Testing Mod Podge Dimensional Magic on Polymer Clay
Video #536: SIt’s harder than other shiny coatings I’ve tested on polymer clay… and is water-based, so clean-up is nice and easy.
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IN THIS POST: — mod podge — dimensional magic — finishes — glazes — gloss — shiny — varnish — clear coat — sealer — (Topics marked with an asterisk* are discussed in the Comments Section below).
Topics Covered In This Video:
- Testing Mod Podge Dimensional Magic on a baked sample of Premo Polymer Clay.
- The sample was coated and left to rest for 3 months.
- Good doming action, though it sunk a little in the center. Second layer may help.
- The finish has milky consistency when wet, clear when dry.
- Not sticky, and no bad reactions, so it is compatible with polymer clay.
- Finish is hard… won’t leave mark when pressed with your fingernail.
- Harder than other dimensional finishes I’ve tested.
- Pulled from edges just slightly.
- Easy to use.
- Soap and water cleanup.
- Odorless.
- Pour directly on piece… holds to surface and doesn’t run off sides.
- Use needle to pull product to edges of piece and to pop bubbles.
- Dries in 3 hours. Let sit 24 hrs before use.
- Seems like a good product for polymer clay.
- Might be a good alternative to resin.
00:00:03 –> 00:00:07 Hi guys, its Cindy Lietz, your Polymer Clay Tutor, and today in the PcT Test Lab, we’re
00:00:07 –> 00:00:12 talking about using Mod Podge Dimensional Magic on Polymer clay.
00:00:12 –> 00:00:17 Now I’ve had quite a few people request that I test out Mod Podge on Polymer clay
00:00:17 –> 00:00:26 to see how it works, and I did that, I took a little baked sample of Polymer clay…actually
00:00:26 –> 00:00:31 this is done in the Faux Batik Technique, though it’s a little hard to tell on this
00:00:31 –> 00:00:38 tiny sample, but I put some of the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic on the front of it back
00:00:38 –> 00:00:44 in March and it is June now, so it’s been on there for quite a few months, so it’s
00:00:44 –> 00:00:48 a good test to see how it is going to affect the clay.
00:00:48 –> 00:00:53 Now you can see…well hopefully the camera will pick it up anyways, it has a bit of a
00:00:53 –> 00:01:03 doming action to the finish, and it is clear, it is not sticky, so it is compatible with
00:01:03 –> 00:01:04 Polymer clay.
00:01:04 –> 00:01:09 I don’t have a lot of humidity issues or anything like that, so I don’t know how
00:01:09 –> 00:01:14 it wears out in the…if you were to wear it on a piece of jewelry.
00:01:14 –> 00:01:19 But as far as the sample goes, it looks really good, it’s quite hard, actually, it’s
00:01:19 –> 00:01:23 harder than some of the other dimensional products that I have shown you, it doesn’t
00:01:23 –> 00:01:29 seem to really leave any marks with your fingernail, maybe you could get it in there, but it seems
00:01:29 –> 00:01:32 a little harder than some of the other dimensional finishes.
00:01:32 –> 00:01:44 It did sink a little bit in the center, and so it didn’t keep the total dome effect,
00:01:44 –> 00:01:50 maybe if you added another layer, that might make a difference, and… as far as getting
00:01:50 –> 00:01:57 a little bit of a sinking thing happening in the center, and around the edges… this
00:01:57 –> 00:02:03 also may or may not get picked up by the camera, but it did pull away just slightly, not too
00:02:03 –> 00:02:08 bad, I’ve seen much worse on other products where it really pulls to the center and then
00:02:08 –> 00:02:19 will pull from the edge, this is very unnoticeable, and…so that’s good for that, it’s quite
00:02:19 –> 00:02:24 easy to use, its soap and water clean-up.
00:02:24 –> 00:02:32 And I’ll just show you how it works… it’s got a little pointy cap, I’ve got a little
00:02:32 –> 00:02:39 piece of baked Premo clay here…this is actually one of my little Vintage Trailer charms from
00:02:39 –> 00:02:45 the Happy Camper cane tutorial, but I just have that baked up, so I’ll use that, and
00:02:45 –> 00:02:50 you can see it’s fairly thick, and it’s a little bit cloudy going on, but not too
00:02:50 –> 00:02:59 much, you can put it on fairly thick, you kinda go around the edges and it seems to
00:02:59 –> 00:03:03 hold really good, it doesn’t seem to run off the sides too much or anything.
00:03:03 –> 00:03:10 And then, I just like to always use a little needle or something like that to just kinda
00:03:10 –> 00:03:16 make sure it’s been pulled right out to the edge…it is possible that I had missed
00:03:16 –> 00:03:23 those spots where it did pull back, I haven’t used it enough to know whether or not it is
00:03:23 –> 00:03:28 an issue, but I didn’t see much pulling back anyways, so I always like to pull it
00:03:28 –> 00:03:32 out to the edge, and then to pop any bubbles that might form.
00:03:32 –> 00:03:40 Now it takes about 3 hours or so to dry, I…any kind of finish like this, I wouldn’t mess
00:03:40 –> 00:03:46 with it too much, I’d let it sit for at least a day or so to make sure it’s nice
00:03:46 –> 00:03:50 and hard before you play with it or wear it or anything like that.
00:03:50 –> 00:03:54 It looks like it’s gonna be a good product to use with Polymer clay, you could use it
00:03:54 –> 00:04:01 maybe in… anywhere where you might want… maybe if you wanted a little dew drop on a
00:04:01 –> 00:04:04 petal of a flower or something, that might be perfect for that.
00:04:04 –> 00:04:10 Or you can use it like this as a dome or a finishing…replace… in place of a resin
00:04:10 –> 00:04:16 ‘cause it’s quite easy to use, and it’s no smells and that kinda thing.
00:04:16 –> 00:04:20 So I hope you liked that, if you did, let me know about that.
00:04:20 –> 00:04:25 And if you have any products…other products you’d like me to test in the PcT Test Lab,
00:04:25 –> 00:04:29 or you’d like me to do some demos and things like that, make sure to leave those in the
00:04:29 –> 00:04:31 comment section below, alright?
00:04:31 –> 00:04:32 We’ll see you next time and bye for now.
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Resource Links:
- Related Video: Faux Batik Technique Tutorial
- Related Video: Happy Camper Cane Tutorial
- Related Video: Using Aleene’s Jewelry Pendant Gel on Polymer Clay
- Related Video: Testing Ranger’s Glossy Accents on Polymer Clay
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Dear Cindy, thank you for the wonderful videos. I covered a carved pendant on all sides with Modge Podge’s Dimensional Magic and was sad to discovered a sticky residue on the facet that was habitually in contact with my skin. When I rubbed it the gunk came off leaving an opaque matt surface. Do you think you do a test on Dimensional Magic by actually wearing it? many thanks. Lise
Hi Lise, I will put your suggestion on the list. I am guessing that the finish is reacting to the oils/lotions/perfumes/moisture on your skin. It may be the type of product that should just be used on the front side of pendants and other jewelry items that may have prolonged contact with the skin. There are many other products that may work better for you like UV Resin, Renaissance Wax or Varathane. Just type the word finishes in the search box and you will find lots of good information that should help you.
Hi, Cindy, have not been around here for a while. Just got some Renaissance Wax, I did get enlightened as to why I could not get a shine, but what about the smell. It has such a strong smell, and my piece, after a few days, still smells from the wax. Any ideas? Thanks so much for your help and carry on the fantastic work you do for all of us!
Thanks Christl, Are you maybe putting on too much? It should just be a super thin coat and then buffed. There shouldn’t be much of a smell after it has dried, though it is not a smell that bothers me. (Kato Polyclay’s smell is one that I have not been able to handle, so I guess it just depends on what types of smells you are sensitive to. ) Hopefully that helps!
How do you use a bezel with polymer clay? Do you have any tips for that?
And I saw the video on your Atlas pasta machine. Where did you order that from?
Thank you.
Hi Jo Ann, type the word bezel into the search box at the top of the page and you will find info on that.
And here is the Amazon link for buying the Gold Atlas Pasta Machine.
Hope that helps~
I used this product on my polymer clay brooch with no luck. It pulls out from edges while drying (like line moving to the center of brooch step-by step day-by-day till completely dried). Scratches easily with a finger nail, and in a couple of months of wearing the brooch, the edges started peeling off . Finally, I was be able to pick a peeling part and to tear it off. Now I’m going to use resin on this brooch. It was my experience with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic . May be someone will have more luck :)
That is very strange Olga. Do you think there may have been something on the clay like oil or something that caused it not to bond with the clay at all? Mine has been on there for several months and what you described has not happened at all. Thanks for letting us know. Maybe others have had a similar issue?
I think humidity plays a factor, plus if the clay ( baked) has any oil or etc from being handled could cause adhesion issues. I had sticky pendants, that peeled after the first wear!
Had similiar pulling and peeling, but on 2nd attempt, soaked piece in rubbing alcohol for 15 minutes, then removed with tongs and held piece with jewelry pins (no touching after cleansing with alcohol and it seemd to be working great. Any defect or dirt no matter how tiny will cause a defect in the finish I have found
Can you do something on Mokume-Gane. I have tried but without a lot of success. Have also read up on it in a number of books….maybe seeing one of your famous videos would help! Thanking you in advance. marilyn peters
Hi Marilyn, type Mokume Gane into the search box at the top of the page and you will see I have already done several tutorials on the subject.
I’ve had Modge Podge sitting in my hobby drawer for ages, never thought of using it on polymer clay! Thank you so much for that Cindy. I’ll be using it this morning!
Marion
What good timing! I had someone ask me about ModPodge and it’s compatibility with polymer clay. Glad it works pretty good. But, I had someone ask me if you could make polymer clay items to put in an aquarium? I wasn’t sure about that. And she asked if it was ok, do you have to seal the items and what would be good to use in water and not harm the fish? This lady asked about using ModPodge. I never used ModPodge so again I was stumped! i thought maybe UV Resin would be good to use. But, I knew who I could ask to find the answers! You, my PolymerClayTutor!! So, is polymer clay safe to use in aquariums? Do they need to be sealed and if so what can you use? Thanks so much!
Hi Catalina, I heard that it would not be a good idea to use polymer clay items in an aquarium, because the clay might leach plasticizers into the water and harm the fish. I definitely think adding a finish would not help enough either. I don’t know if I would risk it, especially with expensive fish.
I thought you would say that. Thanks so much. It is best to be safe than sorry.
hi Cindy, sounds like ModPodge could be a nice product to use. I had never heard of the Dimensional Magic before so thank you so much for the heads up on this new product. I will probably get some and try it. (I’m needing a Michaels fix anyway LOL)