Over time, polymer clay/clay can harden making it difficult or even impossible to shape and use, especially if the clay is left in the open air. However, many people do not know that hardened clay can still be saved. You can use several methods to restore the condition of the polymer clay, such as kneading by hand until you add oil or diluent. With the help of one or more of these methods, you can turn rock-hard clay into one that's flexible, pliable and ready to be molded the way you want!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Warming and Kneading the Clay
Step 1. Warm the clay with body heat
If the clay isn't too hard, you can still soften it by warming it and kneading it by hand. Before squeezing the clay, hold it in your hand to get it warm. You can also use body heat by sitting on it.
- Warm temperatures help restore clay. If the clay isn't too hard, you may still be able to restore its flexibility with just body heat.
- Whichever method you end up choosing to soften the clay, be sure to warm it up first.
Step 2. Warm the clay with another heat source
If the clay is very hard, you may need a heat source to soften it. Place a hot water bottle on the clay for 20 minutes to warm it up.
- You can also use lamp heat, but make sure you don't heat it above body temperature. If it is too hot, the clay will bake and become unusable.
- In addition, you can also warm the clay in the microwave for 10 seconds until it becomes warm.
Step 3. Roll the clay in your hands
Once the clay has softened, roll it in the palm of your hand into a snake shape, then into a ball. Rolling the clay will create friction and help soften it.
You can also cut the clay into small pieces and roll it in your hands
Step 4. Roll out the clay with a rolling pin
If the clay is still too hard to roll over by hand, you can use a tool to add strength. Place the clay on a clean cutting board or on the counter, then press the clay to flatten it out. After that, roll the clay with a rolling pin. The clay should be warm enough after rolling and you can roll it by hand.
Step 5. Pound the clay with a rubber mallet
If the clay is too hard to roll out with a rolling pin, you will need more strength. Divide the clay into small pieces, then put it in a plastic clip bag. Wrap the plastic in a cloth and place it on the floor or cement surface or pavement.
- Use a rubber mallet to pound the clay for a few minutes. The rubber mallet will break up the clay and create friction which will make it softer.
- After beating with a rubber mallet, remove the clay from the plastic bag and roll it by hand into a ball.
Step 6. Knead the clay by hand
Once rolled, knead the clay by hand on the counter as you would with dough. Use as much force as possible to pull and shape the clay.
- Kneading the clay ensures that you can handle the entire surface of the clay.
- You can also use a special machine to knead the clay if you don't want to do this by hand.
Method 2 of 3: Adding Softener
Step 1. Add liquid thinner
Diluent solution is a commercial product that can soften hardened clay. Many diluent solutions are produced by companies that make polymer clays. This solution is specially made to recover old clay.
- Use retailer's solution if it doesn't work to soften the clay by heating and kneading it.
- Add the diluent solution drop by drop while kneading the clay. If you add too much, the clay will become like mush.
- Diluent solutions can be used as adhesives and increase the stickiness of the clay. If the clay becomes too sticky, wrap it in paper towels. Paper towels can absorb stickiness.
Step 2. Use a rod-shaped clay softener
There are several products for softening clay that are sold in the form of sticks. Instead of being produced in liquid form, these products are made from neutral compounds that can be mixed into polymer clays to make them more flexible.
- Add solid softener to polymer clay in a 1:5 ratio. Warm the clay, then add the solid softener and knead the clay until they are well combined.
- The solid softener is whitish in color, and is particularly suitable for very soft polymer clays. Be careful when adding solid softener because too much of it can fade the color of the clay.
Step 3. Add the liquid clay
Liquid polymer clay is another material that can be used to make hard clays softer. Use the liquid polymer in the same way as the diluent. Add the liquid polymer drop by drop while kneading the clay until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Try to use a colorless liquid polymer clay so it doesn't affect the color of the clay.
- You can also use colored liquid clay, but the original color of the clay will change slightly.
Step 4. Add mineral oil
Although not specifically formulated to soften polymer clays, mineral oil is very effective at softening and providing a better consistency. Add mineral oil drop by drop while kneading until the clay is malleable.
Step 5. Rub the clay with petrolatum
Petrolatum is a product that is usually available at home and can be used if you do not have a commercial clay softener. How to use it is to take a small amount of petrolatum with your finger and rub it on the clay. Then, knead the clay to mix it with the petrolatum. Add more petrolatum until you get the optimal consistency.
Step 6. Mix the hard clay with the new clay
Another method you can try is to mix new clay and clay that has hardened, then knead together. The more new clay you add, the softer the resulting clay mixture will be. Make sure you're mixing clays of the same color, unless you want to create a new color.
Knead the clay by hand until the two clays are evenly mixed
Method 3 of 3: Chopping Clay
Step 1. Cut the clay with a knife
If you are dealing with very hard clay, you may need to use a food processor to chop the clay and warm it. Before you put the clay pieces in a food processor, use a knife to chop the clay into small pieces.
Step 2. Put the pieces of clay and cuddling material into the food processor
Once you've cut it as small as possible, put the clay in a food processor. If necessary, add a few drops of diluent or liquid polymer clay to the food processor to help soften the clay further. Then, attach the lid of the food processor.
- You can also use a coffee grinder, but you may have to do this several times
- Try to use a different bowl and chopper to chop the clay. After processing clay, it is not recommended to use the same container and knife to process food, unless you can clean it thoroughly.
Step 3. Grind the clay in 10 second intervals
Use the highest setting to grind the clay. The knife will chop the clay into smaller pieces and soften it so that the clay is easier to shape. Grind for a total of 1-3 minutes, until the clay becomes soft.
Step 4. Remove the clay and mix it together
Once the clay has softened, remove it from the food processor. You can use a spoon to pick up pieces of clay in hard to reach places. Once you've successfully removed all the pieces of clay, you can put them back together.
Step 5. Knead the clay by hand
After chopping the clay with a food processor, it will be soft and chewy. Knead the clay by hand until it becomes a single unit. The clay should be soft and ready to use!
Tips
- Don't forget to wrap the polymer clay with plastic wrap after use to prevent it from drying out.
- Try to warm and knead the clay before switching to another method of softening it.
- If the clay is too sticky, try smoothing it out. Place the clay between two sheets of paper and place a heavy object on top (a large book, for example). The paper will absorb some of the oil in the clay, making it less sticky and easier to play with.
- If the polymer clay is very hard (such as the famous FIMO brand, which is very stiff), try mixing in a small amount of transparent Sculpey III clay to soften it. If the transparent clay is not mixed in more than 1/4 of the total clay, the color should not change.
