Applying patterns and designs using silkscreen is a simple way to make a big impact on your polymer clay creations. For those who are new to silkscreening, it’s a stenciling technique that uses a mesh screen to apply a pattern or design to a surface. The technique is very simple, and is great for both beginner and pro clay crafters alike. Even better, it’s cost-effective because the silkscreens are reusable! I hope you feel inspired to try silkscreening for yourself!
To get started, you will need some basic supplies to create your silkscreened work of art. Of course, you will need polymer clay for your project and necessary clay tools. Next, you will need a silkscreen design.
Condition your clay and roll it out to the desired thickness. Before you place the silkscreen stencil onto the clay, smooth-side down. This is incredibly important so that you don’t get any bleeds through the mesh! Smooth the silkscreen down over the clay well to remove any trapped air bubbles, and then go over it with an acrylic roller so that it’s stuck down well.
Next, add a thin line of acrylic paint along the top edge of the silkscreen design. There are a variety of acrylic paints out there, and most of them will work well with silkscreening. However, I always recommend testing the paint on a small piece of clay to make sure that it will dry correctly.
Use a squeegee (which usually comes with a silkscreen stencil), credit card, or even a business card to gently pull the paint down over the design. Go over the silkscreen again, and scrape the excess paint back into the bottle.
Hold one corner of the silkscreen and gently pull it up and away from the clay to reveal the design. Keep slowly pulling the stencil away until completely removed. If you see any areas of the design that haven’t been covered as you pull, lay the silkscreen back down and go over it again with a little more paint.
Allow the paint to dry completely on the clay surface. This shouldn’t take longer than 10-15 minutes. Because silkscreen stencils are reusable, immediately* wash the paint from the silkscreen with water only. Once cleaned, place the silkscreen onto the backer sheet and allow it to dry.
*If you don’t clean the silkscreen immediately, the paint will dry in the mesh and will make the stencil unusable in the future.
Once the paint has dried, you can cut your clay as usual to complete your creations, whether it be jewelry, bookmarks, or anything you can imagine!
Sculpey’s silkscreen sets come with one large design and multiple small designs. These smaller designs are perfect for single sets of jewelry and other, well, smaller, projects. Place the silkscreen on top of conditioned clay the same way as a larger design. Gently press it onto the surface for a good seal.
Add a small amount of paint at the top of the design and gently pull it down with a squeegee to cover it completely. Again, scrape any excess paint back into the container.
Peel the silkscreen away to reveal the design and allow the paint to dry on the surface of the clay. Don’t forget to wash the silkscreen so that it can be used again and again!
Once the paint has dried, finish your clay creation as desired.
I love how easy silkscreens are to use, and how you can use it on the surface of polymer clay to create something unique. I hope this technique has you feeling inspired to make something creative with silkscreens!
Be sure to share your favorite Sculpey creations with us by using the hashtag #HowDoYouSculpey and don’t forget to mention which clay you are using (#Premo or #Souffle)!
