How to get started with polymer clay...

So, I've been using polymer clay for just over a year now, and I'd like to give you guys a few tips for starting out with polymer clay! 

Fimo clay

The first, and most obvious thing you need to get started is polymer clay. Do your research before you go out and buy lots of clay! I guess this is one of the most common beginner trap to fall in to. When I first started, I bought a set of clay that contained about 12 different colours. Most brands do these sets of clay. However, this was a set of Sculpey III (3) clay, which in my experience, is the worst type of polymer clay. I know it works for some people, and it does make good canes, but it almost always breaks!!! And we're not just talking about it breaking a tiny little bit, we're talking shattering in to tiny pieces over time because it's so brittle! Studio by Sculpey seemed to work a little better, but it still breaks as it's not designed to be used for jewellery or charms. At the moment I only use Fimo because it's the easiest brand to get where I live - but I'm planning to try out more when I get the time! Anyway, always do your research before buying clay.

The second most important thing is the tools. When I first started out, all I had was Sculpey III and a mat (and of course an oven!). I didn't have a blade, needle tool, rolling pin... Or anything 'fancy' like that. Now, I don't know how I managed without them! My top five must-have tools for beginners are:

1. A blade or craft knife! These are the most important tools. You need them for virtually every project. I use a craft knife with changeable blades. Personally, I find these nicer to work with, but that's just me. These are also safer because you can remove the blade completely when you're not using it, however, they're harder to clean as clay gets all in the pen part of the craft knife!
2. Some sort of a rolling pin. It doesn't literally have to be a rolling pin - you can use pens (that are rounded in shape) or paint brushes (preferably the thicker ones). You don't have to have a fancy pasta machine when you're only starting out.
3. Wipes - I always seem to use them! They're great for cleaning your hands, the surface and you can even use them to soften the clay itself! 
4. A mat of some sort to use your clay on. 
5. Scrap paper - scrap pieces of paper are really useful to have around. I use them for making templates and mixing liquid clay (which is useful to have but not a necessity).

As you go a long, you can pick up other tools (like liquid clay, chalk, pasta machine, extruder, etc), but these are the top five things I probably use for everything I make. You may however find that you already have some of these things lying around in your house. 

Another good tip is to watch videos of people making things with polymer clay on YouTube and look at plenty of tutorials. I have a growing collection tutorials here about Polymer Clay :D