One of the most common (and tragic) disasters that new polymer clay crafters have is when they use a spray varnish to coat their polymer clay project. It will nearly always remain tacky, the spray varnish never completely drying. I’ve tested many brands of spray varnish for polymer clay over the years, and only one has been durable, un-sticky, and smooth. PYM II has been the gold standard spray varnish for polymer clay and has been recommended heartily for years and years. It’s a fantastic product that I highly recommend. But it’s not the only spray varnish that will work. I’ve done some preliminary testing, and I can now heartily recommend Helmar Crystal Kote Matte Spray Varnish for polymer clay (Affiliate Link – learn more here).
Dani Rapinett from The Whimsical Bead is an Australian polymer clay retailer. After many years of trying to import PYM II, she finally gave up and tried to find a product that was available locally. She recruited her student Laura Yodgee to test a variety of Australian spray varnishes to see how they worked on polymer clay. Because I’d written about spray varnishes for polymer clay previously, both Dani and Laura contacted me to see if I would also put one of their favorites through its paces.
Why Aren’t Spray Varnishes Available Everywhere?
Spray paints and varnishes contain chemicals that require them to be shipping in special transportation categories. Because of this, you can’t send spray varnishes and paints by air. This also means that sellers in different countries can’t import these sprays without dealing with formidable import regulations. The process is often unmanageable, if not impossible, and can be very expensive. If a specific company has a distributor, they handle the importation process. But if there is no distributor in a country, that product is often wholly unavailable.
Because of this, I knew that I’d be unable to order Helmar spray varnish from Australia. On a whim, though, I thought I’d see if it was available in the US. Imagine my shock to find that there is a US distributor (Helmar USA) and I was able to order this spray varnish from Amazon (Affiliate Link – learn more here).
Helmar Spray Varnish for Polymer Clay
Helmar Spray Varnish comes in gloss, matte, and a fixative. I bought and tested the gloss and matte versions. Having done tests on polymer clay varnishes and sealers before, I had test tiles on hand of five brands of polymer clay. I immediately got busy testing these sprays to see how well they performed on polymer clay.
Helmar Crystal Kote Gloss varnish wasn’tĀ very shiny, but it did give a semi-gloss finish quite similar to that of PYM II. It produced a lovely finish on all brands of clay but did remain a tiny bit sticky on Fimo Professional polymer clay.
Helmar Crystal Kote Matte varnish, however, was a dream come true. This spray was invisible on my test tiles. There was no stickiness on any brand of polymer clay. I was unable to scratch it off. Even after five months, there is still no stickiness on any of the test tiles. This is excellent news!
If you need a thick protective coating, however Helmar is not for you. It’s extremely light-bodied and works best as a fixative. It’s not really a varnish in the way that other spray products are. Think of this a bit like hair spray.
Helmar Matte on Mica Powder
Helmar Crystal Kote Matte was invisible on my test tiles, so I wondered if it was doing anything. So I made little shapes with six brands of polymer clay, dusted them with mica powder, then baked them. After baking, I coated them with three moderatelyĀ heavy coats of Helmar Matte spray varnish. Not only was this also invisible on the mica powder, but it also worked beautifully to seal and protect the surface. No mica powder came off on my hands when I rubbed the pieces with my fingers. I was sparkle-free!
Helmar Matte vs. PYM II
So, which is better, Helmar Matte or PYM II spray varnish for polymer clay? Well, I think they’re both excellent products for our uses. If you already have PYM II and are perfectly happy with it, then there’s no reason to go out and buy some Helmar Matte. But if you’ve been eager for a spray varnish for polymer clay that is completely matte with no shine, then Helmar Crystal Kote Matte is for you.
I’ve not worked with Helmar as much as I have PYM II, of course. Time will tell if I like it better to seal alcohol inks or paints or anything else. But for the time being, I heartily recommend this spray varnish for polymer clay, especially when used as a light fixative.
Where to Buy Helmar Crystal Kote Matte
If you’re in Australia, Helmar Crystal Kote will be available from The Whimsical Bead very soon. In the US, I was able to pick it up from Amazon (Affiliate Link – learn more here). You can also order it directly from the distributor, Helmar USA. It’s available at full-service art shops in New Zealand, too.
There doesn’t seem to be a distributor for Helmar Matte Varnish in Europe, so I can’t recommend a source for my readers there. If anyone outside the US or Australia can buy this product locally, please comment below or send me anĀ email and I’ll update the information here.
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23 thoughts on “Helmar Spray Varnish for Polymer Clay”
OK, it is now a year since Gloria posted about spray nozzle trouble with Helmar. Any improvement since then? Thanks
I would check the Amazon reviews and see if it’s still a problem. Alternatively, you could contact the company. š
The method for cleaning the nozzle is as follows: After EVERY use immediately take the can outside, turn it upside down and spray for a few seconds until nothing but air comes out. My Helmar spray can nozzle has never been clogged up as a result of doing this each time, and continues to work beautifully.
Has anyone ever baked a piece with the Crystal Kote on it?
It should be just fine.
How can I prevent the matte varnish from dulling the effect of the ultrafine glitter on my pieces?
You can’t. Matte varnish is created specifically for blocking the shine on things. Read more here. Use a glossy varnish instead (and preferably not a spray.)
My husband and I love PYMII, we had found a local Art Studio that allowed us buy 3 bottles from them. We also ordered a couple of bottles of the Helmer Gloss and were pleased by the product but it had an issue, that apparently many others had the same issue. The sprayer does nor work properly, after only a few uses, it clogs up and stops working. We contacted Helmer and they were very nice, they sent us a replacement and told us to try inverting the bottle. We tried that, sadly, the second bottle had the same issue, which did not clear up after inverting it. Iām hoping that Helmar comes up with a different nossle , otherwise the amount of loss of the spray does not justify the cost. We want to thank you for all of your articles, my husband and I have learned a great deal from you. Will The Muse be replacing your newsletters?
That’s very sad to hear about the Helmar. I hope they figure themselves out. No, The Muse will not replace the newsletters. I’ll still send the newsletter on the first of each month. I have, however, been scaling back on the other ones that come mid-month. There’s only so much time each day!
Just wondering if this is sealed AFTER baking. Iām new to polymer clay and want to introduce a jewellery unit to my high school students. Is there a general rule about applying sealers?
Brush-on varnish is usually applied after curing (if needed at all), but can sometimes be used before for specialized techniques. I’ve not baked Helmar so I don’t know how it would work on raw clay. If you’re doing a unit on jewellery, you might be interested in this free checklist. Feel free to give it to your students. https://thebluebottletree.com/get-free-jewelry-creation-checklist/
Anyone have an update on the availability and spray issues re Helmar matte?
It is once again available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2yAGqCs
Hello Ginger
Helmar spray is available in New Zealand at good art shops.
Oops! I meant in the US. I’ll change my wording. And thank you for the update about NZ availability.
It’s available from the Warehouse and Warehouse Stationary too.
Hello Ginger, do you know if Helmar is mar-resistant? It is almost impossible to find a matte clear coat that will not mar easily–they usually show burnished, satiny-looking marks when scraped with a fingernail or otherwise scuffed.
I know what you mean about the scuff marks. I’ve not noticed this being an issue, but don’t hold me to it. š One drawback is that it seems that Helmar matte is not available at the moment.
Thank you, Ginger. š
I just wanted to let you know that I bought this exact product from Spotlight.
I’m unfamiliar with Spotlight. Is this a retailer? Which country?
Spotlight is a craft company from Australia
Hi Ginger, I’m so glad that the spray worked as well for you as it did in my tests. We have some very excited polymer clay artists here in Australia ready to give it a go. I will be conducting some future tests on some other sprays that are available here. Who knew I had a useful product lurking in my arts supplies for all those years.
Thanks so much for your kind words and the blog post share (my first published piece as it happens). Dani and I were thrilled to share the results after so many months of testing. It’s tedious but necessary as you know.
Kind regards, Laura.
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