Modeling and Sculpting Tools for Miniaturists

Color Shaping Tools

Available from art supply stores, color shaping tools allow controlled shaping of paperclay, clay, epoxy putty, paint, and softer polymer clays. They can be used to move moistened paper clay or thin epoxy paste around to fill tiny gaps when repairing or creating miniatures, and the larger tips will burnish dry paper clay and clay if the tip is moistened slightly.

These tools come in a wide range of tip styles, firmness, and sizes, so consider if you need rounded or sharp edges, and soft or hard tips before you buy them.

Dental Tools

Dental tools are useful for carving away flash on resin castings or carving out bits of cured polymer clay. They can also be used to create fine detail lines on items or model all types of clay, epoxy putty, and wax.

Sharpened dental tools are often also used for some woodcarving and scraping. They work best on hard substances, where they will carve detail effectively. They are less effective on soft materials that can cling to the metal surface.

Clay Cleaning Tools and Knives

Often used to clean up greenware, the various curved knives available are also useful for working with polymer clay, paperclay, and epoxy putty. They often function well as sturdy knives for working with hard modeling materials, but they will also work to indent materials such as paper clay and polymer clay.

Mini Ribbon or Loop Tools

These narrow loops of metal can be used to smooth corners and curves, pull out small amounts of clay, or create texture or patterns. These are useful tools where you need to level material across an area, as the looped blades can rest on the raised areas while you draw in material to fill lower gaps.

Clay Modeling Tools

Wooden modeling tools are available from pottery and clay suppliers, as well as from craft suppliers or online. These tools are useful for creating smooth edges or curves on items to be modeled. They can help you control the curve on a three-dimensional shape, as well as cut lines in most modeling materials.

Flexible Blade Knife

These polymer clay blades or tissue blades are great for slicing through canes of polymer clay, but they also work well for scoring lines for tiles in paperclay surfaces or cutting through other soft structures, including florist arranging foam. If you do a lot of work with polymer clay, consider purchasing a blade with removable handles to make it easier to press down evenly on the blade.

Acrylic Rolling Pin

A rolling pin is a basic but useful tool for rolling out thin layers of creative paperclay, clay, modeling material for casting, or polymer clay. Acrylic rolling pins are small, even and easy to use and clean. If you cannot find an acrylic rolling pin in your craft suppliers, a plastic supply house may be able to cut you a length of plexiglass or acrylic material to use. In a pinch, small glass jars can be used as rolling pins.

Clay Extruding Gun

Clay guns are useful for pushing out particular shapes or long strings of clay, modeling material, or polymer clay. Some formers also work with Creative Paperclay; others catch on paperclay. These are an inexpensive tool available from a craft supplier and work similar to a cookie press. They generally work well with the softer brands of polymer clay, while firmer brands may need varying amounts of softener added in order to successfully press out a clay shape. Most of the shapes are too large for straight miniature work but may be helpful for shaped sections for canes.

Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps can be dusted with talcum powder as a release and used with most forms of clay to create textures or designs. Paperclay and some brands of polymer clay will accept inks and embossing ink applied directly to them using a stamp.

Beads as Texturing Tools

Beads make useful texturing tools for miniature projects. A bead with a strong design can be turned into a miniature rolling pin by inserting a toothpick through the center. Using beads as texturing tools allows for all kinds of special effects.

Oven Thermometer

Most ovens do not work at the temperature shown on the oven. If you will be doing a lot of work with polymer clay, you may want to purchase a stand-alone oven thermometer, which can be used to make sure your oven is reaching the correct temperature for the brand of polymer clay you are using.