Clay
- Polymer Clay in a variety of colors. (IMPORTANT - These sculptures are intended to be cured and hardened. It is not recommended that Learners use Plastalina or Play Dough. Model Magic or Air Dry may be used, but behaves very differently and does not hold detail as well.)
- Recommended colors: White for the pages, and at least one color for the cover

Sculpting tools: 
- a sculpting knife or a straight-edged butter knife (sharper knives are best, but be sure your learner knows knife safety) **Serrated edges or thicker plastic cutting tools are not recommended.**
- an acrylic roller or larger paint brush, or other smooth rolling tool 
- a clay smoothing tool or silicone nail art brush
- a needle tool or toothpick
- other desired tools
- *optional* - a rectangle shaped, small cutter to help shape the pages.

Other materials:
- parchment paper and/or cardstock/index card
- a smooth, clean, non-porous surface to work on. I use a ceramic tile from the home improvement store. You can also use a piece of parchment paper wrapped around a piece of carboard and taped down so that it stays. I do not recommend working on aluminum foil as it gets wrinkled easily.
- *optional* - a metal eye hook or eye screw, or similar metal jewelry finding (**For turning the book into a charm**)
- *optional* - liquid polymer clay, or Bake and Bond, to help the metal stick to the clay (**For turning the book into a charm**)

Artist Recommendations:
I recommend using Sculpey III, Sculpey Premo, Fimo, Kato, or Cernit brand polymer clay as they are easier to find. Of these, the Sculpey III brand is the least strong but softest to work with. If you are looking for sculptures to be stronger, Sculpey Premo and Fimo Professional hold up better after baking but they are less soft. Fimo and Cernit both have varieties that are softer as well, but the same applies. Kato can be more firm sometimes, and bakes at a lower temperature so it is best not to mix with other brands. These brands all come in 2 oz. bars available at stores like Michael’s or JoAnn’s, or online at Sculpey or the Polymer Clay Superstore. I have also recently tested the "Crafter's" brand by Hobby Lobby. The Crafter's Collection Craft version is similar to Sculpey III or Craftsmart. The Crafter's Collection Advanced is extremely similar to Fimo Professional. I would choose the Advanced over the Craft Collection.

**My favorite clay for softness and durability right now is Cosclay, but it is more of an investment. They come in larger, 8oz - 16oz boxes. This clay is soft to work with, but also very durable. You can find it at www.Cosclay.com or on Amazon.

The variety packs that are off branded on Amazon are sometimes okay, but they often have very soft clay that is a little tough to work with. Some kids like it that soft, but others may get frustrated with the texture as it is difficult to use to make details.

Please allow time for shipping if you choose to purchase supplies online. Clay bars are typically $2 - $4 per 2 oz. per bar. You can also buy multi packs that can sometimes be cheaper. The clay will not dry out if exposed to air, so it will last a while and can be used for other projects!

If you have any other questions about tools, materials, or colors then please send me a message.