As I’m sure you know by now, much of the polymer clay information you’ve read and seen on social media is either blatantly false or at least misleadingly incomplete. It can be really hard to know what’s true and what’s not. Here are 9 truths that new makers have a LOT of trouble believing are true.

Truth#1
Glue will eventually fail on a polymer-to-metal bond.

Truth #2
Breakage is (nearly always) due to underbaking. (Learn all about baking polymer clay properly here)

Truth #3
Clay softener or oil is rarely necessary if the clay is less than 2-3 years old.

Truth #4
Air-dry clay is not polymer clay. Polymer clay refers to a specific oven-bake modeling clay made from vinyl. Air-dry clays are made from a different material and handle differently.

Truth #5
Plaques are not air bubbles caused by poor conditioning.

Truth #6
Translucent clay shouldn’t turn yellow when baked.

Truth #7
Polymer clay doesn’t need to be sealed.

Truth #8
Quenching (ice bath) does not make clay stronger or clearer.

Truth #9
Conditioning has nothing to do with strength.

Which of these truths did you assume were a myth? Are there any more myths that I should add to this list?