Best polymer clay classes: Learn how to craft polymer clay jewelry, accessories, and more

Although primarily seen in jewelry, polymer clay can take on many forms and is a fun, versatile medium to create all kinds of handmade projects.

Because it’s affordable and relatively easy to master, polymer clay appeals to makers of all ages, whether to create wearable statement pieces or decorative items for the home. 

And while we can agree that online tutorials are a convenient (and free!) way to learn, nothing beats taking a few in-depth polymer clay classes. To help you out, we’ve listed our favorites below!

You’ll have professional artists showing you the ropes while you get hands-on with projects you can work through at your own pace!

Affiliate disclosure: Articles on Tiny Workshops may contain affiliate links.

Best polymer clay classes

Since jewelry-making is at the heart of most polymer clay projects, we’ve included our favorite polymer clay jewelry classes at the top of our list.

Further below, you’ll find polymer clay classes for accessory making, miniature modeling, and others.

Polymer Clay Jewelry Design for Beginners

You may be cooking up a new jewelry line or relishing the thought of making personalized items to wear or gift. To learn the fundamentals of polymer clay jewelry making from someone who knows a little something or two, this is a great place to start!

Set up for complete beginners, throughout this almost two-hour Domestika class, your teacher and founder of Made by Maeberry, Rachael Skidmore, will guide you through the ins and outs of jewelry making with polymer clay.  

You’ll learn how to create vibrant color palettes and mold unique shapes, textures, and effects: faux terrazzo, stripes, and marble effects will all be covered! Rachael will also teach you how to bake your pieces effectively with a home oven, sand them for final finishes, and add hardware. 

By the end of this class, you’ll have created a pair of professional-quality polymer clay earrings. The cherry on top will be Rachael’s advice on maintenance and packaging your pieces for retail!

You can purchase this course individually on Domestika and keep it forever! But if you’re planning on taking more polymer clay classes or jewelry-making courses on the platform, signing up for Domestika Plus is a great way to get discounts on individual purchases and bundles! 

Making Polymer Clay Statement Jewelry 

If you’re looking for something a little more straightforward around polymer clay jewelry making, this basic intro Udemy course runs for 30 minutes and is taught by jewelry designer Kasheera Latasha.

You’ll learn how to create your own polymer clay earrings during this course! Kasheera will guide you through essential steps, from concept to design, shaping, and final finishes, to ensure you get a taste of what you can expect with this medium.

While a great entry point for beginners who want to skip hour-long lessons during their first attempt at polymer clay, I think the highlight of this course is all of the information provided on where to source materials.

Having been a home crafter before launching her boutique, Kasheera gives you a rundown on where to find affordable, quality materials, making this course all the more relatable for anyone starting from scratch — and on a budget.

It’s not the most comprehensive of polymer clay classes in our guide; however, if you’re familiar with Udemy and looking for a brief, tutorial-like course, this is precisely that! Also, note that this is a more project-based class focused on polymer clay earrings vs. other accessories.

Intro to Polymer Clay Jewelry: Design Floral Accessories

Now focusing on specific techniques and themes, this Domestika course is all about bringing floral motifs to the heart of your polymer clay creations.

Taught by polymer clay artist Mallory Smith, during this almost two-hour class, you’ll learn multiple jewelry-making tips and tricks to bring handmade polymer clay pieces to life with stunning floral designs.

Besides going over essential materials, basic color theory, and the steps to create a mood board, Mallory will show you how to properly condition your clay to cut and mold it into floral designs: stems, leaves, tulips, daisies, and hydrangeas!

Once you’ve completed this course, you’ll know how to transform clumps of polymer clay into dainty floral imagery for any small-scale project. And although you’ll be crafting a pair of earrings for your final project, rest assured: Mallory will walk you through applying floral features to any piece of jewelry.

This is an excellent class if your goal is to hone technique and master more delicate, detailed work; it’s also a fun challenge for anyone who usually goes for bolder, larger designs. Your jewelry will look unique and expensive; the perfect gift for any occasion!

Polymer Clay Jewelry: Mixed Media

If you’re anything like me and like to switch things up with a good mixed-media crafting sesh, you’ll really enjoy this Craftsy polymer clay jewelry class.

Taught by award-winning polymer clay artist Christi Friesen, this course revolves around incorporating different materials and techniques to develop stunning mixed-media jewelry. That said, it’s time to bring out your notepad and start jotting down all the fun resources you’ll be working with!

And worry not; everything you’ll need is accessible and easy to find: polymer clay, epoxy clay, wire, fiber, and resin. As Christi works through different techniques and unique jewelry pieces, you’ll get a close-up look at the possibilities and creativity you can achieve with polymer clay.

Even if you’re already in touch with jewelry-making, this is a great place to find inspiration and new ideas — especially if you’re going through a dreadful creative block (ugh, the anguish!). I also really recommend this class if you’re interested in epoxy resin and testing it out for different applications!

With Christi’s know-how (and fantastic sense of humor!), you’ll find yourself unleashing refreshing ideas and approaches to your polymer clay creations in no time. This is also a great time to grab this course — Craftsy is offering a fantastic deal: only $2.49 for a year-long Premium membership!

Accessory Design & Creation with Polymer Clay

Coming across comprehensive miniature polymer clay classes can get challenging. However, this Domestika course, taught by accessory designer and artist Juliana Lanino, will show you how to create adorable, tiny polymer clay figures from scratch. 

For over two hours, your teacher will teach you ceramic modeling techniques to create vintage-style pendants and standalone pieces. And while a jewelry-centered course, this class offers something a little more versatile. 

During this time, you’ll create three miniature polymer clay pendants: a mushroom, a fox, and a small diary. But you’ll learn how to do more than just molding clay into small figures: you’ll be using chalk pastels and acrylic paints to embellish your creations!

This is the perfect fit if you want to take jewelry-making to the next level. While for beginners, this class project will undergo a little more trial and error vs. creating clay pieces with more simplistic geometric shapes, like flat circular or squared earrings. 

Juliana’s course is a great starting point if you’ve been on the hunt for miniature polymer clay classes: you’ll learn all the basics of building small-sized objects from start to finish.

Miniature Food with Polymer Clay for Beginners 

If you’re a fan of miniature hobbies, this beginner course is perfect if you love out-of-the-box themes — like miniature food sculptures! 

Much like the previous course, this two-hour Udemy class taught by artist Maha Atef will go over the ins and outs of transforming small polymer clay pieces into intricate, miniature depictions; this time of your favorite snacks: donuts, pizza, cheesecake, cupcakes — it really is a work of art.

Besides designing and embellishing, Maha will also cover the basics. You’ll learn about clay properties, how to condition your material, and bake it properly. Adding fixtures to create items like pendants or keychains will also be covered. But remember, you can make these pieces for any purpose you like.

I love the idea of turning them into magnets. It makes for a super creative gift for the foodie in your life! However, what I think makes this course especially worth taking are Maha’s tips and tricks on creating impressive, realistic-looking details like dripping chocolate fudge, cupcake icing, pizza toppings, and more. 

This is one of the pricier options listed, but worth the purchase if you’re after quirky retro themes for miniature modeling. How can you say no to a tiny donut? And while not professionally produced as other polymer clay classes on our list, the content here is very in-depth and packed with fun mini-projects to try out!

Polymer Clay Jewelry: Learn 10 Beads & Charms

This Craftsy course welcomes back polymer clay expert and artist Christi Friesen, this time with a series on how to craft polymer clay beads and charms with different effects and styles.

In this class, Christi will give you a look into the different variations of clay beads and charms. Some techniques you’ll learn include Sgraffito, marbling, bullseye cane, crackling, and more. Christi will also show you how to incorporate mica powders, Swarovski crystals, gold leaf, and foils into your pieces for extra flair.

Besides this, you’ll experiment with molds, carving, and shapes. This is a great pick if you’re an active jewelry maker looking for more perspective on accessory making. Polymer Clay Jewelry: The Art of Aging Gracefully also features Christi and is another class we recommend to complement what you learn here.

However, remember you can apply beads and charms to various creations and projects apart from standard jewelry: keychains, handbag tassels, and macrame wall hangings; you can even slip them onto your shoe laces!

While you can buy this class individually, we recommend signing up for the platform’s Premium Membership: it’s available now for only $2.49 for an entire year. This will allow you to watch all of Christi’s polymer clay classes for under $3!

Make Watercolor Marbled Hair Clips with Polymer Clay

The last polymer clay classes listed in our guide are shorter, more project-based courses I recommend if you’re looking for inspiration to make something a little different or searching for affordable, artsy ideas for handmade gifts.

Also, considering they’re all on Creativebug, you’ll be able to take all of these courses with a single subscription: check out our extensive Creativebug guide to learn more about how you can enjoy a free 60-day trial!

This class is taught by Faheema Chaudhury, who will show you how to make beautiful watercolor-inspired, marbled hair clips from scratch in just a few minutes: in case you’re unaware, these are making a huge comeback!

You’ll get a rundown of the basics of crafting with polymer clay: conditioning, shaping, and baking. Then, Faheema will walk you through simple steps to achieve impactful results; you’ll use unique tricks to design watercolor-like slabs — however, no actual watercoloring will be involved (it’s pretty cool).

Final touches, buffering your piece, and adding hardware will also be covered. While on the shorter side, I really love the energy of this course and how straightforward it is. It’s ideal if you want to get hands-on right away vs. going through hours and hours of lessons until you finally complete a project.

DIY Kids Knitting Needles

This is a great little tutorial if you’re looking for a fun project to enjoy with children. Only 13 minutes long, this DIY polymer clay project will show you how you can transform regular knitting needles into something a little more personalized.

Taught by expert crafter Melanie Falick, this tutorial is a quick overview of how to shape and bake beads to embellish the tips of your knitting needles. Also, it’s a very child-friendly project, which is good news if you love to craft with your child. However, worry not, we’ll leave the oven part to you!

Read also: Best online knitting classes

Because knitting needles are at the heart of this project, this is an excellent activity for anyone who has a knack for needlecraft and appreciates customizing their supplies and a personalized craft station. If not, that can be remedied with some online knitting classes!

Know that you won’t learn a ton of techniques here; it’s more about using your creativity to transform something regular into something much more exciting. And, of course, this makes the perfect affordable gift for anyone who loves to knit!

Since this is such a short course, it’s not worth subscribing to a full Creativebug subscription just for this one. Lucky for you, you can get 60 days of Creativebug for free and enjoy all of the platform’s polymer clay classes right away.

Gem Paperweights

Last up is another unique Creativebug class: it’s time to whip up a few quirky polymer clay paperweights!

Featuring maker and author Courtney Cerruti, this 14-minute class covers the simple steps to creating a personalized gemstone-inspired paperweight. You’ll condition and shape your polymer clay and top it off by carving a message on the surface.

Once baked, you’ll learn tips and tricks to coat each of your pieces with gold spray paint to give your paperweights a special look — anyone getting these as a gift will love them, especially papercraft and stationery enthusiasts! They’re not only aesthetic and thoughtful but serve a functional purpose.

Again, this is a bite-size course that can be enjoyed on a Creativebug subscription (or free trial) along with other polymer clay classes. Also, don’t be turned off by the “Valentine’s Day” approach to this course; this is a project you can make any time, for anyone, for any occasion.

This is a fun and easy enough project to enjoy with children too! Just remember that to engrave your messages, having a set of small metal alphabet stamps will be really helpful versus doing this manually.

How to choose the best polymer clay classes for you

Taking a few polymer clay classes can be really helpful if you’re considering pursuing crafts like miniature modeling or jewelry making.

A quick tutorial may do the trick, but learning from some of the best and tackling specific techniques and themes will make a difference at first.

Below are a few points to keep in mind before diving into your first online polymer clay class:

• Most polymer clay classes are focused on jewelry-making. If this is the angle you want to explore, select a course based on what you’re looking for, whether a complete beginner’s class, lessons focused on techniques, or accessory-making.  
• Be sure to check course duration: are you aiming to master a specific project or looking for a more comprehensive class on the fundamentals of working with polymer clay? 
• Before signing up, check the materials listed by each instructor. You can also see a class preview/trailer to get an idea of what will be needed. Having all the materials and tools required from day one will keep you from interrupting your learning to source materials. 
• Do you have access to an oven? Confirm what type of oven you can work with for your projects; this is an essential tool you’ll need no matter what you make!
• If looking for projects to do with children, be sure they are old enough to handle small items, even if you do all the clay slicing and baking.
• Also, while non-toxic, it’s crucial to have safety masks and gloves while baking. Note: polymer clay should always be baked in a different container than you would use for food. 
• While not necessary, having a pasta machine will be very helpful in conditioning clay! If you don’t have one (like most of us), check if you have a kitchen roller or something to help flatten your material. 
• Lastly, consider your purchase options. Do you want to buy courses individually that you can keep forever, or do you prefer an all-you-can-eat subscription plan to access multiple classes on a specific platform? 

---

That’s it for our list of the best polymer clay classes online! Do you have any more recommendations? Let everyone know in the comments below!