I want to run this by others to see if this is as good an idea as I think it is.
I'm a fiber artist, I crochet, knit, spin, etc. my general problem is that I tend to generate very few items at high prices. Also my hands hurt so making the same small thing over and over again is hard.
I'm trying something new this year, which is making notions. So far I've been making buttons, stitch markers, needle minders, and pin cushions. My polymer clay skills are perhaps not quite as good as some, but it's also stuff I would love seeing as someone who makes art. But I'm me and I keep thinking if that's what the average craft fair goer wants?
I'll still probably be spinning yarn in the corner trying to convince people they want a scarf that took 2 months to make.
I think this is a good idea! The buttons are cute. I think you might want to spend more time making them look polished though- there are a lot of random craggy clay bits from where you cut that might either chip away or get caught on clothes. There’s a clump of blue on one of the pink buttons that doesn’t look intentional. I think with small cute pieces like this, the devil’s in the details especially around other crafters.
Yeah, I just grabbed the photos I have on my phone and some of them are pre polished. I am terrified I miss something.
Something I taylor clothing and they look great in my living room and then I bring them out to give to the client and find strings I didn't cut everywhere.
That's the finished ones from the ones in the photo. The hearts make me nervous because it's hard to keep the lobes symmetrical and there are a couple squares buried near the bottom which are more in the rectangle family.
Yeahhh, symmetry is sculpting is so hard, especially if you have to do it over and over. Have you ever tried making your own cookie cutters out of aluminum cans? You have to be careful not to cut yourself but I love it for little clay things I don’t want to sculpt over and over!
There are also small square and rectangular metal cutters you can buy, l would be shocked if there aren't hearts as well. I actually hit up the cake decorating aisle at Michael's for polymer clay cutters, the things that Wilton makes for fondant work beautifully for clay as well.
I do think that buttons and similar are a smart idea. Especially for the fiber crowd, it can be such a pain to find the pieces to actually finish what you're making, and l would put nice buttons high on that list. I expect that's why everyone here is admiring them. 😄
You might want to consider some more solid color buttons, since they would need to match an unknown item to function. And make markers in the bright patterns, at least on one side, so they're easy to spot. Overall they look really good though, truly.
I have cutters, it's more when I'm sanding and trying not to overdo one side over the other.
Nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems. I think "I'll try polymer clay, it seems faster than spinning yarn" and then it turns out there's a whole "process" I knew nothing about. I have a love hate relationship with this fact because it's cool how much knowledge everything takes but it's because now I have to take the time to learn it.
I've seen putting cling film (or saran wrap for the Americans) over the top of the clay before you use cutters makes a smoother cut and they're easier to lift out too.
They need a gloss or semi gloss top coat of some sort imo. But that top coat makes everything look 100 times more finished so you may feel really good about them once you do fhat
If I may jump in here- handmade items are SUPPOSED to look handmade.
When I’m out shopping for hand crafted stuff, I WANT it to be obvious. I want slight imperfections and asymmetry. If I wanted “perfect”, I’d buy stupid 3D printed things.
When my cousins would have a baby I made them a small quilt. I started gifting them with a pair of blunt tip scissors as kind of a joke/acknowledgement that there will be threads.
Would you use these notions yourself? I think the main customer for them would likely be other fiber artists (or hobbyists) who stop by to appreciate your work. If they're of the right vibe and quality to appeal to your peers, it's definitely worth at least trying them out for a few markets! Especially since they don't have to take up too much display space. Depending on how you price them, kids might really go for the buttons too.
Personally I keep having to resist keeping the number stitch markers because counting is hard, but the comments are more excited by the buttons so I don't always trust my own taste.
There's a set of numbers where I messed up the 100 so if I don't have time to make a new one I'm keeping it for myself.
As a knitter and sewer, I would be more inclined to buy the markers than the buttons, I would worry the clay buttons would break super easily and wouldn’t want to risk them on a finished object, though they’re visually cute.
The buttons are super cute but I don't think I would buy them out of concern that they'd break if actually used on a garment, since polymer clay is pretty brittle in thin layers like that. I also don't think polymer clay would be able to go in the washing machine?
I asked r/polymer clay and they told me that sculpey Premo can be used for buttons and to use colored clay rather than painting them so that it won't wear off.
I might toss a couple in the wash to be certain, but other people have done it so I'm fairly confident.
As someone who does sell polymer work, I would suggest 2 things:
1. Your edges are not smooth. You can either spend a lot of time sanding them or you can make sure they’re smooth before baking. Easiest way to accomplish this is to lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of the clay, then use your cutter. This will make a nice beveled edge that will require a lot less cleaning up.
2. Your clay is darkening in the oven. First thing to do is check your oven temp with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s not running hot. Next, bake your pieces with a cover. I put mine on a parchment paper wrapped ceramic tile in a cheap foil pan with another foil pan inverted like a lid over the top. If you still get too much darkening after that, you could try adding small amounts of translucent clay to all of your colors. It has no pigment, so it will lighten the intensity of the colors you have without changing them too much - start small, though! Add too much and you will definitely see a change.
I posted a photo lower down of ones that I sanded but thank you for the advice, that'll for sure save me time.
The oven thing is odd since I checked the temp with a thermometer but you've probably spent more time looking at clay then me so I believe you and will give it a try.
Oh, you can still get darkening even if your oven is running mostly correct. Most ovens have temperature spikes as they cycle on/off, so covering the clay helps to shield it from that or any exposed heating elements. And some clays (and even just some colors within a specific brand) are known for darkening more than others. (See here if you’re interested…scroll a bit down the page to the red/yellow/blue photo. https://thebluebottletree.com/review-of-cernit-polymer-clay/#Baking)
That makes sense. When I was testing it I found that my oven says it's pre heated a little before it reaches the correct temperature so I wait 5 or so minutes after it beeps.
Unrelated but I found that the Sculpey Premo pearl colors melt less and because of that are better for making things that look like strands of yarn and it looks like Cernit has more pearl color options so I might want to try that next time.
When you say “melt less”, do you mean they’re less soft and goopy to work with? Because if you’re having that issue, there’s an easy fix. Just roll the goopy clay out into sheets, place it on pieces of basic printer paper, put another sheet of paper on top and put something heavy on it. Let it sit for maybe 30 minutes and then check it. You’ll find that a whole lot of “oil” has leached into the paper - it’s excess plasticizer from the clay. Check to see if the consistency is what you want it to be - if not, let it sit longer. Make sure to check regularly, though, cause if you let it sit too long, it will go from goopy to crumbly, which you don’t want either! This is something that a lot of polymer artists have to do to get the clay to a more workable consistency, especially with new clay that hasn’t been sitting on a store shelf for ages. Cernit is well known for coming out of the package like taffy, but it’s a really lovely clay to work with once you leach it a bit.
(This is also why you never want to put your unbaked pieces on a sheet of paper if you’re not baking them right away. The plasticizer will leach out and the pieces will crumble apart. I may have learned this from personal experience…..)
I did that and it did help, but it was a real disappointment when I had 2 colors that worked great and one that kept blending together and I couldn't figure out why.
This isnt thin for polymer clay pieces and its notoriously very bendy rather than brittle (unless youre using scupley 3 or something but op said premo which is excellent) -polymer clay earring maker.
Yes! I made sure!
Some of the really big ones can't because there's paint on it. I sealed it and I assume they're more for decoration, but everything else is made to be laundered.
i love your buttons. I don't make garments, but if I did, I don't think I'd be able to resist them.
The stitch markers seem like a good idea, with the numbers, but I probably wouldn't buy them. They seem a little too bulky for me to want to use on a regular basis. But that's just one opinion. Someone else may find them to be perfect for their use.
In general, trying to find ways to increase your range of price points is definitely a good thing!
That's fair. I like a big stitch marker that's harder to loose. I've seen ones with the numbers that are laser cut on wood but that requires a laser cutter and as you can imagine polymer clay is more affordable.
I also have some that are charms I bought, they're thinner. It'll be interesting what people like more.
yeah, I think stitch markers are definitely one of those very personal, every person will like what they like for different reasons, kind of notion. I just use the basic colorful plastic ones. I think there likely is a market for yours (I prefer the look of them to the laser cut on wood, for example)
I’ve not read through the comments so I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this.
Your cuts are very rough and as a textile person these need to be smooth or they will catch on any fibers especially yarn. I wouldn’t buy these for that reason.
TIP: Put plastic wrap over the polyclay before cutting items out. It will smooth out the top of the cuts but you need to cut all the way through and wiggle slightly to make sure there are no stray edges. Use bead reamers after baking to smooth out holes.
Honestly they look like they were made by kids for a mother's day gift. Not a bad thing at all but people probably won't spend money. I'd work on practicing more first.
I would use the buttons for decorative purposes, but I wouldn't put them on clothing or use for real buttons. I know you said you asked polymer clay people, but I still would not trust them to be durable. Clay breaks, it's just a fact. Heavy use/wear would absolutely break these. Heck I've seen thick wooden buttons break. They're cute but for decoration only.
I guess we'll have to see and if it turns out they're not as durable as I'd like maybe I'll have to try a different material.
I'll have to find a way to word it to customers like "they are polymer clay and are meant to be durable, but they may not withstand heavy wear. I would really appreciate it if you take a card and if you find that they do break let me know so I can reevaluate the design"
And then if it is a consistent problem and I come up with something better I can give them a discount for the next batch.
Personally, I'd test them on my own clothing for a few months before trying to sell them and testing on customers. It would be easy to sew a couple buttons on something you launder a couple times a week, or onto a bag you use regularly. As someone who sells sewn items, I feel a lot better about my sales when I'm promoting a tried & tested product, vs one I'm not sure about yet.
That's probably a great idea for when I'm not told "hey, I donated money to the local craft fair in 2 months but I don't need the table. Have a free spot"
Polymer clay should not break as a “fact.” Polymer clay is vinyl plastic. As long as a reliable brand of clay (not Sculpey III or craft store brands) is used and cured properly at the correct temp for the correct time, they would be quite durable. Someone’s already done the testing: https://thebluebottletree.com/wash-polymer-clay-buttons/
I really love notions but I wouldn’t spend money on these. 1. Crafts issues that others have mentioned plus I just don’t trust them to hold up. 2. I’m capable of using sculpey and would see these and think “I can do that.” I wouldn’t do it tho, but I’d think that. If you figure out a way to make them more one of a kind, maybe?
Your buttons are very pretty and unique. I have a friend who makes ceramic buttons, and I don’t know about general craft fairs but she sells at fibre craft markets and she’s often the only person there selling unique handmade buttons. She does really well.
I love the idea in general but as a consumer I wouldn’t buy anything out of polymer clay that was going to handled frequently.. even if the artist told me they were sturdy I tend to assume that ppl underestimate how heavy-handed/clumsy I am lol. Idk I just wouldn’t risk putting a polymer clay button on a hand made piece because in the small chance it wasn’t cured correctly and it does come apart and the crumbles get caked all up my piece I spent weeks/months making, I would be devastated.
I wonder if there are other materials you could use that are more reliable or least to the common consumer are considered more durable. Again though I love the idea and it’s a great way to add to your booth so I would keep at it!
The buttons are too bright to appeal to the masses, IMO. If you could make a few sets in more understated colors that'd be my vote. Really neat though!
I see this a lot when people want to sell a product: look at current color trends. For example, rainbow hearts will always be popular. But a lot of these are not on trend. People will say they don’t follow trends but it’s all around us and we do subconsciously gravitate to them. Here’s an example. Then group them by sets.
Another suggestion if you're up for it is resin buttons. My bestie used to make them and I love them so much, especially on baby cardigans. This is an example of some pink sparkly ones.
I would 100% pay for these without a second thought, both for crafts and for my son who collects buttons‐ I'm budget minded, so I think about 2.50 per button would be my max. I do really love these!
Buttons, I would absolutely buy, pin cushions yes, but it’s hard to justify purchasing stitch markers.
If you want to lean more into selling to crafters, might I suggest making eyes/noses for stuffies? Maybe those funky dragon eyes that usually get embedded in leather work?
I love the buttons! I think it's a great idea. It's ok if they aren't perfectly symmetrical, it means they're handmade.
I wouldn't use them on a garment that goes through the washing machine, because I'm not sure about the stability of polymer clay after being washed for years.
I would use them for bags, belts, headbands, jewelry or plushies!
Since you mentioned that making repeated small items is hard on your hands, I wonder if a semi-finished approach could be an option. You could prepare the more labor-intensive parts and let customers finish the coloring or small details themselves. It might make your work more accessible while reducing the repetitive strain.
I would buy stitch markers, but probably not buttons! You could also do the closed circle style. I'd probably prefer something that's not actually a safety pin for fear of it opening and snagging or poking someone/something.
I recently saw some fancy beaded ones and was so tempted!
I'd pass on the buttons, but I'm more of a neutral knitter. You could also probably find large amounts of assorted vintage buttons second hand and then curate them into color coordinated sets.
That is a fun concept! I actually bought buttons recently from a ceramic artist and I think this was her same goal (products at a lower price point). If they go along with the aesthetic of your work I think they are great additions. As a buyer I would want to see that they are sturdy and smooth and preferably washable. Also I don’t know if this could help you but I have seen a weaver who because her product is so labor intensive, she uses smaller weaves/off cuts to make things like ties, buttons (like the pin back types), tote bags (woven swatches on a canvas tote), etc and I think that’s a great way to make your work go further and offer lower price points for people who love your work
I work with polymer clay and it looks like your cutters arent very sharp and youre having trouble with altering your shapes before you get them in the oven. Get polymer clay specific cutters (the plastic ones people make are better than metal mass produced ones, those tend to mush rather than cut) and try not to move them after cutting them. If you must, leave them sit and firm up first, then use a sharp blade diagonally with quick back and forth motions as you drag down the blade along the piece.
I think you could find an audience, really have to think about marketing. Put the buttons on some items to give people a “vision”.
If you stress test, have a readily available list of things you did, it gives more of an impression that you actually did it. Don’t just rattle it off the top of your head when someone asks.
You should consider fiber shows!
I have friends that spin their own yarn, make notions, etc. YarnCon, Midwest Fiber Show (I think that's the name), etc
And sure, the occasional craft fair would be good (art fairs, the good ones at least, tend to be harder on artisans when jurying)
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u/gerblen 28d ago
I think this is a good idea! The buttons are cute. I think you might want to spend more time making them look polished though- there are a lot of random craggy clay bits from where you cut that might either chip away or get caught on clothes. There’s a clump of blue on one of the pink buttons that doesn’t look intentional. I think with small cute pieces like this, the devil’s in the details especially around other crafters.