If you want a perfectly smooth and glass-like finish on polymer clay, the best solution is to sand and buff (learn about that here). But sometimes you want a plain area, such as on the back of pendants and earrings. But if you leave an area plain, it will be easier to see all the normal little flaws such as fingerprints and those annoying little bubbles that often crop up. So what can you do? I’ve talked about using textures to hide flaws before, but I have one tool that I use more than any other. Here’s a clayer’s secret weapon come into play. Use texture sponges on polymer clay!
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How to Use Texture Sponges on Polymer Clay
To use texture sponges on your polymer clay creations, just press the texture sponge onto the unbaked clay surface. The harder you press, the deeper the texture. And the more times you press down, the denser the pattern will be. Believe it or not, the texture sponge won’t stick to the polymer clay and you don’t (usually) need to wash it between uses. (That’s not true if your clay is super sticky or if you’re doing anything on white. White is a pain in the neck.) A single piece lasts for a long time but eventually does start to break down and shed a bit (after several years).
What are Texture Sponges?
If you do a search for texture sponges, you won’t come up with much. That’s because their “real” use is for something else. These sponge-like materials are also called “open-cell foam” and are typically used as either air or water filters. You may have seen something similar as a filter for your aquarium pump or window air conditioner.
Where to Buy Texture Sponges for Polymer Clay?
When you buy a sheet of filter material, you’ll get more than you’ll need. This is nice when you want to share it with a friend. Get these from hardware stores or from marketplaces like Amazon. If you want small pieces and a variety of filter pore sizes, you can buy bundled packs from polymer clay suppliers.
From Hardware Stores or Amazon (US)
Sheets of this spongy foam sponge are sometimes sold in dollar stores as a liner for your refrigerator’s produce bin. If you can’t find them locally, you can buy them from marketplaces such as Amazon. The medium-sized “holes” on these texture sponges are a good all-purpose size.
You can also buy an air conditioning filter from the hardware store. I bought a larger-celled filter from Amazon here, and this one is smaller textured.
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From Polymer Clay Suppliers
Clayaround in the UK carries a package of texture sponges that has three sizes. The largest one is very coarse but gives a unique “light touch” to the clay.
In Australia, you can get this set of 4 texture sponges from 2Wards Polymer Clay.
This set of texture sponges from Leila Bidler is available on Etsy.
Clay-Yo sponges are the name brand of a set of these sponges originally distributed by Daniel Torres and Natalia García de Leániz. Donna Kato used to carry them on her Prairie Craft website, but they haven’t been in stock for a while.
Other Ways to Use Texture Sponges
You can also use these texture sponges to create areas that look like sand or stone. Try using a texture sponge over mokume gane or canework to give an interesting soft texture.
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7 thoughts on “Texture Sponges on Polymer Clay”
Thank you for this, it taught me a lot and gave me a few ideas, Salute and thank you all for helping to create a better
me! Huggles To You All!
Hey there Karmen. I like to also use the bumpy rubber textured pet hair
gloves…typically they are used for brushing cats and dogs. I also love the little rubber finger cots for counting money or going thru paperwork. These come in several sizes as well and can be found at a stationary/office supply store.
another technique not exactly texturing but I collect different thicknesses of plastic. Thin as in a dry cleaner box all the way to the thick plastic from a zippered blanket bag and all thicknesses in between. I press though the plastic with various tools or shaped objects etc. creating subtle wrinkles and forms. I dont make jewelery I make models, maquettes, figures, creatures and characters. hair, wrinkles, drapery
faux fabric texture an so on. I also have taken pasta rolled clay and “sandwiched between a screen texture pad or fabric and rolled it back thru the pasta roller “stamping” texture onto the clay and actually both sides. Sorry for Going on a long winded description. Thank you for all the great information you make so available.
cheers
Tim Gore
✌
Ive only just started making clay earrings and have rolled my clay out on a tea towell that has given a nice texture to the back.
I bought aquarium filters at a pet store. They were too thick so I sliced them through with a pair of very sharp scissors. I run them through the pasta machine in front of clay for a nice finish. BTW, Premo out of the pack embeds itself in the filter material, so I leach it first for an hour or so and it goes through very nicely.
Running your clay sheet through the pasta machine with a water misted sponge sheet multiple times on the same setting will build up the texture on your clay.
I run my backing clay through the pasta machine with the sponge before cutting to shape and attaching with a smidge of liquid clay or Genesis Thick Medium. That way I only have to touch it up a little (including the cut edge) rather than trying to texture the entire surface.
I’ve also used the sponge to texture a dome I made on a bowl, so now I can BAKE a curved piece with a textured back on that dome and not jeopardize my textured back. If I’m worried about it sticking, a quick pat with my cornstarch pounce bag will prevent it.
Well that’s just brilliant! Thank you for sharing.
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