, then continue in the same spirit. Otherwise, it is better to think about another type of income.

Modeling

The very first step that you must take is to carefully knead in your hands the piece of polymer clay that you are going to work with next. This will make the plastic softer, and it will be much easier to give it the desired shape. Start training with the simplest elements, gradually moving on to more complex ones.

For example, the first thing you can try to do is a flower and a leaf. To make the leaf, use your fingers to shape a small piece of clay into an oval, then press it lightly onto your work surface until it flattens. Make a sharper edge on one side of the oval, and leave a rounded edge on the other side. Using a toothpick, using a pressing motion, draw veins on the leaf. You will end up with something like this:

Let's move on to the next element of the flower - the petals. Roll out five small balls of polymer clay and use your fingers to roll them out onto your work surface. Try to keep the edges as round as possible. Now you need to form these petals into a flower. Since each petal sticks slightly to the surface due to pressure, you may disturb its shape when you remove them.

Therefore, it is better to do this not with your fingers, but with a blade or other flat object. Place the petals in a circle, one on top of the other, overlapping one edge with the next. Then place a leaf under the finished petals - and your flower is ready:

Baking

Next, you need to heat the product to harden it. You can use a regular oven for this. However, if you are using an oven in which, in addition to baking polymer clay, you also cook food, then it is better to place the product in a container or food sleeve before putting it in the oven. When baking, plastic can release fumes that will settle on the oven walls and adversely affect the quality of your food.

Despite the fact that the required temperature and baking time for a specific type of plastic are always indicated on the packaging, it is better to try it first on a small test piece. Try not to overcook the product in the oven - otherwise it will burn (turn black) and emit a lot of smoke. In this case, it is necessary to urgently ventilate the room.

Degreasing

You can remove excess fat from the product using any detergent. Apply a small amount of product to cotton wool and wipe the product immediately after baking.

Grinding

Not every product will require sanding. This procedure should be performed only if there are fingerprints on the product, any irregularities or lumps on the surface. If you are just starting to create with polymer clay, then it is unlikely that you will be able to immediately create products with an ideal surface. In addition, if you plan to coat the product with varnish or paint, then you cannot do without polishing - the varnish will lie much better on a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, the ability to sand and polish will be useful to you.

You will need sandpaper and a small piece of cloth. Denim (necessarily old fabric, since new fabric can leave traces of paint on the product), corduroy or suede is best suited. Fill a bowl with water at room temperature and mix just a little detergent with it.

Next, you need to dip the product in water and slightly wet the sandpaper. Start sanding the piece from the edges and back side (that is, not the front side) with coarser sandpaper. Using water, wash away dust and small pieces that form from sandpaper. When you have completed the work with coarse sandpaper, change the water and start sanding with fine sandpaper. Sand the front side as carefully as possible so as not to spoil the presentation of the product.

After finishing sanding, rinse the product again to remove any remaining detergent and grains of sandpaper, and dry it. Next, polish the product using a piece of cloth - simply rub the product on all sides with vigorous movements.

Varnishing

To coat a product with varnish, it is best to use special varnishes that are designed specifically for polymer clay. Some “masters” use acrylic-based nail polishes or decoupage varnishes, but this is not entirely the right solution. Such products can only be made for oneself, but they are unlikely to be suitable for sale. Some products, after thorough polishing with a cloth, no longer require varnish.

In direct contact with skin, polymer clay may cause allergies or other unpleasant reactions. This doesn't happen very often, but it's not worth the risk. Therefore, when performing your first work, it is better to use disposable medical gloves. It is also better not to use dishes that have direct contact with polymer clay when eating food.

Tools for working with polymer clay

Each master has in his arsenal the following tools, which are very useful when working with polymer clay:

1. Surfaces for modeling. These are flat surfaces made of glass or plastic, preferably large. Working on stone or wood surfaces is not recommended.

2. Blades, knives. They are needed in different sizes and thickness of the cutting part. All blades and knives must be as sharp as possible so that the product does not become deformed when cutting.

3. Sandpaper. It is used for polishing or, conversely, to give the product an uneven shape (for example, imitation orange peel).

4. Fabric (denim, corduroy, suede). Used to polish the product and give a shiny shine to the surface.

5. Knitting needles and needles. Need different sizes and thicknesses. They are used for making through holes (for example, in beads) or for making small dents on a product.

6. Glue. Necessary for gluing together individual elements of the product.

7. Extruder. This is a special tool that looks like a large syringe from which polymer clay is squeezed out. There are various attachments for extruders, with which you can get an element of the future product of the shape you need.

What can be made from polymer clay?

Real plastic modeling professionals offer a wide range of products. Among the assortment you can find:

Earrings;
Rings;
Pendants, pendants;
Beads;
Bracelets;
Hair clips and decorations;
Brooches;
Keychains;
Photo frame;
Figurines, figurines;
Christmas decorations;
Dolls;
Paintings.

To work, you will need not only different polymer clay, but also additional elements. For example, chains for pendants and pendants, metal bases for rings and hairpins, clasps for bracelets and earrings, hooks for Christmas tree decorations, threads (for example, for doll hair), various sparkles, beads and so on. All this can be purchased at any craft store.

How and to whom to sell polymer clay products?

Your clients will be people who want to purchase jewelry and crafts made from polymer clay for themselves or as gifts for loved ones. As practice shows, a significant percentage of clients are young girls.

Nowadays, communities on social networks created by plastic sculpting masters are very popular. There they post catalogs of their products, and each community member can choose the product they like and place an order. The main difficulty in this type of product sales is to attract and retain social network users in the community.

Another way to sell your product is to participate in fairs and exhibitions of hand-made products. Such events are now quite in demand and are periodically organized in almost every major city. Find out how and where similar fairs and exhibitions are organized in your city, and keep track of the dates of their organization. Offer your products to the organizers as goods. If your products are of high quality, then most likely they will not refuse you.

Also, in every city you can find shops that sell various souvenirs, jewelry, and home decor items. Try to negotiate with such stores to sell your product on mutual terms. In this case, you will act as a supplier of goods.

Since the main advantage of hand-made products is their uniqueness, be sure to offer your customers the opportunity to create a unique product to order. Of course, it will be more reasonable if you introduce such a service when you become a real master.

The client describes his wishes to you, perhaps shows approximate sketches of the work, and you make the product especially for him. Such work usually costs slightly more than work done in advance, however, there is a risk that the client will not like the product and he will refuse to pay for it. This is, of course, an unpleasant moment, but you can always sell such a product through a general catalog.

Video of modeling from polymer clay

You can find many videos on the Internet that can be a good help in learning how to sculpt with polymer clay. At first, you can’t do without such videos. We offer you several useful training videos in which the masters clearly and clearly explain each step. If you have the inclination to be creative, then even a child can learn how to beautifully sculpt clay using these videos!

To inspire you to be creative, we offer you amazing works made from polymer clay by real craftsmen!

How much can you earn from polymer clay products?

It depends entirely on you. A package of imported polymer clay (for example, from the manufacturers “Premo”, “Sculpey”, “Kato”, “Pardo”, “Fimo”) costs approximately from 2 to 6 dollars, depending on the volume. Polymer clay from domestic manufacturers (for example, “Tsvetik”, “Sonet”) is even cheaper.

The costs of additional materials will also be insignificant, especially since they are not required for all products (for example, for a simple figurine you do not need anything except the polymer clay itself). But the cost of finished products can be completely different.

Exclusive items that are made to order can cost up to $15 each. Various earrings, pendants, rings are sold for an average of 4-5 dollars. If you learn to work quickly and create high-quality products, you can make pretty good money in this business.

Save so you don't lose!

In this article we will talk about such a popular material today as polymer clay. You can make a lot of beautiful things from it.

Polymer clay is one of the most common materials for needlework. And no wonder, because it is very elastic and completely non-toxic, and the crafts turn out just fantastic!

Moreover, the variety of such crafts is amazing - not only decorations, but also many other things that will definitely decorate your life.

How to work with polymer clay?

So, first of all, let's deal with the fact that What should you stock up on when working with polymer clay?. Half of your success in work depends on the right choice.

Of course, first of all you need to stock up on clay itself, which is sold in special stores for handicrafts. There are enough brands:

You can buy a domestic version of the type "Tsvetika"- it is inexpensive, but unsuitable for sausage preparations. The color palette is not extensive, there are no special effects like mother-of-pearl or metal

IMPORTANT: The most noticeable drawback is that after baking, products from “Tsvetik” become very fragile.

Of the foreign brands, the most common is considered "FIMO"— it offers the buyer a large selection of colors that practically do not change after baking, suitable for a variety of techniques
There are the following types: soft Soft, standard Classic and interesting Effect with additives, transparency, sparkles and mother-of-pearl

"Premo"- is more similar to wax than the previous version. It is very easy to sculpt with. Well suited for sausages
"KATO"— with this brand you will have to suffer a little, since it is baked at a fairly high temperature. As for trying to knead the clay, this will be quite problematic if you don’t use a hammer
You can also pay attention for Polish products- it is strong and affordable. Well suited for use in sculpting. However, if you plan to make sausage blanks, such clay is of little use.
"Cernit"- recommended for those who want to sculpt dolls and imitate stones such as marble. This brand is perfect for those who want to add a touch of transparent to their products. Clay is similar to wax, it is advisable to knead it thoroughly before sculpting

On the packaging of Cernit polymer clay, dolls are drawn - the products that are best made from it

What else can’t the creative process do without?

Without workplace, of course. For this task, it is best to find tiles or glass, since you will have to work with a knife. You can also use a thick sheet of white paper, but this is a last resort.
Knife you need the sharpest one, and preferably special for this kind of work. But if you don’t find one, you can use the stationery one. Pay close attention to the sharpness - the material should not be smeared as a result. And look at the price when choosing the “golden mean”, since cheap ones are very often dull, and expensive ones have an overly thick blade - these include, for example, Japanese

IMPORTANT: Do not use kitchenware under any circumstances! There is a risk of harm to health.

rolling pin also irreplaceable, but not plastic. The fact is that some types of plastic quickly deteriorate under the influence of polymer clay. But you can use a special roller for rolling out clay or
Toothpicks They will help well in making holes in beads, forming parts, and drying beads - it is very convenient to string round parts onto such sticks. Stacks are an alternative to toothpicks, but not made of plastic.
Buttons, pendants and other accessories will make crafts unique
To cut out details, in the absence of special molds, you can take caps or glasses
Emery cloths with waterproof effect They polish well and remove fingerprints from products. A dense material like felt or jeans will help polish
Lucky will definitely be required. You can use construction acrylics with a water base, but the brands Sculpey and Fimo are best suited

The basic rules for working with polymer clay are as follows:

The most important thing is maintaining cleanliness. The surface should be clean, as should your hands. It would be a good idea to stock up on gloves. And try to keep the work area free of lint.

IMPORTANT: Wet wipes will be very helpful when working. They will not only keep your hands and tools clean, but will also help smooth out unevenness in the material.

For softening clay You can use a special product called a plasticizer. Experienced needlewomen recommend the Moldmaker brand. A few peas of the product is quite enough for a pack of clay. As an alternative, creams, Vaseline, and a warming procedure are suitable.
There are also cases when the clay just sticks to your hands, especially fresh. Then you can mix it with harder clay or leave it on a white sheet of paper for several hours. But if paint has already gotten into the material, it’s unlikely that anything can be done
Varnishing of parts occurs in different ways. For flat ones, each side is processed in turn. It is better to first string the round ones onto a toothpick, which, in turn, must be stuck into the plasticine. You can also dip parts in varnish or apply it using a synthetic brush

Whatever clay is chosen, it must be properly used before use. knead— thanks to this, the material becomes plastic, soft and suitable for comfortable modeling

IMPORTANT: Do not ignore this step, otherwise air bubbles will remain in the material, which will transform into tubercles when the clay is heated.

Stock up on special baking gel- for example, such as FIMO liquid. Sometimes you need to glue a pin to a part - in this case, the hole for it needs to be made a little larger, taking into account the glue
Store clay sausages You need it in a film or a well-closing bag. Otherwise, they will not dry out, but will lose their plasticity and become brittle. This is explained by the evaporation of the plasticizer. It’s even better to put the preparations in the refrigerator

At what stage should you start sanding? After the parts are baked, but before varnishing. It is recommended to wipe the parts with a linen towel after sanding - this will make them look velvety.

IMPORTANT: Do not think that varnish will hide material defects. As a rule, he only emphasizes them. Therefore, it is worth taking time to polish.

How to bake polymer clay crafts?

The baking process should be discussed separately, but this does not mean that it is too complicated and requires a special oven.

This is not ceramics - here A regular oven is enough, after all the temperature at which many types of polymer clay harden is only 110-130 degrees.

What should you use to bake crafts? Never on dishes that are used for eating.
It is better to adapt a special baking sheet, covered, in turn, with accordion-folded paper, for a creative impulse.
Much depends on what exactly is being baked. So, the beads will feel great strung on a toothpick stuck in the foil. It is recommended to place flat parts on glass or ceramic tiles
You can place the glass in a baking sleeve, and then take the craft out on the street - this is if you are overcome by doubts about toxicity

In general, to prevent the release of toxic substances, you must adhere to the temperatures indicated on the clay packaging. And even then it is necessary to work with a hood. After each use, the stove must be thoroughly washed.

IMPORTANT: If a smell appears, and the craft itself turns black and even charred, immediately stop baking and ventilate the room thoroughly.

If, after processing in a slab, the product becomes dense, thin parts are able to bend, and during subsequent drilling long chips are formed - everything is in order, you are on the right track.

Polymer clay crafts for beginners step by step: master class

Beginning needlewomen must first of all master master classes on making sausages from polymer clay. Having such sausages, you can later create spectacular details for various products.

Snowflakes, flowers, fern leaves - all this can be easily made from polymer clay

So let's try to do it the simplest strawberry sausages that even a beginner can do:

So, you will need pink, red and white clay. From white make a slightly elongated triangle, and from pink - layer about a millimeter thick

IMPORTANT: Before rolling out the layer, the clay should be thoroughly kneaded.

More You need to make sausages from white clay. You will also need red sausages.. Then they need to be connected to each other

Carefully wrap connected red and white sausages in a pink layer

The resulting red-white-pink sausage should be pulled out in length as carefully as possible. Approximately until it reaches a length of 12 or 13 centimeters. When stretched, the product should in no case lose its original shape.
And after that the sausage can be cut equal pieces

Now from scattered sausages strawberry is forming. Forming it is not difficult at all: the white sausage is wrapped in a pink layer and covered with sausages made of red and white clay in a circle.

IMPORTANT: Do not cover the entire core, leaving the bottom untouched, as shown in the photo.

Now the core turns around again, but this time with a layer of red polymer clay

At this stage The sausage needs to be stretched to a size that is convenient. Please note that for beads it should be thick and short, and for toy pieces it should be thin and long

And here is the final stage - baking! Do this for about half an hour, after which you need to cool the workpiece and cut it into strawberries
When properly manufactured, they should be easy to cut, resembling fairly dense rubber in structure

The described master class is intended for the simplified production of strawberry sausages. If you want something more naturalistic, then You can use a pasta machine.

It allows you to achieve smooth color transitions. As an analogy, take an acrylic rolling pin, but you will have to tinker with it longer.

Fruits made from polymer clay sausages can be used in manicures

Beginners can also practice on buttons- they are very easy to make, and the thing turns out beautiful and useful. So, for the simplest recipe for making will be needed:

Actually, polymer clay
Acrylic paint, which can be used for decoration
Sandpaper
Sleeve in which baking is carried out
Some vintage button

So, to get started you just need roll polymer clay into balls. Choose colors at your discretion. Attach a button to the balls

Now with a thick needle make holes. Such blanks You can immediately wrap it in a sleeve and bake it at a temperature of 110 degrees

IMPORTANT: It is better not to use a baking sheet, as it is not always possible to thoroughly wash it, just like the oven. Even then, leave the oven door slightly open.

Processed with sandpaper baked buttons. You can carefully trim the edges
Now you can add the finishing touches, treating the products with paint or varnish

What to do if you want to make such a trinket, but don’t have a vintage button at hand? No problem: you can form the craft differently, and easy too!

Roll out the polymer clay into layer thinner. Attach a piece of lace to the layer, which you can probably find in any home. But before applying, be sure to lightly sprinkle the clay with water.

Now cover the workpiece with polyethylene- without it, the cutting will be sloppy

You need to press the mold onto the layer. The mold can be of absolutely any shape

It’s easy to follow the resulting contours can be carefully cut future button

Using a toothpick holes are made

Blanks baked, cooled- and now they can be coated with acrylic paint

IMPORTANT: The item must cool in the oven.

Easy crafts made from polymer clay

It will be an easy and useful craft needle magnet. You will need:

Rolling pin and work surface
Mold
Polymer clay
Acrylic paint, brush
Lace
Sandpaper
2 magnets

You can get started:

Clay needs to be properly knead hands
Then her roll out
Using a cookie cutter desired contours are cut out. The edges are trimmed
Now to the preparation lace is pressed in
You can bake the craft in the oven. However, if polymer clay was purchased with the feature of self-hardening, everything is even simpler - you just need to give it the opportunity to harden
Sandpaper the product is being processed
And now You can also apply paint do it the way you want. If you want to decorate the magnet in some other way, now is the time to do it.
On the reverse side of the craft magnet is glued. That's all, it's completely usable! You need to apply a useful craft on a fabric that has been previously hooped.

IMPORTANT: Do not forget about the second magnet, which is attached to the back of the fabric attached to the craft.

The next easy-to-make and useful craft made from polymer clay is jar lid. The lid will outwardly resemble wickerwork, so any jar with it will look economical and cozy. You need to stock up on these things:

Any most ordinary jar lid
Polymer clay any shades. But to recreate the weaving effect, it is best to use beige, red, yellow, green, brown and dark blue.
If there molds- a special mold for creating three-dimensional figures - it will be very useful
PVA glue or liquid plastic
Orange and brown pastel
Green, yellow, white, red acrylic paint
Varnish, also acrylic
Device for rolling out polymer clay- acrylic rolling pin, glass rolling pin, if not available - an ordinary jar
A special machine for processing polymer raw materials, called extruder
Brush for applying paint. In this case, choose a thinner brush
A sharp stick or toothpick

To begin, take a piece of brown clay and rolls out into a layer. Please note that it must be no less than the size of the original cap
The source cover is lubricated liquid plastic or PVA glue

Now clay should be placed on the lid. It should cover the entire surface of the lid, but should not interfere with its closing. You will need to make cuts immediately - This will release air bubbles. Alternatively, you can pierce the clay - this will allow air to escape during baking, otherwise the clay will simply rise
It's time roll the polymer clay into a sausage, then immerse it in the extruder. This needs to be done with brown and beige clay. The thickness can be any

IMPORTANT: If there is no extruder, you just need to gently knead the sausage so that the shades do not mix. After this, you need to gradually cut off pieces from it, rolling them into thin threads.

Now you need to weave the threads. To begin, take a bunch of four and place them horizontally on the lid. The ends should extend beyond the lid. Then take four more threads and place them on top of the previous ones, just perpendicular to them
Lay out the threads so that their ends diverge from each other according to the principle of rays
Take a couple more polymer clay threads and place them in the center of the improvised web. Start weaving according to the chess principle- threading the leading threads first over others, then under them. If you've ever made wreaths or baskets, you should be able to do it very quickly.

You need to weave the web to the edges of the lid. If the threads run out, new ones are simply glued to the old ones. After this, the weaving is carefully removed from the lid and transferred to paper
On the cover PVA or liquid plastic is applied. In the first case, you need to act quickly - before the glue dries

The polymer clay web returns to the lid. And now you need to complete this weaving with edging. It is created from six stripes intertwined with each other in a pigtail.

Now You can decorate the lid to your liking- for example, create flowers or berries from polymer clay, not forgetting to coat them with varnish

Lovers of weaving and simply useful little things will surely like it miniature ring box. We will make it in the form of a basket

You will need:

Clay
Wire, the thickness of which is approximately 0.8-1 millimeter
Stationery knife
Capacity, which resembles a basket. Cream jars are very suitable for this purpose.

So, let's get to work:

Roll out the polymer clay to a sausage shape.. Its thickness should be about 1.5-2 millimeters. It is best to use an extruder, but it is not critical if you do not have one at hand
This The sausage must be cut into pieces 3 centimeters long

IMPORTANT: Make sure the number of pieces is odd.

The container itself should be turned over. After this you can stick polymer clay slices on it

Carefully need to cut off excess parts pieces so that they are the same length

Now a circle is made from clay. It needs to be attached to the bottom of the container. For a better effect, it would be good to iron this circle with a toothpick.

The jar is placed in this form in the oven. The temperature depends on the type of clay, but 5 or 8 minutes will be enough. After baking, the jar is immersed in cold water, cooled and freed from polymer clay.

Roll the sausage as long as you can make it. However, it will be possible to connect sausages during the weaving process, which is easier to do with an extruder

IMPORTANT: After weaving, you should not adjust the basket from the sides, otherwise the natural effect of weaving will disappear.

If you want to complete the base of the basket, you can weave two-part braid and stick it on top. A You can stick a clay circle to the bottom from the inside- this will make the bottom more neat

All that remains is to make the handle of the basket, which is what the wire is useful for. Measure the desired length and bend it with an arc

The final stage is wrapping the handle frame with a polymer clay sausage. You must remember to leave 5 millimeters on both sides. Next, the handle is attached to the base, and this whole composition goes into the oven for 20 minutes

DIY polymer clay doll

A doll made of polymer clay will be an excellent gift for a child, and it will fit well into the interior of an adult. Of course, each doll is individual, but the general manufacturing nuances are still present.

Experienced needlewomen are convinced that the proportions of a living person are not suitable for a doll - the head turns out to be small and the arms are too long. AND the surest way to calculate proportions- this is to remember that one body of a toy is measured by seven heads. The palm is equal to the width of the face, and the foot is 1.5 palms wide.

Creativity should always start from the head, twisting a loop of wire. Foil should then be wrapped around this base.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to wrap the foil tightly.

Now polymer clay comes into play, which needs to be kneaded thoroughly, and then covered with foil. It is important to smooth out all unnecessary irregularities.

Perhaps the most time-consuming thing is start drawing facial features. It is necessary to highlight not only the eyes, nose, mouth, but also not to forget about the forehead and chin. There is no need to color anything yet - just a relief designation of features. And remember that the face should be convex.

After that the workpiece is placed in the oven. Baking temperature depends on the clay manufacturer's recommendations.

Hands can be done next- cylindrical pieces are formed from clay. They need to be rolled out.

Hands made of polymer clay at the initial stage are cylindrical pieces

Using a stack fingers are forming. It is very important to carefully separate them without damaging them. Next, give the handles a natural look by rounding their outlines and not forgetting about the folds.

Now You can sanitize your hands in the oven, having previously placed them on the wire.

Making legs begins, oddly enough, with the feet- they are made from parts, one side of which should be thicker than the other. The stack represents fingers and folds.

Pieces are attached to the feet, which are then transformed into a leg up to the shin. The legs are baked in the same way as other parts of the doll's body.

IMPORTANT: To attach the legs, take the longest pieces of wire, because they will form the main frame of the doll.

And now it’s time to put the scattered parts together general frame. To do this, a wire from the head is connected to pieces from the arms, and a long wire from the legs is screwed to all this. Where the doll's waist is planned, the wire should be twisted.

Now you can bake the doll.

And now the most interesting part begins - the formation of appearance. Recommended for face painting use acrylic paints and brushes No. 10. For the eyes you will need the thinnest brush.

As for hair, then you can use a wig for a good cause, forming your hair in parts. You can form strands from silk threads.

Or you can use wool for felting - it makes fantastic doll hair.

Outfit it can be sewn in any way, depending on the idea and the materials at hand.

Doll made of polymer clay by Canadian artist Martha Boers

Another polymer clay miracle from Martha Boers

DIY clay toys

You can make a lot of toys from polymer clay - it all depends solely on your imagination. Let's try to make this year's symbol in this lesson - fire monkey.

First of all, carefully knead the clay and create an oval from the orange piece- this is the future head of the monkey. Flatten it a little for the face
For body need to make another oval, only remade in the form of a drop

The head and body are held together like this so that the body is attached with the smaller side of the drop
A thin pancake is formed from beige polymer clay, on which you need to make a recess on top

IMPORTANT: A thin toothpick is just right for shaping pieces of polymer clay.

A beige pancake is placed on the head. And closer to the bottom. And the recess should “look” upward
Using Dots small dimples form for the eyes. The nostrils and mouth are designated using the same principle.
Roll two small circles from black polymer clay. They are placed with light pressure in the eye sockets
Roll 2 balls from orange and beige clay. Moreover, beige is smaller than orange. Pancakes are made from them. Beige overlaps orange

Polymer clay ears

The resulting ball is cut into two parts - these are the ears.. They are attached to the sides of the head with pressure. The joints should be smoothed out
You can make a monkey look playful with bangs- this is a small orange droplet, glued with the wide part up. The bottom one needs to be tightened a little
And now the arms and legs are formed from 4 sausages in the form of drops. For your hands, roll into smaller drops. Make indentations in the wide parts of all four sausages.

Form 4 drops from beige clay, and cut out fingers on their wide parts - these are palms and feet. Attach them to the indentations of the arms and legs

From orange clay tail is formed, pointed on one side, and also curled in the form of a question mark on the other

Now all parts of the body are attached to the torso, and the toy is baked

DIY clay sculptures

Garden sculpture is both interesting and functional. It is unlikely that you will want to spend money on buying a finished sculpture, but you can try to make one yourself. Eg, owl, for which you will need:

Capacity for mixing material approximately 5 liters
Approximately 6 cups of plaster of Paris
500 grams polymer clay, which itself can harden
Water
Skewers made of wood or thick wire, stacks
Plastic bag
Paint brushes No. 1 and No. 5
Owls will also be useful for decorating gouache, glass eyes, matte varnish, yellow and black nail polishes

So, let's start with the fact that you need to tightly lay a plastic bag in the bucket for mixing the material. Separately about 4 cups of gypsum are mixed

IMPORTANT: The consistency of the dough should resemble cottage cheese with sour cream. But there shouldn't be any lumps.

After kneading, the dough is transferred to a bucket- it will occupy a third of the capacity. The form in which the material was mixed is quickly washed out. Well, skewers are inserted into the dough so that they stick out halfway from the plaster. The plaster must be leveled and left to harden for 2 hours.
After hardening plaster is taken out of a bucket

Now you need to mix the plaster again to the same state, as last time. It is laid out on skewers. You need to form the outline of an owl. The container is immediately washed, and the workpiece hardens within 24 hours

And here the creativity begins: breaking off pieces of polymer clay, stick them little by little to the gypsum base

IMPORTANT: After breaking off a piece, immediately wrap the remaining polymer clay in cellophane, otherwise it will harden.

Then feathers are drawn— it is advisable to do this with the help of a pusher. Glass eyes are inserted

Formed from polymer clay back and wings
Black and yellow nail polishes eyes are painted. The advantage of this varnish is that it is transparent, and therefore will retain the shine of the glass.

But now you can get down to business tail. Moreover, for reliability, it must be formed in tiers and processed with a pusher
Are drawn wings

If there is excess clay left, you can make additional decorations in the form of a ladybug, for example. The owl is dried and painted with gouache. Top coated with matte varnish

Polymer clay cup

It is highly undesirable to make a cup completely from polymer clay, since storing and serving food in it can have unpleasant health consequences. But decorating the cup is quite possible. For this you will need:

Polymer clay
Toothpicks, stacks
Utility knife or good blade
Pastel of the color you need for decoration
Room temperature water

Let's get started:

So first of all need to work on the sketch, because in the process it will be quite difficult to decorate at random
Now, based on the sketch, you can begin to attach polymer clay, recreating certain details. Help yourself with toothpicks or stacks
Once the clay outlines are formed, you can connect pastel— it emphasizes the 3D effect of the decor
Now burn the cup at a temperature of 120 degrees
And after this procedure polymer clay parts must be carefully removed from the cup. The best way to help yourself is with a stationery knife.
Rinse the cup with warm water. Dry it, degrease it
Carefully grease each of the decorative details with glue and attach them to the cup. Remove any glue that extends beyond the decor using a toothpick.

IMPORTANT: The most important thing in this matter is slowness. Otherwise, fragile elements will break.

Wait 12 hours— during this time the work should dry. But to be sure of this, after 12 hours, wash the product under running water and soap. Dry the cup and it can be used after 12 hours

Vase made of polymer clay

So, first way decorating some simple vase:

Cut out petals, twigs, leaves
Stick all this splendor on a vase
Draw the background, color the decorative details
The vase now needs to be placed in the oven for about 20 minutes. Set the temperature to 120 degrees
Let the vase cool, coat it with varnish

We offer Another option for decorating a glass vase:

In this case, use stamps, stacks, or coloring pigment in the consistency of powder. Pour this powder onto a layer of polymer clay and rub it with your fingers to achieve smooth shade transitions. You can pre-designate patterns with stamps
Now cut out the figures from the plastic. You can use scissors, or you can use a stationery knife. Let the figures be of different sizes - it looks just great in design
The figurines need to be baked following the instructions on the clay packaging
Roll out another layer of polymer clay- the figures will be attached to it

IMPORTANT: The base layer must be equal in size to the glass vase. And in thickness it should be denser than the layer from which the decorative parts were cut.

Using glue, attach the base layer to the vase. Press in the details into this layer, helping yourself in this work with glue
Apply pearlescent varnish to the entire surface. It is recommended to use a large brush
Now place the vase in the oven for 5 minutes. Temperature - 265 degrees
So we only processed one side. Repeat this algorithm for others, remembering to let the vase cool after each baking

DIY clay flowers

Polymer clay makes great flowers for decoration. Eg, delicate sakura flowers:

First of all, make a sausage out of pink and white polymer clay. The color transitions should be smooth, for which you can use a pasta machine. But you will need a little clay, so you can try to shape it by hand
Once the sausage has rolled, cut it into pieces. a millimeter or 1.5 millimeters thick Then bend a drop of polymer clay

Now pinch the polymer clay piece at one end to create a petal
- You can start collecting the flower. Connect all the petals - sakura should have from 7 to 11 pieces. Better help yourself with a toothpick
IMPORTANT: Regardless of whether you use a toothpick to help you form the petals or not, you need to bake the flower on a toothpick.
- Now make a sakura bud, the principle of creation of which, by the way, is the same for any color. So, take a thin wire no more than 0.3 millimeters thick and 15 centimeters long
- Form a loop at one end of the wire, connect the loop with a piece of polymer clay. You should roll a drop from a piece in advance
- Create 3 more petals, stick them on the drop
Glue the petals onto a drop of polymer clay
- For more naturalness better to start creating sepals. Sakura, as well as roses, cherries, sepals have 5 petals

Material rating

Price

Practicality

Appearance

Ease of production

Labor intensive to use

Environmental friendliness

final grade

It is perhaps one of the most common and accessible materials.

The scope of its use is very wide:

Cosmetics industry;
Construction;
Concrete production;
Production of ceramic products;
Brick production;
Pottery;
Medicine;
As a dietary supplement for livestock.

What can be made from clay - from bricks to medicines:

Clay bricks can be either unfired or fired. At the same time, the latter have the greatest strength and properties useful in construction, so it is recommended to buy exactly this type of brick, or burn it yourself in the case when making adobe yourself.

Of course, it is better to buy a kiln, since such devices allow you to bake the material not only from above, but also from the inside.

There are 2 types of ovens:

Chamber. Provide for internal arrangement of heating elements;
Muffle. Here they are located around the muffle tank.

The first type of device is preferable, as they provide the best baking of bricks.

House made of clay and straw

This material is quite cheap and can even be made independently, which allows almost everyone to significantly reduce the cost of construction. In houses that are built from adobe brick, there is always good humidity, air, and temperature in the summer. However, in winter it does not retain heat well, which is why the house will need additional heating.

If construction is to be carried out in a humid climate, then it is worth taking into account the properties of the material to strongly absorb moisture, which is why the bricks, especially on the outside, begin to crumble quickly. This can be avoided if fired clay bricks are used as cladding. The internal walls will need to be covered with a vapor barrier layer.

The adobe bricks are stacked on top of each other and connected with a mortar of sand and clay in the same proportions that were selected for making bricks. In this case, waterproofing must be carried out in the first row, and the corners are reinforced with reinforcing mesh. It is also important to distribute the load from the floor beams evenly, since adobe will not be able to bear a point load.

The video will tell you about the features of building such a house:

Foundation

Building a foundation on clay necessarily involves the use of important components such as crushed stone and gravel, since they provide the best strength. Since such soil has a very strong ability to shrink, it will be necessary to take this fact into account during construction, accurately calculating the entire load.

At the same time, it is important to know the groundwater level, since the farther they are located, the cheaper and stronger the foundation will be. In the same case, if they are close to the surface, then it is better to give preference to the pile type of foundation. You will first need to build a crushed stone or gravel bed, as well as build a drainage system.

How to make a clay brick with your own hands

Clay bricks made by hand are called adobe. This material is one of the most environmentally friendly.

To make it yourself, you will need the following components:

Sand;
Straw;
Water;
Clay.

There are no clearly established proportions, and they will be added to the bulk only depending on what density the solution needs to be obtained. The amount of other components will also depend on the quality of the clay and its fat content.

Preparatory work

Before you start making bricks, you will need to clean the clay from all debris and foreign impurities. If you plan to make a large number of them, all the clay can be placed in a bunch under the film, gradually using small parts.

The properties of the rest of the clay will only improve over time. You will need to take coarse-grained, clean sand, but the straw can be absolutely anything. The water must also be clean, since the quality of the resulting brick will depend on this characteristic.

You will first need to make a mold for adobe. It can be made of plastic, wood or plastic. There should be no bottom, and the optimal thickness is 36 mm. Once the drawing is prepared, boards of the required size are cut.

They are fastened together using self-tapping screws. In this case, the form can include several cells. For convenience, it is better to attach handles along the edges. It is important to carefully adjust the corners and make the inner surface of the boards sufficiently smooth.

This will be required so that the dried, formed adobe comes out of the mold well. Additionally, you can sprinkle the wooden parts with a layer of straw to prevent it from sticking.

Technology

The whole process can be divided into the following stages:

To mix the clay mass, you will need to dig a hole and then line it with waterproofing material. The bottom should be level and the walls vertical. In this case, the tarpaulin or awning must extend beyond these walls by at least 50 cm.
As soon as the hole is prepared, it will need to be filled by a third with water and poured in the selected proportion. After this, kneading is done with your feet. The liquid solution should not have any lumps.
Gradually you need to add straw to the mass, but only after it becomes homogeneous. If you add it earlier, it will not combine with the solution and will remain on the surface. You need to add straw exactly until the clay-sand mass becomes very plastic and thick. You should not allow puddles to remain in the pit, but you should not allow the solution to dry out either.
The adobe is loaded into a wheelbarrow and delivered to the location of the molds. They are pre-wetted, after which the mass is loaded into the mold with a shovel or pitchfork. Excess is removed with any flat object.
Before placing the next part of the adobe in it, you will need to wet it again, and then install it away from the already formed bricks in order to ensure air flow to them.
Subsequent batches are made in the same way, but you need to carefully measure the size of the batch and not leave a large amount of it in the pit. As soon as it dries, it will need to be diluted with water, but in this case it can lose most of its strength.

The brick dries within a week, but it will need to be protected from possible rain. The rate at which adobe dries will depend on how high the temperature and humidity are. Bricks can be stacked on top of each other for greater convenience.

How clay bricks are made on a production scale can be seen in the video:

How to coat a stove with clay

To coat the oven with clay, you can use a classic solution. To prepare it you will need to take sand and straw. To prevent cracking, it is recommended to chop the straw and use additional horse manure. This makes the mixture more homogeneous and the particles smaller. In this case, manure can be replaced with table salt, which will need to be added in the amount of 300g/10l of solution.

Some experts recommend pre-soaking the clay and leaving it overnight so that by morning it mixes better and more uniformly with the sand. Immediately before coating, the oven will need to be moistened with water, which will ensure better adhesion of the materials. You can apply the solution either with a spatula or by hand, and it can be leveled using a trowel.

After coating it will need to be left to dry. In this case, it is better to constantly circulate air in the room for better drying. This can be ensured by first opening the windows and doors in it.

Furnace mortar

Clay mortar not only provides the best adhesion between bricks, but also best withstands constant exposure to heat. The masonry seams should not exceed 4 mm, otherwise the clay will lose its heat treatment properties and collapse.

The solution that is prepared for this purpose must be moderately fatty and plastic. If the mixture is too oily, then after drying it will crack, and the thin one will not be strong enough. That is why the amount of one or another component in the solution is always selected individually, taking into account the quality of the clay.

The clay mass for masonry is mixed in exactly the same way as in other cases, with the exception of straw. It should not only be uniform, but also not stick to the shovel or trowel. You can check the quality of the resulting solution by applying it to a brick and placing a second one on top. If after a few minutes it becomes very difficult to separate them, then the quality of the resulting clay is excellent.

Clay mortar for stove repair, preparation:

Clay floor

Before forming a clay floor, you will definitely need to lay a layer of gravel, since the vapor barrier layer in this case will not help to avoid the formation of condensation. The floor can be made cast or compacted.

To form a cast floor, you will need to make the same mixture as for making adobe bricks, but with the addition of gravel. It is important to choose all the proportions correctly, since an excessively large amount of clay will allow the material to crack, and a small amount will lead to looseness.

The mortar is laid in layers, and each of them must be even to prevent cracking. The first layer is the stickiest, while the second should be smooth. To obtain smaller particles, you can use chopped straw or, for example, horse manure.

A compacted floor is not considered a simple way to form a floor, but it can dry much faster than a cast one. The first two clay layers will need to be compacted with a special hand roller, while the third is poured and impregnated with a special solution. It is important that the clay mass required to form a compacted floor contains slightly less water and straw, but more crushed stones.

Technology for making a clay floor in a private house:

Compacting clay

The best way to compact clay is still considered to be compaction in formwork. At the same time, wooden boards are installed on it, after which clay solution is poured into the resulting form in layers. At the same time, you can use pebbles, small crushed stone or polymer as additional material. In this case, compaction can be done either manually or using a vibrating plate. However, when making bricks from this material, a brick press is used, and a manual roller is used to form the floor.

Clay blind area

The formation of a clay blind area has been known for quite a long time, since this method made it possible to protect the foundation from moisture seeping into it. Construction from this material is most effective in a private home. In addition, it will be less expensive than using concrete.

We can highlight the step-by-step steps required to build a blind area:

Around the built foundation you will need to dig a not too deep, but wide enough hole with a slope from it;
Sand and a small amount of gravel are poured onto the bottom, which will serve as a kind of cushion that prevents water from penetrating through it;
A solution of clay and sand at a ratio of 2:1 is poured gradually, in layers. Each layer can be sprinkled with small pebbles and compacted. The clay mass must be sufficiently strong and thick;
If you plan to make a path in the top layer, you can pour gravel onto the clay. But it is also permissible to leave it, since later grass will grow on it anyway.

A blind area made of clay is very good in its qualities, since this material, having absorbed water, will immediately stop letting it pass further, which will perfectly protect the house and foundation from moisture.

Product service life

Clay products can last quite a long time, but only if they are properly cared for and no mistakes were made during the manufacturing process. For example, a dried solution applied to the floor can crack even if it is slightly uneven, which significantly increases the difficulty of its use.

The service life of products directly depends on the properties of the clay itself, since it is used to purify water and wells.

It is better to sheathe clay that is used for buildings with waterproof materials and use other measures to protect it. In this way, the service life of buildings can be ensured for at least 3-4 generations.

Examples of adobe houses

House made of clay and straw No. 1 House made of clay and straw No. 2 House made of clay and straw No. 3 House made of clay and straw No. 4 House made of clay and straw No. 5

Brands of polymer clay

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Keychains and buttons

conclusions

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Selection of material and its preparation for work

Modeling techniques

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Modeling

Baking

Degreasing

Grinding

Varnishing

Tools for working with polymer clay

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Video of modeling from polymer clay

How much can you earn from polymer clay products?

How to work with polymer clay?

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Video: Magic peonies made of polymer clay

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Material rating

final grade

House made of clay and straw

Foundation

How to make a clay brick with your own hands

Preparatory work

Technology

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Furnace mortar

Clay floor

Compacting clay

Clay blind area

Product service life