Would love to learn to this

[WelshMoth]

I've bought some beautiful crafty stars over Christmas for my tree and I'd love to learn how to make these for family. I've bought air dry clay before which leaves a very rustic finish (which I also love) but this one is glazed on one side?

Can anyone advise me please? Part of my NY resolution is to make more instead of buy!

NB - I have a lot of learning to do 🙈

I'm not sure I can help OP, but there's a Polymer Clay for Beginners group on Facebook that you might find useful.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1739228759642605/?ref=share

I think it will involve some kind of varnish after baking - assuming it's not standard clay that has been fired in a kiln. Even if it is that, I imagine the effect would be fairly reproducible using polymer clay - though it can be quite expensive.

Thanks @Papillon23 .

I'm 50 and still haven't joined FB - perhaps this is my reason to do so!!

Not looked at polymer before - what does it feel like when dry?

One crafty dec I bought off Etsy feels like China - what would that be made from?

Hi Welshmoth, that decoration is probably made from china and fired in a kiln, which is a big hobby with lots of equipment & expense! Why not have a look at Pinterest - I can lose days on there. Search "cold porcelain" - it's a lovely fine form of playdough made with cornflour, school glue and babyoil, can be dried in the air and then painted/varnished.

Polymer clay is basically a type of clay that can be cured at temperatures achievable in a domestic oven - so you can bake it at under 180 degrees celsius - the packs give the instructions for baking.

China, stoneware etc all have to be baked in a kiln. These usually reach up to 1000°C so they're unachievable in a domestic oven - you'd have to have access to a kiln to fire what you made.

I am not sure on the specific differences between the types of clay - I think it will be to do with how fine they are and the additives.

Or see if there are pottery courses near where you live. I did one and we made things like that in our first class. Takes time though as you have to wait for it to dry and then paint it.

We have a place in Leicester called The Clay Room where you pay for hours to use a community studio and kiln, you could see if you have anything similar near you

www.theclayroom.co.uk/