Polymer Clay On A Budget

Something that I get a lot is, "Isn't polymer clay expensive?". Well, if you live in Canada like I do, yes - it is! Small 2oz bars of Polymer Clay can cost as much as $5.99 CAD, depending on where you shop. And after breaking the bank how many times, I have learned to be a bit more frugal when it comes to my clay-buying binges.

Both Canada and the U.S have Michaels (which is a large craftstore chain), but if you don't live in the city or get to one of their stores during a good polymer clay sale, you aren't going to get much of a bargain. My closest Michaels store happens to be about 1 1/2 hours away, so it isn't going to do me much good, at all, by the time I spend the money to get there and back again.

So what is the alternative? Well, consider how you are reading this very article - the good old internet, of course! There are plenty of sites offering advice on getting the best Polymer Clay deals, but only if you live in the States. So what if you live in Canada? Well - you're in luck. With our Loonie being so strong right now, Americans aren't the only ones getting great deals!

Here are two fantastic online stores for buying your polymer clay and other great supplies. They pretty much sell every single tool and supply you will ever need!


Polymer Clay Express

This online store is my absolute favourite. It is actually run by the folks at a Brick and Mortar store in Maryland, USA, called the ArtWay Store. Being as Maryland is extremely close to the Canadian/U.S Border, shipping times are extremely reasonable and I almost always have my clay within a week. They carry all popular brands of clay such as Fimo, FimoSoft, Premo, Sculpey III, Studio, Kato, Cernit, etc, as well as several Liquid Clays, Air Dry Clays, and all sorts of other Art Supplies and Clay Supplies.

Sculpey III is only $1.50 per 2oz pack and Fimo, FimoSoft, Kato, and Premo are only $1.75 per 2oz pack. Shipping is inexpensive if you only buy enough to fit flat in an envelope - which is usually around $6.00 - larger and heavier shipments can cost more. The good thing about the Shopping Cart is that if you input your Zip/Postal Code, you can get an estimate of how much shipping will be AS you shop. And Canadian Residents, do not fret... just because it is in American dollars, you are still getting a great deal. The Canadian Dollar and U.S Dollar are so close right now that there is only a few cents difference on every dollar.

Polymer Clay Express website: polymerclayexpress.com/


The Clay Store

This online store has an amazing collection of all sorts of Polymer Clay, and the prices are roughly the same as Polymer Clay Express. They are located in Winter Springs, Florida, U.S.A, and Canadian Residents can expect to wait a little bit longer for their shipments - usually about 2 weeks or so. Shipping prices are also very reasonable, and you can always keep track of how much it will cost with their handy-dandy shipping estimator in your Shopping Cart.

A few of the perks for this website is their great deals on large bars of clay. If you know you are going to be getting into Polymer Clay, and you have a particular brand in mind, their "Discount and Wholesale" section is a great way to get several blocks of clay all together for a very good price. The Clay Store also carries the "Makin's Professional" brand which is always good for their Clay Extruders - seriously, once you use one of those Clay Extruders, you'll never be able to go back to the standard Sculpey brand Clay Extruder in which you need to push and push and push on the plug until your face goes blue. More information on Extruders in my next article!

The Clay Store website: theclaystore.com/


As for places like Europe, Australia, South America, and other International countries, I would love to hear about where you get your clay. There are many websites that sell it all over the world, so share your sources so that other clayers may benefit from your finds! Happy Claying!