Remove Polymer Clay Bubbles

acupuncture needles and polymer clay

If you’ve been working with polymer clay for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed those pesky bubbles that get trapped in between sheets or layers of clay. But how do you remove polymer clay bubbles?

First, always try to “walk out” the bubbles before you press the sheets together firmly. But sometimes you can’t get them and you’ll need to release the air. Here’s how.

One way to remove polymer clay bubbles is to use your blade to slice into the bubble, remove the air, then flatten it back down. But that can be tricky to do neatly or when you have surface treatments (Interested in learning more about surface treatments? Try my Surface Patterns Tutorial.) Another way is to use an acupuncture needle.⁠ You can get them from an acupuncture practitioner. Or you can order them online. Amazon lists individual needles as “3D printer nozzle cleaning tools”. Here’s an example (Affiliate Link – learn more here). Otherwise, you end up buying a whole box, which you will not need.⁠

Just slide the needle in, walk out the air, then seal the hole. Easy peasy, simple, and NEAT.⁠

With their low cost, acupuncture needles are a great tool to add to any polymer clay starter kit, beginner or advanced.

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