Why do we need to Condition Polymer Clay and How to do it effectively? 

Are you looking for ways to condition polymer clay? Have you ever wondered why we need this and what are the different methods available? Read further to know more about this and some of the best ways by which you yan effectively condition polymer clay. 

Before we dive into that, let us first understand what it means to condition the clay and why we need to do this step. 

What is conditioning of Polymer Clay:

If you use Polymer clay for your crafts on a regular basis, you must already be familiar with conditioning the clay. But for those unaware, all brands of Polymer clay must be conditioned before you begin creating from it. Conditioning is the process by which you set the clay in the right consistency for use in different projects. This is a prerequisite step that is essential before beginning any clay project as it prepares the clay for further use.

Why is conditioning the Polymer Clay required:

The Oytra Polymer oven bake clay has several ingredients like PVC base, colouring agents and many  fillers. This means that you start warming the clay using different methods till it gets soft. By performing the conditioning process, it removes all the air trapped within and mixes all the ingredients evenly. It is therefore very important as it makes the polymer clay more elastic, easier and smoother to work with. This improves the strength of the clay and you have a durable product at the end. 

How to do conditioning of Polymer Clay:

There are several ways to condition your clay effectively. 

1) Manual Conditioning: This is the easiest way to condition the polymer clay. For this, you need to take the clay in your hands. 

Then you knead it several times with the warmth of your hands. You can also slice the clay into smaller chunks and knead the clay one by one.

2) Conditioning Clay with a Pasta Roller Machine: The second common method to condition clay is using a pasta roller machine. This is mainly used when the clay is very firm. For very firm clays, the manual conditioning method would be very time consuming whereas using the pasta machine will speed up the process.

Here you need to chop the clay to smaller pieces and then set the dial to a thin setting. Once it gets rolled out, you can feed it through again by rolling the sides. You should avoid having any folds here as that could cause air bubbles. 

Repeat this process till clay is fully conditioned. You can know this if you can fold the clay without cracking it. 

3) Conditioning the clay using products: This method is especially useful for brittle clay. In this case, you will need additional products like mineral oil, thinner or a clay softener to condition the clay. For this, mix the clay with a few drops of either conditioner products to help moisten the clay. 

Then you can place this clay mixture in a plastic wrap  and knead it until it becomes pliable. You should avoid adding too much of the conditioner products as it may cause the clay to become sticky and hard to work with. 

You now know the various methods to condition different types of polymer clay. Try them out and do let us know which method did you find useful!