10 facts about Fimo you need to know
Fimo the most versatile material in the world, just mold, bake and lasts forever, time to know 10 facts about Fimo, your future favorite material!
Since its creation, many artists and artisans have developed a taste for the versatility and durability of polymer clay. This dough is easy to use and allows artisans to shape and create objects exactly as they imagined them. As polymer clay is soft and flexible, it is also a material for children, curious and novice artisans.
Polymer clay is an excellent material for making frames, jewelry, jewelry, dolls for decoration, technical pieces and much more. You can do anything with polymer clay. It is also great for covering and decorating other objects made of glass, wood, metal or some plastics (as long as they are resistant to 110ºC / 230 ºF). You can easily transform any object into your original creation to offer to those you like or to sell.
10 Facts about Fimo
What is polymer clay made of? Polymer clay is a type of synthetic clay and comes from a base of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and flexible plasticizers and coloring agents such as small glitter of the most varied colors and effects, give polymer clay unique qualities. All of these components work together to give polymer clay flexibility, texture, smoothness and vibrant colors and effects.
If you have just arrived in the universe of polymer clay or if you are curious about the facts of polymer clay, you have arrived at a great time because its characteristics have evolved a lot until reaching this virtually perfect clay to work with.
And because we think you will fall in love or fall in love with Fimo Clay again, enjoy the list of advantages of working with this clay that so many passions have already created and delighted anyone who works with polymer clay or receives objects manufactured with polymer clay!
We gathered 10 facts about Fimo that are essential to know when starting to play or work with polymer clay!
10 Facts about Fimo
1. It is not toxic
2. Bake faster than air-dried clay
3. Does not shrink or swell
4. Does not fade
5. Does not air dry
6. Is resistant
7. Saving is very easy
8. Has no cooking time limit
9. Very easy cleaning
10. Little material, many projects
So let’s start!
1. It is not toxic
The first fact and the most important is Polymer clay or Fimo is perfectly safe around children and pets, as it is non-toxic. This means that there is no need to worry about toxic fumes when baking polymer clay in the oven, nor does it need to panic if a child pretends to eat a polymer clay dumpling.
However, even if the polymer clay is non-toxic, you will not want to have Polymer Clay. We do not recommend Polymer Clay for children under eight, as children may be tempted to eat the clay.
10 Facts about Fimo
The Polymer Clay does not leave toxic fumes
Worried about Polymer Clay in the oven? No fear – it is safe to use the same oven you use to cook food, because Polymer Clay does not release toxic gases. However, avoid cooking Polymer Clay on the surfaces you plan to use with food. Remember the following tips and you will not have health problems with the Polymer Clay:
-Do not bake Polymer Clay at high temperatures. Although vapors from Polymer Clay are not toxic, vapors from their parts at high temperatures can cause irritation to the eyes, nose or mouth. Always follow the recommended cooking times. If the dough burns, open the windows to ventilate and react as if you had burned food, airing!
-Don’t eat Polymer Clay.
-Do not cover utensils or kitchen utensils in Polymer Clay.
All of our Polymer Clay products are tested to ensure safety and meet European safety standards. Our products do not contain allergens such as wheat, gluten, dairy, sulfur or latex.
Imagine decorating a bowl with Polymer Clay flowers? Cover a spoon handle with ladybugs and flowers? Get to work – you can make a mug for those who love cats or a frame full of hearts in the blink of an eye. Make sure to decorate parts of objects that do not come into contact with food. We recommend washing your hands after using Polymer Clay and not making a habit of eating while working with this Clay.
2. Bakes faster than air-dried clay
10 Facts about Fimo
Excited about creating a Polymer Clay gift for someone’s birthday? Do you usually wait until the last minute to get things done? With Polymer Clay you can continue, even if you only have a few hours to make the gift and reach the birthday party. However, if you used air-dried dough, you may need to buy another gift at a store.
The clay dries in the air and takes much longer than Polymer Clay to be ready, you can leave it to rest for at least 24 to 48 hours to dry completely. With Polymer Clay, the time depends on you. Polymer Clay cooked in the oven bakes in the domestic oven at a low temperature of 110ºC / 230 ºF for 15 to 30 minutes. With everything well planned or with a lot of experience you can finish a project from start to finish quickly.
3. Does not shrink or swell
When creating something with Polymer Clay, we can guarantee that the size from the moment you mold your piece until it leaves the oven will not change. Polymer Clay does not shrink or expand. So, if you are concerned that the Princess you made will be the size of a shoe, don’t worry, it will keep both shape and proportion! This is a very important fact about Fimo that you must consider while choosing a material to work!
With Polymer Clay it is easy to plan and make a project of a specific size. What you create will be the end result.
4. Does not fade
Polymer Clay used at the correct temperatures will not fade the color. So, if you just made a slice of cake to hang on a string, you can put it in the oven with ease. The yarn will have the cake slice looking for many years to come.
However, remember that oven-baked doughs can disappear over time if stored in direct sunlight. For this reason, we recommend that you keep or store your pieces of Polymer Clay away from sunlight to keep their colors vibrant, but of course you can go for a stroll along your beautiful strand on the beach.
5. Won’t dry
If you are a beginner in Polymer Clay, you will quickly discover the satisfaction of using a material that does not dry out. You can dedicate as much time as you think necessary to the piece you are making without the hassle of drying. This means that if you are in the middle of a project and are interrupted or need to take a break, you can do it and continue creating at another ideal time. This freedom opens many doors when it comes to creativity. You can make as many changes to the projects as you want, until you are satisfied. And when your piece is finished, all you have to do is bake your project to be ready.
The fact that Polymer Clay does not dry out also makes it ideal for children.
Do you want to know if Polymer Clay can be damaged? When baked doughs are stored in a cool, dry place at 30 degrees Celsius and out of direct sunlight, they can last for a few years. Store the dough in the refrigerator to further extend its life. But if you do a project every 2 months, keep it at home without any major concerns.
6. Is durable
When you are making your project, Polymer Clay is yours, soft and flexible and will be surprisingly resistant when cooked. How strong is Polymer Clay exactly? If cooked properly, it will not weaken or break over time, making it a perfect material for souvenir prints.
Cracks can occur if your projects are not cooked properly, which is why we emphasize the importance of cooking properly. However, cracks are easy to repair if they occur. Just fill the cracks with putty of the same color and return to the oven, sand and / or paint the crack. If a piece breaks, all you have to do is glue it again. We recommend super gel glue or flexible hot glue.
Did you know that Polymer Clay is waterproof? Like any plastic, you can wash Polymer Clay creations with water. To clean the parts, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. Avoid the dishwasher, as heat can damage your creations.
7. Easy storage
You do not need anything sophisticated to store Polymer Clay properly, nor do you require special storage techniques. Storing Polymer Clay is really simple and you just need to follow a few rules to ensure that your clay remains as fresh as possible. Do the following and you will have fresh stash for a long time:
-Store the clay in containers or polypropylene (PP) plastic bags. How do you know if a container is made of polypropylene? Look for the number 5 on the bottom of the container.
-Keep the clay in a very dry and cool place, in an environment that does not exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Store your Polymer Clay in the refrigerator if your house is very hot, isolated from the rest of the food in a polypropylene (PP) plastic box.
-Do not store clay in direct sunlight.
-Avoid storing clay in the car, especially during the summer months.
Do you have bags of Ziploc sandwiches in the kitchen cupboard? It is an excellent solution to store your Polymer Clay.
8. Don’t overcook
Although the Polymer Clay is suitable for children and is very durable, you should avoid overcooking by following the cooking instructions carefully. As in cakes and biscuits, the change in temperature or excessive or sparse cooking changes the quality of the final product. Cooking at a slightly higher temperature can lead to darker colors, and you will definitely not want to burn your masterpiece.
We want each of your Polymer Clay creations to be excellent, so we recommend using a thermometer to ensure that the temperature is correct. The thermometers of our domestic ovens are not always very accurate, small changes can be the difference between your masterpiece or a big disappointment.
Use an oven thermometer when baking Polymer Clay
Always preheat the oven and check the temperature with a thermometer before baking. Most pieces of Polymer Clay can be baked at 110ºC / 230 ºF for 15 to 30 minutes, but times and temperatures may vary according to each product and the thickness and size of the pieces as well as the number of pieces that it will take at the same time to bake in your oven. Check the packaging instructions first.
9. Very easy cleaning
Unlike paints, paper pulp and other creative materials that are more likely to dirty the environment in which you are working, Polymer Clay facilitates and speeds up cleaning. The hands may be slightly colored with the dough during the elaboration of your project, but the Polymer Clay is easily removed with soap and water or wipes or alcohol. We recommend keeping the wipes close at hand during the development of your project, thus keeping the tools clean and avoid mixing colors.
You can also use a hand sanitizer to remove Polymer Grease. Apply the disinfectant and wipe with a paper towel, then wash your hands with soap and water. Soon it will be impossible for anyone to say they had their hands on clay!
It is really very quick to clean a Polymer Clay work area. Always make sure to protect your work area with parchment paper or aluminum foil, or else work on glass, metal, marble or a simple tile. When you are finished creating, dispose of aluminum foil or parchment paper or save your work surface for future projects. Put your clay in the designated storage container and enjoy being clean after creating.
10. Small bars, many projects
It doesn’t take a lot of Polymer Clay to explore your imagination and create something you’ll love. Small blocks of Polymer Clay will work for many projects, although the size seems to say otherwise. You can make figures, jewelry, ornaments, key rings, ornaments, mixed technique pieces and much more with small amounts of Polymer Clay.
Choose the colors you like best or use White Polymer Clay and paint it any color you want after baking, with water-based paints. We recommend using water-based acrylic paints to paint your projects.
Are you excited to start a clay-making adventure? Creating with polymer clay is relaxing, inspiring and fun. You can create just about anything your imagination allows with polymer clay. Its smoothness and flexibility make it the perfect medium for the novice artisan, while its versatility makes it a challenge for experienced artisans. There are so many incredible things that people are doing with polymer clay every day, from realistic dolls to jewelry that resembles real jewelry. Consider various techniques and applications – the possibilities are endless!
If you are looking for a reference source for all your Polymer Clay needs, you’ve come to the right place. ClayShop.eu store sells products among others from Fimo, a professional Polymer Clay brand that has been on the market for about 40 years, creating products of the highest quality. They have everything you need to get started, from various Fimo ranges to essential tools. They are always adding new products, project ideas to their page.
If you want to start creating with Polymer Clay today, browse and buy everything you need in this online store.
Have more questions or doubts about Polymer Clay? Contact us today and we will be happy to help you!
