Polymer clay business. Business on the creation of polymer clay jewelry. Sales of finished products

In shops or at holiday fairs, you can see a wide variety of copyright items: figurines, pendants, key chains, dolls and other beautiful little things. In online stores self made you can find various author's crafts and works - both completely amateur and professional. This niche is wide enough and fertile. The demand for such products is constantly growing.

Polymer clay- the basis of these wonderful accessories. It is also called plastic. It is, as the name suggests, plastic material... It is very similar to plasticine, but much more flexible and more suitable for work for sale.

Polymer clay happens different types, differs in texture and properties. For example, there are such types as flower, fimo, scalpi, kato, cernite and others. They acquired such names thanks to the firms that produce them.

From polymer clay you get excellent things that you can sell. Selling can happen in different ways: on the Internet (open your own site or offer your work on specialized sites), through friends or open your own store. There are many options, the main thing is to choose the most suitable one. You can open your own website if you are a programmer or if you hire one.

Register now on a specialized site will be much easier. Opening your own store requires a lot of investment and a lot of paperwork.

Dream of opening own business seems unrealizable to most, because a person does not know where to start. We will offer you a slightly abstract opening plan "Polymer" business:

1) Determine if the job is right for you. Fantasy, patience and a desire to create - these are the three pillars of future success. You should enjoy the job so that you won't get tired of it soon.

2) When you are determined to work, choose a site where you will exhibit your creations. You can do this on sites such as Ideas , , ... Register there and start creating!

3) Buy a few various colors of polymer clay(5-9 pcs.), Among them must be white, and blanks for jewelry: for rings, earrings, key chains, chains, etc. You will also need several tools to work with polymer clay: varnish, a roller or roller-rolling pin, a set of blades, if you like, you can buy several texture stamps and bead shapers, molds and a paste machine.

Of course, you don't have to buy everything at once, but your opportunities will immediately increase. By the way, don't forget to buy medical gloves - they will save your creations from fingerprints.

4) Before starting work, review a few master classes... They will not only show you how to work, but also teach you basic rules. Master classes can be seen on different sites, both video and text with pictures, for this it is enough to "google" on the net.

Advice: If you want to make the surface porous, make many small, shallow holes in it.

5) Decide what exactly you are going to do. Otherwise, you will exhaust a decent amount of clay, but you will not really do anything. If you don't have enough shades, mix two colors: yellow + red = orange, blue + yellow = green, etc. And by mixing white with some other color, you get its pastel shade.

6) Prepare your workplace. Only the necessary items and clay should lie on the table covered with oilcloth. Of course, you should not be upset about anything, otherwise you will not get anything good. Put in front of you a picture (from a book, the Internet or drawn by you) of what you want to do and start! After completing the sculpting (or in some cases before) stick the molded part to the base (ring, earrings, keychain, etc.). Apply varnish to your garment to give it a shine.

7) Clay can be different - self-hardening and baked. Baked clay is harder than self-hardening clay. If you chose the baked one, you need to "bake" it a little in the oven until it hardens, and just leave the self-hardening one for a while. Of course, it is better to choose in advance the option that suits you best.

8) Finally, the product is ready! I would like to show it to friends and put it up for sale as soon as possible. But it is in the correctly displayed product that 50% of the success consists. The photograph of your creation is very important - after all, a potential buyer can appreciate your work only on it. And it is better to write a commentary on the work briefly and concisely.

So, when photographing a product, consider the rules:

There should be no extraneous things in the background

The light must fall on the product

Avoid glare and blur

The background must be solid

The photo should make it clear what exactly you are selling

9) Don't put a high price on your item right away. On most sites, you will need to earn a ranking first. Look at the prices of other people's products.

10) When you earn more money, you can open your site. The main thing is that the work should not be a burden for you.

Let fortune turn to face you. Good luck in your first endeavors!

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Comments (10)

Hello dear friends! I don’t know about you, but I really like to look at products made of polymer clay. These are figurines, and various jewelry, and magnets with a three-dimensional image of various attractions. Therefore, today we will focus on making money at home, which is based on the idea of using this material in needlework. If we turn to history, then polymer clay was invented about a hundred years ago. Then it was used only in the manufacture of heads for dolls. Since the beginning of the industrial production of polymer clay, the range of its use has expanded significantly. Now it is already easier to list what is not made of it.

What is polymer clay

What is polymer clay? It is a plasticine-like plastic mass with a characteristic herbal odor. To give it plasticity, various plasticizers are used, which are absorbed into the material when heated to 100 - 130 ° C. After heating, the clay loses its plasticity and remains in a given form. The hardened product can be easily painted and glued to other materials.

Polymer clay is available both colorless and pre-colored. There are also clays with special effects: shine, metallic, translucency, stone color and glow in the dark.

Liquid polymer clay is also produced in the form of a transparent gel that hardens when heated. It is used instead of glazing, glue, enamel and concealer. With the help of liquid clay, the drawings applied to the paper are copied.

What can be done

I understand that you already have a question, what can be done from such an interesting material. The fact of the matter is that very, very much! First of all, these are a wide variety of souvenirs and decorations, various household items. And, of course, very beautiful and original flowers. True, making flowers requires skill, diligence and inspiration. Simply put, this business needs to be learned and have certain abilities. I want to say right away that special training courses are being organized in large cities. However, there are plenty of materials on the Internet, among which you can always find good master classes.

Working with polymer clay is rather painstaking and requires perseverance, therefore it is more suitable for women. Although some men do a good job with this type of needlework. Actually, there is nothing complicated in this matter. This or that product is molded and dried in the oven. If necessary, it is painted and varnished. The parts can be easily glued to each other and other materials.

Where to buy and how to sell

The material itself is relatively inexpensive and the business of polymer clay products is promising and does not require large investments. Much more expensive various forms and accessories for working with it. It is most convenient to buy everything you need for doing such a business via the Internet; it is also better to exhibit your products there. I will tell you about the ways to advertise your business online later.

Each of us more than once came across unique author's keychains, bracelets, pendants, small sculptures, dolls and other crafts presented in offline and online stores. But few people thought that it was possible to build on this personal business... The demand for such products is only increasing every day, and if you have at least some ability for "needlework", having realized such a business idea, you can make good money.

For the manufacture of crafts, polymer (plastic) clay is used - a material for modeling based on polyvinyl chloride. If you don't really go deep into chemistry, then plastic clay is a mass that externally and tactilely resembles plasticine. It is subdivided into self-hardening and baked. The first type is equal in strength to wood and gypsum, and baked clay is more like plastic in terms of hardness. This material is often referred to as plastic or thermoplastic.

The baked thermoplastic is produced in a rich color palette. These are standard colors, matte, translucent, with the addition of glitters, and even fluorescent. But self-hardening material is available in only three colors (white, gray and terracotta), so it is rarely used for business.

Highest quality polymer plastic produced under the German FIMO trademark. And it is this material that is advised to apply to beginners who are interested in clay decorations. More complex materials are produced under the European brands Sculpey and Cernit. In Russia today there is only one manufacturer of thermoplastics, which manufactures its products under the brands "Sonnet" and "Artefact". The quality of domestic clay, of course, is inferior to foreign counterparts, but the price of the material is significantly lower. And those who do not have the savings to buy expensive German clay can start their own new business from domestic thermoplastic.

Polymer clay is sold in all specialized stores for creativity, therefore, it is quite simple to start making author's products from it for sale. And what to blind out of it depends solely on your imagination. In addition, there are a lot of sites on the Internet where they share their recipes, post step by step instructions for the manufacture of a variety of crafts.

Such a business idea can bring a stable and decent income, if, of course, you are not lazy and constantly improve your skills. For example, a designer keychain in a single copy costs about 10-15 dollars on average (at a cost price of 2-4 dollars). For a month, working 3 hours a day, you can mold from 40 to 100 key chains, pendants, bracelets, earrings, etc. This means that your new business will allow you to earn from 300 to 1000 dollars per month. If you involve relatives and friends in the creative process, and give work 8-12 hours a day, then earnings can increase to 10 thousand dollars.

Hand-made work has always been appreciated. This is a way to get something unique, creative - something that no one else has. The most common material for creating handicrafts is polymer clay. We have already written how to make such material at home (see Business on polymer clay).

However, you can not only make polymer clay and sell it as a separate product, but also create various things yourself from this material. You can make decorative ornaments (bijouterie), key chains, photo frames, Christmas tree decorations, dolls, figurines and in general any things that can be useful for creating home comfort.

Polymer clay (plastic) is a soft material based on polyvinyl chloride. It is initially plastic and soft, so it can be sculpted from it like from plasticine. When the product is given the desired shape, then it is heated, due to which it solidifies and becomes hard. Some types of material freeze without heating, simply under the influence of air. When creating things, you can immediately use colored clay or simply paint them after making them, when they have hardened. Anyone can easily fall on him acrylic paint... If the handicrafts are not subjected to frequent blows and other damage, then they can retain their "presentation" for a very long time.

How to sculpt?

Artistic modeling is a creative process that requires certain talents. At a minimum, the arms should grow out of the “right” place. If you were praised in kindergarten for making a good plasticine man, this does not mean that you will be good at modeling from polymer clay.

If you are modeling purely for yourself, then you can do it as you like. But if you want to create your own business in the production and sale of plastic products, and make money on this, then your products should be at least competitive, and as a maximum, stand out sharply from the rest in better side... It takes practice to make significant progress. Therefore, if you feel that you are gaining mastery by practicing, then continue in the same spirit. Otherwise, it is better to think about another type of earnings.

Molding

Carefully knead the piece of polymer clay with which you are going to work further in your hands. This will soften the plastic and make it much easier to shape it to the desired shape. Start training with the simplest elements, gradually moving to more complex ones.

For example, the first thing you can try to do is a flower and a leaf. To make a leaf, form an oval from a small piece of material with your fingers, then lightly press it against the work surface to flatten it. On one side of the oval, make a sharper edge, on the other, leave a rounded one. Using a toothpick, use punching movements to draw veins on the leaf. You will end up with something like this:

Moving on to the next element of the flower - the petals. Roll five small balls, roll them on the working surface with your fingers. Try to keep the edges as rounded as possible. Now you need to shape these petals into a flower. Since each petal sticks a little to the surface due to pressure, you can disrupt its shape when you detach them. Therefore, it is better to do this not with your fingers, but with a blade or other flat object. Lay the petals in a circle on top of one another, overlapping the edges. Then place a leaf under the finished petals.

Baking

Next, you need to subject the resulting object to heating so that it hardens. You can use a conventional oven for this. However, if you use an oven in which, in addition to baking your work, you also cook food, then it is better to place the products in a container or food sleeve. When baked, plastic can give off fumes that will settle on the oven walls and adversely affect the quality of your food.

Despite the fact that the required temperature and baking time for a particular type of plastic are always indicated on the packaging, it is better to try it first on a small test piece. Try not to overexpose the product in the oven, otherwise it will burn (turn black) and generate a lot of smoke. In this case, it is urgent to ventilate the room.

Degreasing

You can remove excess fat from the little thing with any detergent. Apply a small amount of the product to cotton wool and wipe off the product immediately after baking.

Grinding

Not every job will require this kind of processing. This procedure must be performed if there are fingerprints on the product, any irregularities or lumps on the surface. If you are just starting to create with polymer clay, then it is unlikely that you will be able to immediately make things with a perfect surface. In addition, if you plan to cover the work with varnish or paint, then you cannot do without polishing - the varnish will lie much better on a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, the ability to skin and polish will come in handy.

You will need sandpaper and a small piece of cloth. Denim (always an old fabric, since a new one can leave traces of paint on the thing), corduroy or suede is best suited. Fill a bowl with room temperature water and mix just a little detergent with it. Next, you need to dip the product in water, slightly wet the sandpaper. Start sanding from the edges and back side(that is, not the face) with a coarser sandpaper. Rinse off any dust and small pieces with water. then change the water and start sanding with fine crumbs. Grind the front side as carefully as possible so as not to spoil the presentation of the thing.

At the end of sanding, rinse the thing again from the remaining detergent and grains of sandpaper, and dry it. Then polish it with a piece of cloth - just rub it vigorously on all sides.

Varnishing

To cover the product, it is better to use special varnishes that are designed specifically for polymer clay. Some "masters" use acrylic based nail polish or decoupage, but this is not entirely correct. Such gizmos can be made only for oneself, but they are unlikely to be suitable for sale. Some jobs, after thoroughly polishing with a cloth, no longer require varnishing.

The material may cause allergies or other unpleasant reactions in direct contact with skin. This does not happen very often, however, it is not worth the risk. Therefore, when performing your first work, it is better to use disposable medical gloves. It is also better not to use dishes that have direct contact with polymer clay when eating.

Tools

Each master has in his arsenal the following devices, which are very useful in working with polymer clay:

Sculpting surfaces. These are flat surfaces made of glass or plastic, preferably large. Working on stone or wood surfaces is not recommended.
Blades, knives. They are needed in different sizes and thickness of the cutting part. All blades and knives should be as sharp as possible so that the product does not deform during cutting.
Sandpaper. Used for sanding or, conversely, to give things an uneven shape (for example, imitation of an orange peel).
Fabric (denim, corduroy, suede). It is used for polishing and giving a shiny surface.
Knitting needles and needles. We need different sizes and thicknesses. They make through holes (for example, in beads) or small dents.
Glue. It is necessary for gluing individual elements together.
Extruder. This is a special tool - like a large syringe from which material is squeezed out. For extruders, there are various nozzles with which you can get an element of the future product of the shape you need.

What can be made from polymer clay?

Plastic sculptors offer a variety of products. The assortment includes:

Earrings;
Rings;
Pendants, pendants;
Beads;
Bracelets;
Hairpins and hair ornaments;
Brooches;
Keychains;
Photo frame;
Figurines, figurines;
Christmas decorations;
Dolls;
Paintings.

For work, you will need not only different polymer clay, but also additional elements. For example, chains for pendants, metal bases for rings, clasps for bracelets and earrings, hooks for Christmas tree decorations, threads (for example, for doll hair), various sequins, beads. All of these can be purchased at any art store.

Who should you sell your clay products to?

A significant percentage of clients are young girls. Nowadays, communities on social networks that are created by plastic sculptors are very popular. There they post catalogs of their products, and each member of the community can pick up something and place an order. The main difficulty in this type of product sales is to attract and retain social network users in the community.

Another way to sell your product is to participate in fairs and exhibitions of hand-made products. Such events are now in demand, they are periodically organized in almost every major city. Find out where similar exhibitions are held in your city, follow the dates of their organization. Offer your products to the organizers as a product. If your products are of high quality, then most likely you will not be refused.

Also, in each city you can find shops that sell various souvenirs, jewelry, home decor items. Try to negotiate with such stores on the sale of your goods on mutual terms. In this case, you will be the supplier of the goods.

The main advantage of hand-made products is their uniqueness, which must be used for your own benefit. Offer customers unique custom products. It is better to offer such a service already when you gain experience. The client describes his wishes to you, may show you approximate sketches of the work, and you make a product especially for him. Such works usually cost a little more than those made in advance, however, there is a risk that the client will not like the thing and he will refuse to pay for it. The moment is, of course, unpleasant, but you can easily sell such a product through the general catalog.

Sculpting video

You can find many videos on the Internet that can be a good assistant in teaching how to work with polymer clay. At first, you cannot do without such videos. We offer you several useful training videos in which the wizards explain each step in an easy way. If you have the makings of creativity, then learning to sculpt beautifully using such videos is easy!

To inspire your creativity, we offer you amazing works made of polymer clay by real craftsmen!

How much can you earn?

It depends entirely on you. A package of imported polymer clay (for example, from the manufacturers "Premo", "Sculpey", "Kato", "Pardo", "Fimo") costs about 2 to 6 dollars, depending on the volume. Materials from Russian manufacturers (for example, Tsvetik, Sonnet) are even cheaper.

The cost of additional materials will also be insignificant, especially since they are not required for everything (for example, for a simple statuette you do not need anything except the material itself). And here is the price finished products may be different. Exclusive custom-made gizmos can cost up to $ 15 each. Various earrings, pendants, rings are sold for an average of $ 4-5. If you learn to work fast and create quality things, you can make good money in this business.

Decorative and applied art is something that many people live in or are simply fond of. The creation of various products - jewelry, crafts, souvenirs - can be either just a hobby or a way to make money.

Today one of the most popular materials for use in arts and crafts is polymer clay. It is also called plastic, since it is a very plastic soft material that tends to harden at a certain temperature (usually from 100 to 130 degrees, depending on the manufacturer who made the polymer clay).

The main properties of polymer clay

Polymer clay has a characteristic appearance and a certain smell. It looks very much like ordinary plasticine. In order for polymer clay to be plastic, special substances are introduced into its composition - plasticizers. Thanks to plasticizers, polymer clay becomes more frost-resistant, better tolerates exposure to light and heat. When polymer clay is heated to a certain temperature, the plasticizers evaporate and the clay solidifies.

To make polymer clay more suitable for use in arts and crafts and handicrafts, manufacturers immediately release it painted in a variety of colors.

In addition to "plasticine" polymer clay, there is also a transparent liquid polymer clay. Outwardly, it looks like a gel, which also tends to harden when heated. This liquid plastic is used to bond various parts made from common polymer clay as an adhesive.

Standard polymer clay composition- this is a polyvinyl chloride base, one or more plasticizers and the required pigment (giving the desired color to polymer clay). White porcelain, kaolin, mica can be added as additional components.

DIY polymer clay

If you are looking to start your own polymer clay business but are not sure if it is worth it, perhaps you should start by making this material at home. Before starting a serious business - to organize a large-scale production of polymer clay, taking into account all the necessary chemical processes- first you need to understand whether this material will be in demand as a product in your city or region.

Any big business starts small, so try making polymer clay at home first (it's not difficult at all) and selling it in small batches.

How to make polymer clay

Of course, for home production, slightly different materials are used than for professional. Since all the ingredients are readily available, anyone can try to make polymer clay on their own.

To make polymer clay at home, you will need: white PVA glue, corn starch, petroleum jelly, non-greasy hand cream, lemon juice. You will also need utensils and equipment: a glass bowl (always fireproof), a plastic spatula, a large mixing spoon, plastic wrap.

Step-by-step instructions for making polymer clay at home:

1. Place white PVA glue (250 g), corn starch (250 g) and petroleum jelly (1 tablespoon) in a glass bowl. Stir well, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir again. You should get a homogeneous mass.

2. Place the bowl with the resulting mass in the microwave oven, set the maximum temperature. After 30 seconds, mix the contents of the bowl thoroughly. Then put the bowl back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.

3. When you remove the bowl from the microwave, you will see a crust on the surface of the bowl. Remove it carefully, you will not need it.

4. Then put the resulting polymer mass on a surface (for example, a table), having previously lubricated this surface with a non-greasy hand cream. Use a silicone-free cream.

5. Knead the polymer mass the way you would knead a regular dough. Be sure to do this on a creamy surface. The mass should be kneaded for about five minutes with vigorous and quick movements. Use a plastic spatula to scrape off any pieces that stick to the sides of the pot. As a result of such kneading, you should get a plastic and elastic material.

6. Form a mass into an oblong shape and place on a cloth to absorb any remaining moisture.

7. Wait for the polymer clay to cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap.

8. Your polymer clay is completely ready to use.

Taking into account the indicated amount of ingredients, you will receive approximately 350 grams of finished polymer clay.

In the future, store polymer clay in the refrigerator by placing it in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. To add color to polymer clay, you can use any oil-based paints or food colorings... To achieve an even distribution of paint over the entire piece of plastic, add paint gradually in small portions, stirring thoroughly.

What if after a while polymer clay has lost its flexibility and is difficult to work with? You can use one of the methods: either add a little petroleum jelly or cream to the polymer mass, or mix it with a portion of softer polymer clay. If you initially ended up with too liquid and viscous polymer clay, then you can make it elastic by mixing with a portion of the drier and harder clay. It will be much easier to work with it this way.

Also, by mixing two portions of polymer clay of different colors, you can get beautiful color transitions, which are often used in the manufacture of decorative ornaments. To diversify the palette of your products, you can add various additional substances to polymer clay: glitters, glitters, fluorescent substances.

Sales of finished products

In our case, the finished product will be polymer clay, which is completely ready for use in arts and crafts. You can sell your product to craftsmen who create jewelry, crafts and various other plastic products. First, try to sell your product through social networks and city forums. A lot of communities have been created on the Internet, in which amateurs and professionals of this art communicate, offer your product there too.

Another option is to try to negotiate on mutually beneficial terms with creative goods stores so that they sell your product.

If you like this business and go well, then in the future you have the opportunity to create a mini-plant for the production of polymer clay, where you will use already professional chemical components. At the moment, the most demanded and popular manufacturers of polymer clay are companies such as Cernit, Fimo, Premo Sculpey, Bebik and many others.

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