Scented Polymer Clay – Is There a Secret Formula?
Getting your polymer clay miniature food (yummm… chocolate)to smell as good as it looks:
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Scented polymer clay miniature food charms, beads and jewelry are all the rage now. But figuring out how to scent the polymer clay seems to be a well-guarded secret. I have been getting inquiries about this for a while now. Here’s a recent one:
Hello Cindy! I recently found your site and I love it! I was wondering though, I have a website where I sell my polymer clay jewelry. I make a lot of sweets, cakes, cookies, etc.. I’ve seen people who make their cakes and candies scented! I’ve looked all over for scents, or a tutorial on what to use, and how to use it. Can you help me? Thanks! Ryssa, DogEatDog Productions.
Ryssa,
I have been testing out a few different ways of adding scent to polymer clay and my results are OK, but still not that great (yet). When I get some better results, I will post them here at my blog. But for now…
These are my findings so far:
- Essential Oils – It scents the raw clay really well but fades quickly after baking. I rubbed some on the baked clay and that seemed to work better but eventually faded as well.
- Ground Spices and Herbs – Cinnamon, nutmeg, sage, rosemary and curry mixed into the clay as an inclusion, works well for scenting polymer clay, but also fades unless warmed up or rubbed. This seem to work the best of what I have tried. But in order to be really satisfied, I need to try some other techniques.
Things on my to-do list:
- Candle or Soap Scents – Since candles and soap are also oil based, the scents should be compatible. There are definitely some wonderful candles that seem to hold their scent for a long time, so this seems very promising!
- Incense – Incense is so strong that if you were to crush some incense cones into your clay they would probably hold their scent.
- Vanilla Bean – Although expensive, I’ve heard of people mixing in Vanilla Bean Seeds and chopped pods into their clay. It would look pretty too.
Things to avoid:
- Perfume – Alcohol based perfumes are not only weak, but alcohol doesn’t bond like oil does with the clay. I’ve learned this through the experiments I’ve done using alcohol inks to color polymer clay. You actually have to ‘gas off’ the alcohol from the ink before you can mix the ink with polymer clay.
- Food flavoring and Extracts – These are also alcohol based and not worth the expense of experimenting with.
I know I’ll discover something that will work well to scent polymer clay. Our kids have a little plastic bear holding a cookie that smells like chocolate chips. It has kept its scent for many years. And lots of people are selling scented polymer clay charms and things. They’re just not giving up their secrets, though. So my search continues…
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I am wanting to make some clay diffuser pendants, and some people recommend using terra cotta clay, as it is more absorbent than polymer clay. I have made some with polymer clay but the oils don’t seem to absorb into the clay in the same way, so I was looking for some suggestions.
So that I can have the best of both worlds, does anyone know if you can blend traditional terra cotta clay and polymer clay ! I was thinking of maybe some swirl pendants mixing both clays together so the oils would absorb the essential oils better, as I would love to teach people to make their own pendants to help them emotionally.
Dawn :-)
Hi Dawn, unfortunately mixing the two clays (polymer clay and terracotta clay) will not work for a few reasons… one being that they are two very different clays. Polymer clay is oil based and Terracotta clay is water based. Another is that Polymer clay is a low temperature baked clay and terracotta clay is a high temperature fired clay. so mixing the two will not work. However, you could possibly embed an unglazed but already fired terracotta bead or pot shard into a polymer clay bead and then bake it. You could then add your fragrance to the terracotta piece to let it absorb into. If I were you I would play around with the idea and see what you can come up with. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
I’m planning on making a tropical scented lily necklace for my sister-in-laws wedding. I was wondering if there were any updates on what people have been doing to scent their clay?
Thank you for a great site!
Hi Sabrina… did you read some of the comments above? There is tons of info on what has worked for others there. There should be enough info for you to have success with your scented lily project,. Good luck!
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for the quick response!
I did read all the comments, but they are mostly about 4 years old, so I was really just wanting to know if anything new (updates on the above mentioned methods) had developed in the last few years. The world of clay keeps moving quite fast, and it never hurts to ask if anything fresh has developed!
I think I’ll try the ‘after bake’ method, since the flashpoint of most scented oil is around 200 degrees, and of course we bake polymer clay at higher temperatures.
Keep up the good work!
I was thinking about using Yankee Candle candles. They have many oils as well that they use for the air fresheners too. These candles keep their scents for years and years. Maybe incorporating a tiny bit into the clay somehow, either by melting it first or putting a tiny bit within the clay before baking, would do the trick.
@Carrie: Sounds like a promising idea! If you try it, will you let us know your results? Mmmm, those candles do smell delicious…if the clay smelled like that — yummy! :D
Hi Brittany! Sounds great…let us know how long it lasts for you. What kinds of extracts did you use? Did you see the comments by Kelly above yours, about the fragrance oils? Apparently that’s the strongest type you can get your hands on for really long-lasting scent. Imagine mixing that stuff into your glaze/finish before painting on! Thanks for mentioning this…very helpful! Wish you luck with your experiments! ;D ~Kat
I tested out one way which kinda works. Add extracts to polymer clay glaze and glaze the items. It holds the scent but im not sure for how long yet
@Kelly: Way to revive an older thread — with some excellent information! This is very helpful, and so cool of you to clarify this. I believe some people have marked this page so they get notified of new comments. Scenting clay is popular, especially with clayers who make charms…thanks! :D
Nope, you are right Kat, I don’t sell Fragrance Oils and you wouldn’t want to purchase Perfume Oils (which is what I sell) for clay, but they are perfect for applying to humans. Don’t get me wrong though, folks should buy my Perfume Oils for themselves, friends and family, just not for their crafts. :) Sorry couldn’t resist!!
I mean, technically they would work, but they aren’t ideal… someone mentioned another company above (sorry can’t remember who/which company) but I know they sell Perfume Oils too… and like I said, they’d work, but they just won’t give you the strength you’d need/get from using Fragrance Oils. Perfume Oils are for people, Fragrance Oils are for crafting/bath & body/candles/soap/etc.
One good way to tell if it’s a Perfume Oil is a company that sells Perfume Oils will likely list their ingredients (not always though). Fragrance Oils do not have to have ingredients listed because the concoctions are a trade secrets. So if you see an ingredients list, it’s likely a Perfume Oil (and one of the ingredients will likely be “Fragrance Oil” or “Fragrance” – unless of course they are using Essential Oils).
I hope that helps some… it’s nice to be able to give a little back to a site I’ve been visiting for quite sometime now. I’ve been messing around trying to scent my polymer clay creations for awhile now and somehow just recently stumbled upon this thread even though it’s a little old!!
Wow, thanks to both of you for this great info! Kimberly, that sounds (and smells?) like a great idea for scenting Polymer Clay! I’m interested in it food-wise, too. I’ll have to check it out at my local ‘health food store.’
And Thank YOU, Kelly, for sharing the difference in the oils. It would be a shame to spend a lot of money on the wrong type, and have the scent disappear quickly! I took a look at your site, and saw that you sell the Perfume Oils. Do you not sell the Fragrance Oils? If not, that’s pretty amazing that you would share with us not to purchase your product for clay! That’s so very cool of you! Or maybe I missed something…my laptop’s in the shop, and I’m working from my phone! ~Kat
I know that there is a special liquid flavoring by Stevia sweetener called “chocolate.” You get it at the organic store. It is potent, as you only need a few drops, and I was just getting ready to try it in polymer clay (but have not yet.) I saw your question and I thought that I would try to offer an idea that might help. Let me know if you get good results, but if not, you’ll love it in your coffee. :) Kim
I used to make candles and now make Perfume Oils, Hand Dipped Incense, Soap, etc, so I can comment a little on Fragrance Oils as well (but I have to be careful not to give away any trade secrets!)
Anyway, there are some sellers on eBay and Etsy who sell quality Fragrance Oils, but I’m sure there are some who “cut” the Fragrance Oils as well, so you really do need to be careful and only buy from those who are experienced.
What you want to avoid is “Perfume Oils” these are not intended for scenting polymer clay. Perfume Oils are created using Fragrance Oils and usually other oils (such as Jojoba) to create a product that is safe for use on the skin. Fragrance Oils are concentrated, and not suitable for direct skin application, where as Perfume Oils are. SO! If you are looking to scent your polymer clay, be sure you are purchasing “Fragrance Oils” and not “Perfume Oils” as they are not one in the same. :)
P.S. Yes I sell scented goodies, but Polymer Clay is my hobby! So please don’t think I’m trying to be all promote-y… just wanted to state why I do know a little about this.
I use cold porcelain clay with this method, and since there is no baking required with the cold porcelain, it doesnt affect the scent. I have some pieces that are over 2 years old that still have a faint smell, it just depends on the particular fragrance and supplier used. I have been making candles for 10 years and know a thing or two about fragrance oils. If you are purchasing fragrance oils from an individual, such as on etsy or ebay, you are likely not getting top of the line, grade A oils, but oils that have been cut or have “fillers” added to them. Also the shelf life of oils affects the scent, so some of the people selling them on etsy or ebay, are likely selling them to de-stash and those oils have probably been sitting around for awhile, so just be aware of this when purchasing them…I would suggest using fragrances purchased directly from a respectable supplier. Bittercreek and Just Scent are two of my favorite. HTH
@Angie: Wonderful tips and points Angie, thanks so much for the share! Will try those sources for the good stuff.
@Angie:
I definitely agree with your comment on the quality of oils. I have ordered from Just Scent, and they are amazing.
For those of you looking for fragrance oils, definitely look at keywords like 100% Concentrated, Uncut, Undiluted, Alcohol Free, and Premium Grade or Grade A. Those are the ones you want!
LOL@Kat.
I’m the type that gets oddly inspired. It’s a curse or a blessing depending on the results….
@Jocelyn: Hey, ya gotta go with it when ya get it! May your results be “blessed!” :D