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Glitter

Sometimes a touch of sparkle is just the thing to spice up a piece of polymer clay art.

There are many colors, shapes, and sizes of glitter in craft stores today. These are only a few of the ways you might use glitter with polymer clay:

  • Mix into translucent or semi-translucent clay as an inclusion.
  • Apply liquid clay where you want the glitter, then sprinkle the glitter over the piece and cure.
  • Mix glitter into any clear medium that's compatible with clay (including liquid clay). Paint on details and shapes. If you mix it with a medium that crackles, you can paint a sheet of clay and make glittery crackles.
  • Use iridescent, confetti-style glitter to make faux opals or faux rose quartz.
  • Sprinkle glitter over a piece and cover with a tissue-thin slice of translucent clay.
  • Combine different types (sizes, shapes, colors) of glitters for a range of effects.
Some say that cheap brands of glitter will melt, "explode", or change colors during curing, which could potentially ruin the look of a piece. They suggest that you buy only polyester, non-metallic glitter-particularly the finely-textured glitters made for fabric decorating and rubberstamping. However, others have used the cheapest glitters available with no adverse effects. The best advice is to use whatever you feel comfortable using. Be aware that any time you try an unfamiliar product, you can't be certain how it will behave during or after curing. It's always a good idea to start with a small test piece.

Availability

Most craft stores stock glitter in at least three locations-near the fabric paints, in the stamp section, and in the "general crafts" section, sometimes near decorative feathers, bells, and other odds and ends. Look in all three places, because there are usually different brands in each place. Glitters are also available on-line.

Examples

Glitters from Stampendous-
Lots of beautiful glitter in a variety of sizes and colors.
http://www.stampendous.com/plusfdr/glitter.html

Glitter from Jones Tones-
http://www.jonestones.com/flash_index_content.html

Art Institute Glitters-
http://www.artglitter.com/retail/Rartglitter.html

Poly*Flake glitters, from Glitterex-
http://www.glitterex.com/

Links

For more information about using glitter with polymer clay, visit this web site:

Glass Attic: Inclusions
Compiled by Diane Black
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/MainPages/inclusions.htm#flakes