Sealing Polymer Clay Best Practices
Video #693: If you absolutely must seal your polymer clay, here are the products that I’ve tested and can recommend.
More...
IN THIS POST: — seal — sealing — sealer — finish — finishing — gloss — glossy — matte — varnish — liquid polymer clay — fimo liquid — kato liquid polyclay — golden varnish — golden glazing medium — uv resin — polymer clay safe — polymer clay compatible — renaissance wax — wax — polyurethane — oil based — glaze — clear coat — resin — polish — pymii — polyform — golden — epoxyjewelry — ultradome — staedtler — fimo — minwax — picreator — kato polyclay — liquitex — (Topics marked with an asterisk* are discussed in the Comments Section below).
I get the question all the time… Do I have to seal polymer clay? And if so, with what?
The short answer is No…. Unless you need to.
When polymer clay is baked, it basically becomes plastic that doesn’t need to be protected. So if you don’t add anything to it, or you don’t want a specific finish on it, you actually don’t need to seal it at all.
But if you add something to the surface that could get scratched or rubbed off, you may need to protect it with a polymer clay safe finish.
In this video, I let you know which sealer product that I recommend.
00:00:03 –> 00:00:06 Hi guys, its Cindy Lietz, your Polymer Clay Tutor, and today’s Studio Tip, I’m gonna be
00:00:07 –> 00:00:12 answering the question, ‘Do I have to seal my Polymer Clay?’.
00:00:12 –> 00:00:20 Now this is a question that comes in a lot from people, and the first thing they ask
00:00:20 –> 00:00:22 is ‘do I have to seal it?’ and ‘what do I seal it with?’
00:00:22 –> 00:00:28 Well, actually the quick answer is no, you don’t actually have to seal Polymer Clay,
00:00:28 –> 00:00:36 Polymer Clay is…when you bake it, it becomes a non-permeable plastic basically, so it doesn’t
00:00:36 –> 00:00:38 really need any protecting.
00:00:38 –> 00:00:43 It’s when you add stuff to it that it needs protecting, or if you just feel like having
00:00:43 –> 00:00:46 a shiny finish or some sort of finish like that.
00:00:46 –> 00:00:55 So when you’ve added different things to your Polymer Clay like Gilders Paste for example
00:00:55 –> 00:01:03 or Silver Leaf or any of the kinds of Silver Leaf, there’s Copper, and Silver and Gold,
00:01:03 –> 00:01:09 sometimes they’ll change color if they’re not protected, they’ll get patinas on them.
00:01:09 –> 00:01:18 Or PearlEx Powder or Chalk Pastels, if you add that to the surface of your Polymer Clay
00:01:18 –> 00:01:23 where it could get rubbed off over time, then you need to protect it.
00:01:23 –> 00:01:27 And there’s lots of different things that you can use to seal Polymer Clay and I’ve
00:01:27 –> 00:01:33 got my favorite examples back here, each one of these has been tested with Polymer Clay
00:01:33 –> 00:01:39 so I know it’s Polymer Clay safe, some of them I’ve talked about before, some I haven’t
00:01:39 –> 00:01:43 and I plan to do more videos on them in the future, but I’ll just run through them really
00:01:43 –> 00:01:46 quickly so that you can see what I have here.
00:01:46 –> 00:01:52 I have Liquitex Matte Varnish, which will give you a matte finish on your Polymer Clay
00:01:52 –> 00:01:59 and seal in all of these different things, you always wanna stir a matte varnish very
00:01:59 –> 00:02:04 well because the particles that sit at the bottom that actually make it matte, if you
00:02:04 –> 00:02:10 don’t stir them in, and you just use the top part of the bottle, you’ll get a glossy finish,
00:02:10 –> 00:02:14 so make sure to do that, I know this because I’ve done that before.
00:02:14 –> 00:02:19 Another great product and the only spray that I recommend for putting on Polymer Clay is
00:02:19 –> 00:02:27 PYM II also know as Preserver Your Memories II, and it is Polymer Clay safe, and a great
00:02:27 –> 00:02:32 spray product to use, I will be talking more about that in the future.
00:02:32 –> 00:02:38 Renaissance Wax, I’ve talked about that before, it’s a great product, it’s a micro-crystalline
00:02:38 –> 00:02:44 wax that you can add to things…you can’t add it over top of everything, but I’ll talk
00:02:44 –> 00:02:46 about that in a second as well.
00:02:46 –> 00:02:54 Golden Varnish, this is a Polymer Varnish with UVLS…which is basically a UV protector
00:02:54 –> 00:03:01 in it, and this is the Gloss version, they have…I believe they have a Satin and possibly
00:03:01 –> 00:03:02 a Matte as well.
00:03:02 –> 00:03:10 This is also another Golden product, it is the Acrylic Glazing Liquid in Gloss, and it’s
00:03:10 –> 00:03:15 their glazing medium, I love it.
00:03:15 –> 00:03:20 Now these are Liquid Polymer Clays here, I don’t tend to use them for these types of
00:03:20 –> 00:03:24 situations that much, but you could if you wanted to.
00:03:24 –> 00:03:29 This is Translucent Liquid Sculpey also known as TLS.
00:03:29 –> 00:03:34 This is Fimo Liquid…I need to…I just got this so I’m gonna have to play with that a
00:03:34 –> 00:03:35 bit more.
00:03:35 –> 00:03:39 And this is Kato PolyClay Liquid.
00:03:39 –> 00:03:45 A beautiful product for… if you want a really thick hard shell on your Polymer Clay is the
00:03:45 –> 00:03:53 UV Epoxy resin, you need a UV Lamp for that to cure it, and I have talked about that one
00:03:53 –> 00:03:55 before.
00:03:55 –> 00:04:02 And lastly, I have up here is the Minwax Polyurethane, and this is an oil based one, I’ve done
00:04:02 –> 00:04:08 a review…or a demo of that one in the past as well and it’s a great product, but you
00:04:08 –> 00:04:11 can’t also use that one on everything either.
00:04:11 –> 00:04:16 Now let me just go through…I’ve got some examples here of tutorials that I have done
00:04:16 –> 00:04:22 in the past, and each one of these needed to be sealed, and I will just show them to
00:04:22 –> 00:04:26 you and explain to you which product that I used.
00:04:26 –> 00:04:36 Now this here is from the Cymbidium Orchid tutorial, I used chalk pastels, PearlEx powders
00:04:36 –> 00:04:42 and acrylic paints on this one, and so I used PYM II on it, it was perfect ‘cause I could
00:04:42 –> 00:04:49 spray it and not have to worry about messing up the pastels or the powders or anything
00:04:49 –> 00:04:51 on there.
00:04:51 –> 00:05:04 The next one here is from the Faux Rainbow Raku Macramé bracelet tutorial, and I used
00:05:04 –> 00:05:11 chalk pastels and PearlEx powders on this one, and I sealed it using Renaissance Wax,
00:05:11 –> 00:05:17 but you could also use the Matte varnish or the PYM II…that’d be a good one.
00:05:17 –> 00:05:27 Now this is a really old tutorial from way, way back, this is from the Deep Crackle Raku
00:05:27 –> 00:05:35 tutorial, and it has alcohol inks and PearlEx powders on it, and I used the PYM II on it
00:05:35 –> 00:05:41 to seal it, you can also use PYM II to seal metals, so if you want the metal to… like
00:05:41 –> 00:05:46 in this case this is Copper, and I don’t want it to turn Green against my skin, I can spray
00:05:46 –> 00:05:51 it with the PYM II and I can spray it with the beads and everything on there and just
00:05:51 –> 00:05:56 seal it up and protect it, that’s what’s really nice about the PYM II.
00:05:56 –> 00:06:07 This one here was also sealed with the PYM II, and this piece here… now this side here
00:06:07 –> 00:06:13 and here are gemstones and seashells, but this side here is made with Polymer Clay,
00:06:13 –> 00:06:22 and it is from the Polymer Curb Chain tutorial, and to get that Green color on there, I used
00:06:22 –> 00:06:30 Gilders Paste, but if you put Gilder’s Paste up against your skin, it can rub off a bit,
00:06:30 –> 00:06:36 so what you do…what I did was sealed it with the PYM II just to keep that in there,
00:06:36 –> 00:06:43 you can’t use Renaissance Wax or the oil based Polyurethane on Gilders Paste ‘cause it
00:06:43 –> 00:06:48 will lift it off the surface, it must have something to do with the oils in those products,
00:06:48 –> 00:06:54 and mixing with the oils in these products, but they’re not really compatible, but PYM
00:06:54 –> 00:06:58 II is perfect for sealing in Gilders Paste.
00:06:58 –> 00:07:05 The next one I have is from the Street Hearts tutorial, and this one has a lot of different
00:07:05 –> 00:07:15 products on it, it has acrylic paints, it has embossing powders, gelato pencils, it
00:07:15 –> 00:07:22 has inks…what else did I put on this one, oh, all kinds of stuff, but I sealed this
00:07:22 –> 00:07:27 one with Renaissance Wax, alrighty?
00:07:27 –> 00:07:35 This one here is a little tiny Fairy Door, and this is from the Polymer Clay Fairy Door
00:07:35 –> 00:07:44 tutorial, this one I had used chalks, pastels, I used flocking powder to make like little
00:07:44 –> 00:07:51 flowers and moss and stuff on the side of this…on the stone and everything, so I sealed
00:07:51 –> 00:07:57 that all in with the Acrylic Glazing Medium by Golden, and I also tinted it using some
00:07:57 –> 00:08:02 acrylic paint to get some of the antiquing and stuff around the door on that one.
00:08:02 –> 00:08:11 Now, this bracelet here, it’s kinda got a steam punk look to it, this is from the
00:08:11 –> 00:08:22 Faux Flaking Rust tutorial, and there are spices and chalk pastels on this one that
00:08:22 –> 00:08:27 needed to be sealed in, and I didn’t want to make it shiny so I used the Liquitex Matte
00:08:27 –> 00:08:32 Varnish on it.
00:08:32 –> 00:08:41 This little tile here is from the Faux Dichroic Glass tutorial, and to get the sparkly color
00:08:41 –> 00:08:48 on there, I used PearlEx powders, and then I sealed this one in with a nice thick coat
00:08:48 –> 00:08:55 of UV Epoxy Resin, so that just makes it look like real glass when you put the resin on
00:08:55 –> 00:08:57 there.
00:08:57 –> 00:09:04 And then lastly, this book here, the cover is made with Polymer Clay and it’s from the
00:09:04 –> 00:09:10 Polymer Clay Journal…Journal Cover…I think it might be Journal Cover or just Journals
00:09:10 –> 00:09:18 tutorial, and I used all kinds of different products on this one, I used inks, embossing
00:09:18 –> 00:09:28 powders, PearlEx powders, pastel chalks, paint and a bunch of things, so I sealed this one
00:09:28 –> 00:09:32 all in with the Renaissance Wax.
00:09:32 –> 00:09:39 So I hope that was helpful for you, that it cleared up some things for you.
00:09:39 –> 00:09:44 So just to recap, you don’t actually need to seal Polymer Clay if you don’t put anything
00:09:44 –> 00:09:50 on it, you can just leave it all on its own, or if you have added something to it that
00:09:50 –> 00:09:55 could get scratched off or could get rubbed off over time, that you need to seal, then
00:09:55 –> 00:10:00 these Polymer Clay safe products are good to use on there.
00:10:00 –> 00:10:05 So, I will be doing some reviews in the future on those other products, so if you have a
00:10:05 –> 00:10:10 specific one that you want me to get right on, then put that in the comment section below.
00:10:10 –> 00:10:14 If you have other products you’d like me to test or some burning questions that you
00:10:14 –> 00:10:17 have for Polymer Clay, leave those in the comment section below as well.
00:10:17 –> 00:10:22 And don’t forget, we have tons of videos that you should check out, and we may have already
00:10:22 –> 00:10:24 answered your Polymer Clay question, alrighty?
00:10:24 –> 00:10:27 So we’ll see you next time and bye for now.
Our goal is to translate these videos into as many languages as possible. If you are interested in helping with this initiative, then please do contact us and we will figure out a way to make it worth your while :)
Resource Links:
- Related Article: Polymer Clay Finishes Which One Is Best
- Related Video: Oil Base Minwax Polyurethane on Polymer Clay
- Related Video: Compatible With Polymer Clay Always Test
- Related Article: 6 Tips For Getting Shiny Polymer Clay Beads
- Related Video: Gilders Paste Review
- Related Article: Metal Leaf Silver Gold Copper
- Related Article: PearlEx Powder Info
- Related Article: Liquitex Matte Varnish
- Related Article: Preserve Your Memories PYMII
- Related Video: Renaissance Wax
- Related Video: Translucent Liquid Sculpey Kato Liquid Polyclay
- Related Video: UV Epoxy Resin
- Related Video: Minwax Oil Based Polyurethane
- Related Video: Cymbidium Orchid Tutorial
- Related Video: Faux Rainbow Raku Macrame Bracelet Tutorial
- Related Video: Deep Crackle Faux Raku Tutorial
- Related Video: Polymer Clay Curb Chain Tutorial
- Related Video: Street Hearts Tutorial
- Related Video: Polymer Clay Fairy Doors Tutorial
- Related Video: Faux Flaking Rust Tutorial
- Related Video: Faux Dichroic Glass Tutorial
- Related Video: Polymer Clay Journals Tutorial
Resources marked with a double ** asterisk are affiliate links. If you click on them and decide to buy something, we may receive some compensation. This does not affect the price you pay in any way. What it does do, however, is helps us to continue providing free videos for you, here at the PcT website. Using our links to purchase your tools and supplies, is always greatly appreciated.
Sponsored Ads & Special Promotions
Shareable Images
To share this full blog post anywhere on the web that allows links in comments, here's a shortened url to copy and paste...
>> https://mypct.ca/v693 <<
Want to chat about today’s post? That’s what the comment section below is for. Scroll Down… We’d love to hear from you!
Or... if you would like to request a topic for a future post, here is the link to do that… PcT Suggestion Box
Your video was helpful. I just hope I can remember enough of it to do things correct.
I have just begun to work with clay and need some help on a couple of things.
I purchased the powder and was told I had the incorrect powders. They look like the embossing powder. Is there more than embossing and micro powders. Can the micro powders be used and baked.
I need to know what to use on polymer clay that is a this sheet that has been rolled for a necklace. I feel it needs something to harden it to keep from breaking.
Could you please tell me what to use.
Thanks for providing me the information needed..
Hi Thelma, I am not totally sure what you are asking, but if you are wanting a powder that will make your piece stronger, I don’t know of one. If your piece is properly baked it won’t break. I have tons of videos on baking your polymer clay properly… which brands to use… and how to avoid burning. Use the search box at the top of the page to find the info you need. Also you may want to consider purchasing my Beginners Course. It will help you to have the success you want, without making a whole ton of mistakes while learning the basics.
Cindy
I remember that quite. Awhile ago you talked about Golden Medium Acrylic Glazing Liquid (gloss))but I don’t r ember want you said . I bought it at that time but I have not used it. . In this video , mentioned it briefly .. do I add water to it like the other Golden product and if I do how much… Also , I have not figure out yet after 4, years how to post my work so you and other can see it.. Can Doug give me a brief rundown on how to do it
Thanks
Natalie Herbin aka Safti
Hi Natalie, only the varnishes that tell you to mix with water will need to be mixed with water. Most of them don’t. With the acrylic glazing medium, you can use as is, or tint it with paints. But you don’t mix that one with water.
For posting pictures, go to our Facebook Page and post your photos there.
Cindy
Thank you for that quick response… I will rely that info to my polymer clay guild at our next meeting
Natalie
Hi Cindy, Have you tested resin spray by castin craft. Thanks for all the great videos on testing products.
I have not tested the resin spray from casting craft yet. Will add it to the list.
Hi Cindy very helpful video. Which of the 2 golden varnishes in your video do you prefer? I live in New Zealand and have limited access to products. I too prefer to sand and buff my work but sometimes I do need to varnish. Many thanks and keep up the fantastic work :-)
Hi Cindy & Doug
As someone who has recently found the fascination and fun of polymer clay I am so grateful for your wonderful site and videos. The only problem I have is that I live in Australia and getting some of the products you mention is sometimes almost impossible. The PYM II you recommend looks as if it is ideal for use on many things. Getting it here is difficult as aircraft and spay cans do not mix!! I have found a source here in Australia but it seems expensive at $34 a can plus postage (the renaissance wax is very dear too). In case any other people are looking for it ‘Down Under’ – Over the Rainbow web site does stock it.
I looks forward to learning so much more from you. Rather isolated here as I know no one else who works with polymer clay so the internet is my teacher and inspiration.
Pamela
Thanks Pamela for letting us know about your resource! We have several Aussie members that should find this helpful.
Hi, I’ve made a sugar skull pendent with sculpty and primo clay and after baking the white turned translucent and the colors dull. So I very carefully painted the white area with acrylic paint and now want to seal it. Ideally I’d like the skull to stay matte while the colors would be nice to pop. Would you please tell me which sealers to use. Thank you so much for your time and suggestions. sincerely, Lori
Hi Lori, if you want your piece to stay matte, you could use a matte varnish like the Liquitex matte Varnish with the red label. You could also use PYMII if you did a light spray or Renaissance Wax, if you wiped it on but didn’t buff it. You didn’t really have to protect the paint though. It should be stuck on there pretty good.
Thanks for your response. I did go thru the removal of the golden glaze with alcohol, I did only 1 coating, and re-baked them again. I think I may have a problem with my oven thermometer, I used 3 different ones and each came out with a different temp. Now, how can I tell which of my thermometers is correct. Think I will dump them all and get a new one. Any recommendations? Anyway, I believe I under-baked them. I have re-glazed them with polyurethane. We will wait and see. 2 days so far, and no reaction. Love your site, you give such wonderful advice. Can’t wait until October.
You’re welcome Nancy. I am not sure what to say about the 3 different oven thermometers… you would think that 2 out of three would have been the same, but when they are all different, it is hard to tell if any are right. If two of them are pretty close, they could be the closest to being right, but of course that is no guarantee either. Maybe a digital one would be good? Sorry don’t have a recommendation, I have just used the ones from the grocery store and got rid of them when they seemed to not be reading correctly anymore. I suppose that you could have under baked your clay and it is reacting with the glaze. I have never had an issue with the Golden Glaze, so I am not really sure what is happening there. Glad to hear the polyurethane is working for you though. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Cindy, I just love your site and can’t wait to see the new version. I have come upon a problem lately, I have been making polymer clay charms and sealing them with the Golden glaze. For some reason they seem to remain tacky, over a week now. Am I doing something wrong, or could it be the terrible humidity we have been having in San Diego lately?
Hmmm that is very strange Nancy, I have not had that happen to me. I suppose it could be the humidity. It also could be that you have put too thick a layer on and the layer underneath is having difficulty drying… or something else you used with the glaze is incompatible or something? Try popping them into a low oven (under 275F) for about 10-15 minutes and see if that helps. You can remove a finish with rubbing alcohol or acetone if you need to, but hopefully heat setting it will help. Good luck!
I have been using the Johnson and Johnson, Pledge Floor Care Finish. It was recommend by several of my Mile High Polymer Clay colleagues I use a soft camel hair brush to apply. generally 3 coats. It gives the clay a nice shine and hides any “dinks” in the surface (-:
It’s available at some Walmarts
Hi Cindy. I think my question did not post so here goes again. I want to make soap dishes for my handmade soaps. Do I have to add a finish on the baked clay?
Hi Wilma, I am thinking your soap dishes would be best off if you didn’t put a finish on them… especially since the water and soap may eventually soften your finish. I don’t see a problem with the soap or water effecting your polymer clay… though of course with all new thing you try with polymer clay, it is always best to test! Make some soap dishes for yourself and use them, to see how they do in real life situations. DO let us know how they work out for you!
Thanks Cindy. I was thinking of a coat of liquid polymer to give shine as they are bumpy and can not sand . I will test.
As always the information you provided was extremely helpful. Looking forward to the new changes. Can’t wait. You and Doug do an awesome job.
Cheryl
Terrific video Cindy! Thanks for sharing. I have used Testors clear acrylic paint to coat polymer clay projects with good results. It comes in matte and gloss. Since you do so much testing, I wonder if you might test it and see how it compares? Thanks!
Thanks for letting us know about your results with the Testors Acrylic Gloria! I will have to have a look out for that product to try out in the PcT Test Lab myself. Thanks for the suggestion!
This was an excellent review!! Super useful to see the range of finishes you can get. I love PYM ii, Renaissance Wax and resin. Resin and Renaissance Wax are especially great on mica clays, really brings out the colors. Kato poly clay is great too when blasted with a heat gun. I really like Minwax polyurethane and Varathane as well, I was surprised to see that they weren’t mentioned. I prefer these much more to the Golden varnishes.
Hi Krithika, for high gloss finishes I really prefer to just sand and buff my pieces, rather than put any finish on them at all, so on the rare occasion that I do use a finish on them, I use what I have. I find the Liquidtex and the Golden to be very good products.
Just what I needed to know! I have a problem with copper turning my skin green. Thankfully I have PYM II so, I will try that on my copper jewelry! Thanks, Cindy! See you Friday in Vancouver!
I’m excited to finally be able to meet you Catalina!