At the start of their crafting journey, a lot of people wonder whether varnishing polymer clay is necessary.
The short answer is no!
However, there are times when it is beneficial.
Polymer Clay Doesn’t Need Varnish
Polymer clay hardens into a porous plastic when baked. As is, without any paint, it is safe to keep polymer clay creations unsealed. It can even withstand being in the outdoors conditions! Therefore, if you are using only polymer clay for your creations, you will be fine just baking the project and leaving it as is. If you would like to have a glossy look, you may polish your creation with cloth. It might be easier to use Dremel with cloth polishing attachment to speed up the process.
If Painting Polymer Clay, Varnish it!
However, if you are painting your figurines or creations, you should consider varnishing polymer clay. Acrylic paint might be alright even without varnishing, but it can be scratched off. To prevent that, I would recommend Varathane Water-Based Interior Polyurethane or Mr. Super Clear UV Cut Matt spray varnish. I use Premo polymer clay, so I can only speak about varnish for this clay brand. These are the varnishes I personally used and liked.
Varathane Varnish
The Varathane varnish comes in gloss and satin finish. I have both and use them in different situations. Please keep in mind, Varathane varnish can be physically scratched off, so I would recommend it as a top layer for figurines or something that would not be used a lot. I wouldn’t use it for jewelry.
Mr. Super Clear Spray Varnish
The Mr. Super Clear spray varnish applies in a very thing and barely noticeable coat, but it protects the paint from scratching off easily. It also creates an interesting rough texture on the surface of the figurine. So, if you are looking for smoothness, you are better off with Varathane varnish. MR. Super Clear UV Cut also protects the paint from ultraviolet light, which will help your creation to keep original colors for longer.
These two varnishes are my go-to solution when I need extra protection for my polymer clay creations.
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