Burning Fimo: You ladies worry me with your stories of burnt fimo. Polymer clay is not a clay .. it's a plastic. Essentially what we are making, is stuff out of plastic, unlike Crayola Modeling Magic or bread dough or other such stuff as paper clay. If you were to burn bread dough, it would smell like burnt bread. If you burn Polymers.. they let off a toxic fume, and I am sure you know that "icky burnt fimo" smell. If you overcook it for a short time, it lets off the fumes, I cannot fathom a long time. Just be careful. Those fumes are toxic, and I don't' want to read about anyone getting sick.

Beth in NH

Burning Sculpey: After I burnt my lettuce one day my sister suggested heating the oven to 250 degrees and then when I put the items in I turn it off. No more burnt anything. I do things from cherries to pies. I put the whole tile in and let the oven cool and then take the whole tile out. I use Sculpey II but I have used some Fimo. I even formed a white dog and then painted spots on it to look like my Pointer. It isn't great but I like it.

Rita

Polyclay fumes - a possible solution for bird owners: I don't have any birds, but I would ask at your local exotic pet shop or vet's office about the dangers of baking polyclay in the same environment.
In case there is a risk to your avian kid(s), there is a solution. Get a toaster oven for polyclay use only and use it on your patio. I live in a house now, and I have outlets all over the place outside (for yard equipment and Xmas lights, I presume), but when I lived in a flat, we had an outlet or two on our patio as well (probably for Xmas lights). Just go outside and bake your polyclay with your doors an windows shut, and your birds should be fine :)

Maura Bass

Fimo Fumes & Birds: "Better safe than sorry" is the rule that I would use in regards to birds and fumes. The respiratory system of a bird is so delicate that ANY fumes can be dangerous. I would never bake Fimo or Sculpey in the same house as my birds. The toaster oven on the patio is a great idea. I worked part-time in an excellent pet store for several years; our advice and the advice of my avian vet is never take a chance.

Carol

Polymer clay safety: Many people buy a used toaster oven that they dedicate exclusively for clay baking. This will allow you to take it outside to bake, either with an extension cord or outside outlet. If your bird is that sensitive to fumes, I would say it's too risky. Get a toaster oven at the flea market or thrift store, or even an inexpensive new one.
Also, someone mentioned using an upside-down baking dish for clay baking. I would only use a dish specifically dedicated to clay. Maybe I'm overly cautious, but in general, I like to keep excess chemicals and fumes out of my house.

Lynette in WNC

Polymer clays: Here is a large and very informative web site that explains all you will ever want to know about working with polymer clays. I don't think that you really have to worry about the fumes... unless you fill your oven up with clay things, crank the heat up, close all the windows, and breathe deeply for a long time! There are several people on this very list that have been working with polymer clays for years and years...and, they are still kicking. (Come to think of it... I'm one of them.)
http://www.glassattic.com/

I am assuming that you want to do a few things and bake them. As someone just said in this group, and I second it...don't go by the mfg. instructions on the package. We are doing quite small things, and they don't require as hot a oven, or as long a time as the directions say that they should.
If I am doing really tiny things, like, gingerbread boys, for example, I put them in the oven at say 325 degrees and bake for maybe 10 minutes. Even larger, thicker things will continue to bake if you take them out of the oven, but leave them on the hot-whatever-you-are-using.

Kaye in L.A.

Clay Cutters: Although I use Kemper's claycutters I have two other clay cutting suggestions! If you have or can find aluminum tubing (K & S is one brand found in some mini stores and model shops) you can make a telescope of sorts out of two sizes which fit one inside the other. Cut about a one inch length of the wider one and a 3 inch length of the narrower one. Use the larger one the cut the clay, and the smaller to gently push it out! I have also make myself cutters of my own design by bending strips of the kind of aluminum from disposable pie pans into the shape I want, super gluing the ends together and gluing on a handle, like a basket handle in an arc across the top. BE CAREFUL if you use these, the edges are sharp and this is not a project for kids!

Alice Zinn

Fimo Mother in Law's Tongue: With a photo or real plant sitting in front of you, mix a ball of each of the different greens you see in the plant. Roll each of the green balls out flat and stack them all in the order you see the colors on the leaves. The height of this stack when pressed together should be the width of the leaves. From this stack cut out a rectangle a bit longer the longest leaf. With the vertical lines of green facing you shape the top of the rectangle so it goes to a point. Slice off the individual leaves using a straight blade or one of the longer blades available for slicing fimo from a hobby shop. Shape the leaves as they look on the plant and bake individually. Once baked stand the grouping of leaves in a some plasticine in a pot and cover the top with old coffee grounds.

Jean Day

Tile for baking polymer clay: Nancy in PA asked where to purchase a tile on which to bake polymer clay. Here's what I did. I checked the phone book for businesses that sell tile and stone flooring. I found that the manufacturers from time to time discontinue one of their tile patterns. The stores, upon being notified of a discontinued pattern, will throw away the sample they received from the manufacturer. The stores will usually let you have a discontinued tile at no charge. The store where I got mine also cut the 12 inch square tile to 6 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches so it would fit in my toaster oven.
Some tiles have a coating on them which will partially peel off after a few times in the oven. It's best to see if you can obtain a tile made of real marble, rather than something man made. The tile should have a smooth, even surface. You can bake your polymer clay items right on the tile, then leave everything in the oven until the tile is cool to the touch.

Mary in MS

Baking polymer clay: I would also like to comment that it seems to be better to bake them at a low temp and longer time. Some of the early things I made at a shorter time and low temperature crumbled and broke. The longer time seemed to temper them.

Fran Schroeder

Polymer clay tiles: Nancy in PA asked about tiles to bake polymer clay on. I use both matte and shiny - it makes no difference. I get them at my local home improvement shops - anywhere from 25 cents to $1.50 for the 12" square ones.
Yes - work on the tile directly and bake right on it. But everywhere the clay touches the tile you will have a shiny spot. If you do not want shiny spots, bake clay on fiberfill (quilt batting or the "loose" stuff you fill teddy bears with) in a brownie pan - it does not stick or melt, and leaves no shiny spots.
Any questions give me an e-mail or check out my web site for polymer clay tips. http://www.yeoldouthouse.com

Bev Michie

Tile for baking with polymer clay: If you are just starting out, you can use a heavy glass baking dish instead of a tile. Just flip it over and put the polyclay on the bottom. Bake as usual. The only thing you need to watch out for is that many glass baking dished have the maker's mark pressed into the bottom, so just be sure that you don't place your little masterpiece on top of the mark and you'll be fine. You also need to wash the dish after using it.
Alternately, go to a home-improvement store and buy a single smooth-finish ceramic floor tile.

Maura Bass

Egg Salad: Roll a snake of white polymer clay and square it off a bit with your fingertips. With X-acto knife, slice your snake into chopped egg white pieces. Bake these in oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.

Put a bit of liquid Sculpy in a paper cup and stir in just a touch of yellow acrylic paint. (The proportions of yolk mixture to chopped egg whites has to be determined by YOU for the look of real egg salad.) Mix your egg whites into your yolk mixture. Put some into a miniature bowl or spread on sandwiches. Bake all again as above.

Mary Eccher

Mineral Oil can certainly be used in canning jars instead of resin with no ill effects on the clay addition. Just make sure the clay is well-baked and that you seal the jars tightly.

Mary Eccher

Egg salad: I have never made this, but here is how I would do it: Make a small snake of white Model Magic and allow to dry. When completely dry, chop into small pieces. Mix a little acrylic gel medium, a little glue, and dabs of white and yellow paint until it is the right color. Add just enough glue mixture to the chopped "egg" pieces to coat them and stick them together, allowing a few spots of white to show through if desired. Spread on your bread or in a bowl and allow to dry.

You could also use polymer clay for the egg, I bet, but one of the advantages of the Model Magic is that it's squishy even when dry, so it might look more natural. Polymer clay pieces might stick up in funny ways.

Celeste in Boston

Arthritic Hands: I too suffer from arthritis which is severe in my hands. Working with polymer clay is wonderful therapy (even if painful at times). It keeps the hands from swelling and stiffening up even more. Give it a try and enjoy!

Mary Eccher

Rolling out tiles and making tile floors: To those who were asking about making tiles and rolling the clay evenly. The answer to rolling the clay out evenly is to use two pieces of wood on either side of the clay. Have the narrow strips of wood the same thickness that you want the tile to be and roll out the clay keeping each end of your roller on the strips. The clay has to roll out the same thickness all over. I roll out the clay on aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and then place the whole thing in the over. Be careful that the cookie sheet does not warp when the heat hits it. I have one that does this. I think you can also bake on the tile. This would probably be better.

Barbara D.

Fimo Tiles: The best way I have found to make tiles or sections of flat flooring with fimo or clay is to first make yourself some 'formers'. Just simply use different thicknesses of wood, from strip lengths, mine are about 6" long and thickness vary from 1/32" to 1/4" with other sizes in between. Find a small roller, like a plastic rod or a child's small rolling pin and place the strip wood to the left and right on your tile and you can then get very even strips by just rolling as you would pastry.

I usually use a plain white 6" square tile and roll out on this and then bake without moving the Fimo or clay. Very simple and very effective.

Kaye in L.A.

Fimo Tiles: You can use a pasta machine to roll your fimo out to equal thickness. But you have to have a pasta machine only for fimo. My friend who is my expert says you can never use it for food once you use it for fimo. I used hers to roll out white and make ghosts for my haunted house. You just keep putting the clay back in the machine till it is as thin as you want. Hope this helps.

Carbomax

To make the tile shiny and ceramic-y looking, use Sculpey glaze. Just one coat does a great job! Available where polymer clays are sold.

Alice Zinn