As polymer clay ages, it can sometimes dry out or harden. Sculpey® offers high-quality Clay Softener & Thinner in 1-ounce bottles to soften your clay so that you can make all your favorite pieces stress-free. You can also use this clay softener to thin Liquid Sculpey®.

Tips for Using Polymer Clay Softener

Adding polymer clay softener one drop at a time and working it in often resuscitates previously unworkable clay. It's essential to add the softener slowly, as adding too much at once can leave you with mushy clay.

Carefully add the polymer clay softener until the clay is the desired consistency. If you accidentally use too much clay softener, try leaching some out of your creation by using heavy books to press your clay between sheets of paper.

Just like with polymer clay or Liquid Sculpey®, avoid getting Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner on surfaces as it can damage them. Always protect your work surface when creating with clay!

When to Use Clay Softener & Thinner

There are two primary reasons for using Clay Softener & Thinner — to restore aging clay or thin Liquid Sculpey®.

Using Clay Softener & Thinner for Restoration

Before using Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner, you first need to know why your clay is hard. Does your clay feel hard and coarse like a rock? This could be a result of old age and over-exposure to air. Old clay that has lost some of its plasticizers may need more work to come back to life. Or is it just a bit firm because it's cold? Cold temperatures cause clay to become firm, but working it out with your hands can add enough heat to loosen it up.

So, how can you tell the difference between old and firm polymer clay? Use the squish test. Pick up a piece of clay and squeeze it. Fresh polymer clay will always be malleable — even cold clay. If the polymer clay block does not give way, then it's either partially cured, old or has been exposed to too much heat.

After trying the squish test and determining that your clay is indeed old or has not been stored correctly, it is time to soften the clay with Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner. Warm up the clay by hitting it with a mallet or other heavy object. This will get any plasticizers left in the old clay working. Then, add the Clay Softener & Thinner one drop at a time.

If you tried adding Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner to your old clay, but the clay is not absorbing the diluent, your clay has most likely become partially cured. This means that the clay has been exposed to too high a temperature and may not be salvageable.

Using Liquid Clay Softener & Thinner With Liquid Sculpey®

Scupey® liquid polymer clay is an amazing tool crafters can use to mold into jewelry, seal cracked clay or drizzle onto a project for unique effects. Most Liquid Sculpey® applications work best when the material runs smoothly, so use Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner to achieve the right consistency for your project.

A few drops of Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner will make your Liquid Sculpey® ready to work into any shape. Continue to add drops until you've reached the desired texture or add more Liquid Sculpey® if you've made your mixture too thin.

Projects That Inspire

Sculpey® loves supporting crafters at all levels. Our designer endorsement program gives talented creators a platform to share their creations with a supportive community. Many artists include step-by-step guides to help new clayers find and implement new ideas.

Amy Koranek's swirling Dirty Pour Canvas is a perfect example of how Sculpey's® liquid clay softener can help you create flowing textures. Her Oil Slick Bracelet tutorial is a great way to practice molding jewelry with Liquid Sculpey® and Clay Softener & Thinner. We encourage you to check out our How To page to see how the community uses Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner.

Order Clay Softener & Thinner in a 1-Ounce Bottle From Sculpey®

Do you still have questions about how to use Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner? You can contact a Sculpey® representative today by filling out a general inquiry form.

If you're ready to start a new crafting project, order polymer clay softener online or purchase Sculpey® clay today.