Polymer Clay

Fimo and clay tips and tutorials

Website Review – Poly Clay Play

by

Hi ladies (and gents?) !

I was cruising around some old haunts on the web, and one of them was the Poly Clay Play website. When I found this gem of a site I was first beginning to explore clay. I love her site just as much today. Trish Hodgens is the owner of the Poly Clay Play site, which offers tools and unique supplies to help keep the polymer fun going with monthly sales. She also has monthly clubs for both, adults and children. There are free samples of a few of her her club projects on the site. Oh, and there are monthly challenges, this month was the Spooky Tabletop decor. It was a hard choice to pick from the entries . Last month the theme was “bugs”. That looked like a fun one also. She offers monthly kits for her members of the club to use with the challenges. Then, there’s the Yahoo group where you can keep up with the going’s on over there and to vote in the challenges.

The thing that I loved on the Poly Clay Play site; Trish has a new way of doing color-mixing recipes and it also cures the problem you may have of storing them. She calls her system ” Rainbow of Color System” ” The Poly Clay Play Color Recipes & Storage System”

Here is a small description from the website about her new color-mixing product- 

“The Poly Clay Play” website is a superb site for polymer clay beginners to start. The monthly kits have all the instruction you need and Trish doesn’t mind answering any of you questions. She has well stocked supplies of all kind of goodies, I spotted a texture sheet that’s gonna be mine! So, beginner or pro, at least check out her supplies!

A comprehensive kit with everything you need except clay.

Color chips at your fingertips. Easy to See – Easy to Recreate !

Poly Clay Play’s ~ Rainbow of Color System
Everything you need to create and save your recipes!

Binder

Recipe Card Pages hold up to 180 Recipes

Printed Recipe Cards for your New Polymer Clay Recipes

Pre-Printed Recipe Card with lots of colors to try

Inventory Sheets

Shopping Lists

Polymer Clay Color Charts

Web Access to New Color Recipes

Step-by-Step Easy to Understand Instructions for making your own or following the included recipes.

Color chips at your fingertips. Easy to See – Easy to Recreate!

 Let me know if anyone has one or gets one, so you let me know how easy it is.

[tags]Polymer Clay – General, color recipes, Poly Clay Play, monthly kits, challenges, website review[/tags]

Have you read?

DIY Doily Pinch Bowl Set with Matching Platter

There’s something so satisfying about creating a whole handmade set that feels like it belongs together. After experimenting with my grandmother’s doilies on flat slabs of clay, I wanted to see how they would look when pressed onto a curved form. That’s how this set of three doily pinch bowls was born—each one textured on the outside with lace, glazed in soft tones, and displayed together on a matching pink speckled doily platter.

It’s a beautiful way to combine sentimental textiles with modern pottery design. The finished set makes a charming serving arrangement for nibbles, dips, or trinkets, and it doubles as a decorative centerpiece when not in use.

Materials You’ll Need

  • White pottery clay (stoneware or porcelain) 
  • Rolling pin 
  • Crochet doily (preferably a smaller one for consistent texture) 
  • Sponge and water 
  • Small bowls or your hands (to form the pinch bowls) 
  • Knife or clay cutter 
  • Plastic wrap 
  • Kiln access (or community pottery studio) 
  • White glaze 
  • Pink speckled glaze (or white glaze with pink oxide) 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Prepare the Clay

Cut your clay into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball about the size of a small orange.

Step 2: Form the Pinch Bowls

Using your thumbs, gently press into the center of each clay ball and pinch outward, rotating as you go, until you form small bowl shapes. Keep the walls fairly even, but don’t worry about perfection—pinch bowls are meant to have a rustic, organic charm.

Step 3: Press the Doily Texture

Drape a crochet doily around the outside of each bowl. Gently press it into the surface with your fingers or a rolling pin. Carefully peel it back to reveal the lace impression. Each bowl will carry the delicate detail of the doily, almost like a frozen textile pattern.

Step 4: Refine the Shape

Smooth the rims with a damp sponge, rounding off any sharp edges. Leave the outside textured, but clean up the insides of the bowls so they’re smooth for glazing.

Step 5: Dry and Fire

Let the bowls dry slowly until bone dry. Bisque fire them with the platter if you’re making the full set together.

Step 6: Glaze and Finish

For a cohesive look, glaze the pinch bowls in soft white or cream, allowing the doily texture to stand out. Place them on the matching pink speckled doily platter (created using the earlier technique) for a complete serving set.

Styling Ideas

  • Serving Set: Use the three bowls for nuts, olives, and dips when entertaining. 
  • Jewelry Dishes: Perfect for holding rings, bracelets, and earrings on your dresser. 
  • Decorative Accent: Place them on the platter as a centerpiece with seasonal décor inside (dried flowers, crystals, or potpourri). 
  • Gift Idea: Wrap the full set as a handmade, one-of-a-kind present for weddings or housewarmings. 

Why I Love This Project

These bowls carry a story. The lace impressions remind me of my grandmother’s hand-crocheted doilies, yet the final design feels fresh and modern. Displayed together on the platter, they become more than functional—they’re a handmade heirloom set that blends memory with everyday beauty.