Sometimes you need to make many small circles of polymer clay for your work. This can be because you’re making polka-dots, or because you’re doing some sort of assemblage where lots of tiny pieces are used, such as a type of pointillism. Other times, you need to make lots of identically sized pieces for making beads or leaves.
Making tiny circles can be tricky. If you use a straw to cut circles, it’s tricky to get the clay out of the straw. Plus, straws collapse. Here are some other ideas.
This is usually done by first making a thin sheet of clay and then cutting circles with a tubular tool.
Sticking
Polymer clay likes to stick to things. So when you use a tool to cut circles, the clay tends to stick in the tool you’re using. To prevent this, try sticking your clay to a glossy surface first, such as a tile or glass sheet. The clay will stick to the work surface, and then you can cut as many circles as you need. The clay will not generally stick in the cutter. Peel away the excess clay, and what remains is a bunch of circles stuck to the glass or tile. You can now lift the circles seamlessly by sliding a blade behind the circles, releasing them.
If the clay does stick in the cutter, you can use a release agent. Learn about release agents here. You could use a very thin coating of Armor All (leather protectant spray) on the clay sheet, rubbed on with your finger. Another idea is to dab the cutter on a wet sponge after every few cuts. Or you can VERY lightly coat the clay sheet with a VERY light brushing of cornstarch. (You truly don’t need much of any of these things to prevent the clay from sticking. I didn’t use anything when I cut the circles in the green clay, above.)
Tools for Cutting Circles
As already mentioned, you can use a straw for this. And depending on the size of the circle you need, you can also use something called “electrical ferrules”. They’re really for crimping the ends of electrical wires, but we use them as cutters. They come in a variety of sizes. The clay easily gets caught in the tiny ones, so make sure to use the method above, where you stick the clay to the tile and use a release.
Another excellent tool is something called Kemper Kutters. I adore mine, and they’re certainly one of my most-used tools. They are little brass cutters with a plunger. They’re nice because the brass is sharp and they cut cleanly. One drawback is that the little plunger can leave a mark on the top of the clay. So don’t use the plunger if you need the tops of your clay circles to be flawless.
Making Rounded Edges
While the cutter itself will slightly round the edges, there are times when you want a more domed result. For this, stretch a piece of deli plastic or cling film across the top of the clay, then cut through it. The plastic wrap will stretch over the sheet, making the little circles domed with rounded edges. The thicker the starting sheet, the more domed the result will be. This plastic will also keep the clay from sticking in your cutter. No release is needed.
