Polymer Tinting

We never realized how Vintage Milk Paint would impact the polymer clay industry. What a success! VMP will adhere to polymer clay without scratching off. Please remember, though, that it cures with age. Try some of our projects and see for yourself!

Materials

Polymer Clay
Vintage Milk Paint
Cornstarch
Rubber Stamps
Ceramic tile
Acrylic tile
Utility Knife or Razor Blade
Bamboo brush
PVA glue
Water

We have purchased our polymer clay from www.clayalley.com. We don’t necessarily have a preference as to the brand, so just chose the one you know you’ll like best. The rubber stamp demonstrated here is from www.rubbersoul.com. As for the other materials, the local hardware and craft stores should have everything you need.

Step 1:

Condition a 1 ¾” x ¾” x 1 ¼” piece of polymer clay by squeezing and rolling with your fingers.

Step 2:

Lay clay on ceramic tile. Place mat board to either side and use the acrylic roler to flatten to thickness of mat boards.

Step 3:

Brush rubber stamp with a liberal amount of cornstarch. Impress image into clay with stamp. Cornstarch will act as a “release” between the surfaces, preventing them from sticking together.

Step 4:

Use the utility knife or razor blade to cut clay to the desired shape and size. This piece was cut to be 2” x 2 ¾”.

Step 5:

Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions. DO NOT remove the clay from the ceramic tile, but rather bake the whole project. We prefer to use a toaster oven for baking polymer clay.

Step 6:

Mix Vintage Milk Paint for non-porous surfaces. Brush clay with a thin layer of VMP.

Step 7:

Remove paint from raised areas with a damp Q-tip. Bake again at same temperature as before for 15 minutes. You can apply layers and rebake as desired. Cool completely between painting and baking.

Step 8:

Buff clay with super-fine steel wool if desired.