Don't Throw Away That Old Clay

Don't throw away those old packs of polymer clay. With a little work your clay can be brought back to life. By using a few drops of mineral oil or trying out some of the other tips listed on this post, you can make your clay once again usable.

Sometimes when I'm looking for a specific color of clay I find that the clay is a few years old. In order to use this old clay, I must bring the clay back to a soft, flexible state. To do so, I chop the clay into small pieces, add a few drops of baby oil (mineral oil) to the chopped up pieces and then squish them back together. Next, just roll the clay out, squish, roll out again, repeat until the clay is conditioned.

Another way to condition clay is to warm it up. Take hot water in a pan and set aside. Place your packages of clay into a ziploc bag and place the ziplocked bag into the hot water. 


Only allow the clay to remain in the water for a few minutes then remove and squeeze the clay to check if the clay is soft. If you leave the clay in the hot water for to long, the clay will begin to cure. If the clay is still not soft, place back in the hot water for a few minutes and check again.

Other ways to softer your clay include  warming up the clay. This can be done by placing it under your arm, sitting on it, or even placing it in your bra. I have put clay under my arm and just carried on with everyday tasks for 15-30 min. Then, when checking the clay, I found it was soft and ready to condition.

Other people have recommended putting the clay in a ziplock back under a towel and beating it with a hammer.  I haven't tried this technique yet but planning on seeing if it really works.  Sounds easy enough.

There is also a tool on the market called. 'NeverKnead'. It's a arbor press that smashes the polymer clay over and over until it's pliable.  I haven't used one so can't give a review of the tool.  Looking at the video, it does seem to work as claimed.

Others have used Vaseline, food processors, placing clay in socks and beating it to death. If you have a technique you use, leave a comment and let me know. I'm always looking for easier ways to soften clay.

Okay, Coffee Break over.
Enjoy your day
Dee

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