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The quality of your polymer clay determines your reputation. Every block must deliver the highest standards while keeping your cost of goods sold in check. The market is saturated with options ranging from super-soft beginner blocks to professional-grade varieties. Discover the top brands that offer the best-value polymer clay sets for small businesses.
Methodology for Choosing the Top Companies That Provide Polymer Clay Sets
Different brands and formulations vary in strength, color availability and consistency, which directly affects your project’s outcome. This list was completed using the following criteria:
- Market reputation: Each brand is trusted within the polymer clay community, with a proven track record of consistent results, reliable supply and innovation.
- Product range: The selected companies offer diverse products, including options for beginners, professionals and specialized projects, such as jewelry or doll-making.
- Performance: These brands offer high-quality clay, ensuring your finished products meet customer expectations.
- Innovation: Each supplier provides unique features, such as porcelain finish, professional-grade strength and flexibility.
Who Offers the Best Value Polymer Clay Sets for Small Businesses?
These suppliers offer polymer clay suitable for a range of projects, whether you’re creating small figurines or home decor.
1. Sculpey
Sculpey offers the best value polymer clay sets for small businesses. The shop opened in 1967 as a thermal transfer compound and subsequently became one of the most successful companies in the craft industry. It offers various types, including Sculpey III, Sculpey Premo, Sculpey Soufflé, Sculpey Bake Shop, Original Sculpey and Super Sculpey.
Sculpey III is a soft, easy-to-use clay for beginners and general crafting. Premo is a professional-grade clay with excellent strength and flexibility, ideal for detailed work and jewelry. If you create wearable or specialized art, Soufflé offers a suede-like finish you’ll love.
Shop either by experience level or by category. Sculpey frequently goes on sale — score discounted items and enjoy up to 20% off on select kits. Aside from polymer clay, Sculpey also offers air-dry and non-dry clay.
Key features:
- Free resources: The website has a wealth of how-to videos, instruction manuals and tips for color mixing.
- Consistent texture: It offers smooth, pliable clay that’s easy to condition and shape.
- Wide color range: Sculpey offers over 50 vibrant colors across its product lines, making it ideal for small-business owners seeking to diversify their product catalog.
- Versatility: Whether you’re a jewelry-maker or a sculptor, you can trust Sculpey’s polymer clay to provide professional results.
2. Cernit
Cernit is a Belgian brand renowned for its high-quality polymer clays, which feature a porcelain-like finish. Artists and small-business owners favor it for its unique properties and professional results. You can use the clay to make jewelry, miniature art, figurines and more. Choose from over 105 colors and mix them to create custom shades.
The polymer clay is easy and quick to condition. It is odorless before, during and after baking, making it ideal for people with smell sensitivities. Clay categories include doll, natural, opaline, metallic, neon light, pearlescent and translucent range.
When shopping on the website, you can use filters like clay categories, color, effects, opacity and packaging. The product page features a detailed description outlining various uses and baking techniques.
Key features:
- Exceptional quality: All polymer clays are manufactured in Belgium, allowing the core team to maintain full quality control throughout the entire production process.
- Blendability: The colors mix smoothly, allowing you to create custom shades and gradients.
- Professional quality: Many artists prefer Cernit for advanced techniques and detailed sculpting.
3. CosClay
CosClay offers next-generation hybrid polymer clay that blends plastic and rubber for a high-quality finish. The material is both durable and versatile, making it ideal for creating posable figures, stop-motion characters and delicate pieces. Its unique formula is well-loved by sculptors and character designers.
The company has three product lines. DOLL is created for dollmakers and one-of-a-kind artists. SCULPT has a midtone gray color and is designed for model makers and sculptors. DECO has eight colors with a medium-firm density, making it ideal for hobbyists.
CosClay’s polymer clay must be cured at 275° Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes per ¼ inch of the material. It may break easily when cured at a low temperature.
Key features:
- High strength: The material can withstand handling and movement without cracking.
- Flexibility: CosClay makes it easy to sculpt fine details and smooth surfaces.
- Professional finish: This supplier is ideal for small-business owners who want to deliver a realistic appearance for dolls and figurines.
4. FIMO
FIMO, made by well-known pencil manufacturer Staedtler, offers FIMO Professional, a versatile and easy-to-shape polymer clay. Once the material has hardened, you can sand, drill, polish and varnish it for a beautiful finish. It is mainly ideal for small-business owners selling figurines, dolls, jewelry, sculptures and decorative items.
The company offers a variety of polymer clays. FIMO soft is pliable, allowing for easy shaping without the need for kneading. The professional kind is ideal for detailed artistic applications, offering a firmer consistency and a higher degree of dimensional stability. There are also other options for kids and creative projects.
Clay options come in standard, medium and large blocks. All are separated into practical portions on the back, allowing you to blend colors easily.
Key features:
- Firm consistency: The clay can hold intricate details well.
- Pure pigments: FIMO offers vibrant colors that allow for precise mixing.
- Reliable performance: The brand is well-loved for its high-quality, professional-looking products.
5. Kato Polyclay
Kato Polyclay was launched by artist Donna Kato in 2002. The polymer clay options provide strength and durability, resisting breakage over time. They have a minimal color shift when cured. You can find curing techniques on the website to stabilize colors and regulate temperature.
The Kato Soft offers an ultrasoft feel, making it ideal for sculpting, squishing and shaping. The Kato Liquid Gold is a mica-infused, oven-curing liquid polymer you can use for jewelry. The conditioning bar is a colorless product that can enhance crumbly, old clay and make it more pliable.
Kato Polyclay’s professional formulation is ideal for advanced techniques and durable finished products. If you need something stiff after baking, this brand is a great option.
Key features:
- Color mixing recipes: Access Kato Polyclay’s free color mixing recipes to ensure accurate color payoff.
- Heat tolerance: The polymer clays can be baked at higher temperatures for added strength.
- Professional formulation: Products were designed by an artist for fellow artists looking for reliable crafting materials.
Summary of the Companies That Offer the Best Value Polymer Clay Sets for Small Businesses
Here’s a quick rundown of the top brands that offer reliable polymer clay sets.
| Company | Best For |
| Sculpey | All skill levels and small-business owners |
| Cernit | Jewelry and doll-making |
| CosClay | Sculptors and animators |
| FIMO | Professional artists |
| Kato Polyclay | Advanced users |
How to Choose the Best Polymer Clay for Your Business
Not all clays are created equal. Some are easy to condition, while others provide a firmer feel for excellent detail-holding capabilities. Here’s how to choose the right supplier for your business.
- Know your project needs: Are you creating detailed miniatures, thin jewelry or large sculptures? If your products need to withstand bending, choose a more durable polymer clay. For more detailed projects, choose a softer alternative.
- Check reviews: Read testimonials to manage your expectations. Check for reviews made by fellow small-business owners.
- Test before buying in bulk: Purchase a few small blocks of different types of clay to find the right fit. Sculpey offers a range of types to choose from. Use them to compare the final baked products for durability and strength.
Find the Best Value Polymer Clay Set for Your Small Business
The choice of polymer clay is one of the most fundamental decisions you make as an entrepreneur. By now, you know that the cheapest option isn’t always the best one. Try different options, run tests, track your breakage rates and let your conclusions guide your purchasing.
