FINDING FIMO (Fimo Modelling Clay)

Name: ~*pink-pilgrim*~

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Product:	Fimo Modelling Clay
Date:	17/11/08 (555 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great fun to play with, make excellent products

Disadvantages: Patience is required!

WHAT IS FIMO?
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Fimo is a brand of polymer clay made by Eberhard Faber. German dollmaker Kathe Kruse created the compound in the late 1030's after she realised that plastic was scarce after the war. As the FIMO was unsuitable for her dolls she gave it to her daughter Maureen Kruse. Maureen's nickname was Fifi and the clay was known as FIfi's Modelling clay. The modelling clay was later sold to Eberhard Faber and is now known as FIMO.

Fimo comes in many colours and is sold in small 5cm square cubes. Fimo is great for children to play with. I remember having several blocks of Fimo for a Christmas present I made many small broaches and gifts for my family and friends. Fimo is similar to playdough and plasticine but it has special properties which make it hard.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
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The polymer clay (FIMO) is very special as when baked in an oven at 130°C for 30 minutes the clay hardens. This is obviously a great advantage as it allows children and adults alike to keep their efforts for life. I used Fimo with my brownies as I felt it was a shame that they could not keep their work, especially when they have worked so hard to produce something. I find that with normal dough and plasticine it often this gets rolled back into a ball and is put back in a tub. I wrote a review a week ago about an animation program for the computer and I have in the past used Fimo instead of plasticine and modelling dough as unlike these Fimo will not become dry and unmanageable. Models are therefore easier to make and are more robust than models made from clay, plasticine or dough.

Fimo is already coloured and is easy to use meaning that any artwork can be cooked and kept. The polymer clay is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When the clay is heated the particles form strong bonds and merge together to create a durable hard substance.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT?
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I have made many things with my FIMO clay in the past. My best make was a key-ring I made for my dad. It was a bright key-ring with dad modelled in the middle. I made a flower one for my mum. They last a very long time and are durable. I managed to get hold of some key-ring rings and made lots of these, all of different shapes and sizes.

I made a door sign for my bedroom door, I modelled my name with clay and the sign lasted for many years I lost it when the door was repainted. I have made small models such as goldfish, butterflies and dogs. The final quality of these items are quite high and they look professional. Whilst working with a charity planning a stall at a local fete we decided it would be a great idea to make many little models and sell them for £1. We also made jewellery and sold earrings for £1, necklaces for £2 and rings for £1. People bought the items and we made over £200 from 10 block of clay and some jewellery findings.

Whilst searching for wedding items online I have also spotted cake toppers, favours and wine charms made from Fimo. Craftspeople who can make items with Fimo stand a chance of making a nice bit of pocket money. I have made butterfly wine charms for my wedding with Fimo and they do look quite professional. If I did need some extra money I would consider making wine charms, jewellery and ornaments for a hobby.
I have also made a variety of jewellery items such as ear-rings, bracelets, necklaces and rings. These are very easy to make and look quite stylish. You can buy broach pins and magnets to make badges and magnets. They all look very good and make excellent gifts for grandparents and loved ones.

FIMO can be mixed together to produce different shades and colours. You can also create marble effects with the clay. I use Fimo with my students to create models for animation. I use this as opposed to normal clay due to the consistency of the polymer clay (Fimo).

The FIMO can be painted with special paint to make the models more detailed. The website

http://www.fimo.com/News.EBERHARDFABER?ActiveID=1 6816

has many great craft ideas and products to help with any creations. I think it goes to show that Fimo is not only suitable for young children, but adults get as much joy out of it as well.

HOW EASY IS IT TO USE?
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I find the clay very difficult at first to mould. The clay starts to soften at a temperature between 30°C and 50°C so handling it with warm hands will help make the clay more malleable. The clay is marketed as being 'soft' but it definitely is not soft. I sometimes warm it up over steam in a bowl, then unwrap the packaging. The clay is soon malleable enough to mould into shapes. There are many types of clay and the 'classic' Fimo is a lot harder than the 'soft' clay. The Fimo 'effect' does exactly what it says on the packet and offers a special effect e.g. glitter, glow in the dark, marbled, fluorescent etc. There are many other types such as liquid Fimo (this is a liquid gel that will enable you to transfer a photo, picture or text onto a model. You can also used this to connect baked or unbaked clay) and Puppen Fimo (for detailed sculpting such as dolls, this clay has a fleshy colour).

WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
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You can buy FIMO in most craft shops such as Ham and Sewell for about £1.29, I buy mine in a local craft store for only 99p. The colours are so varied ranging from glow in the dark, glitter, florescent and multicoloured. The 5cm square packets are packaged well to maintain the moisture. They are labelled with a number my blue packet has the number 374 and my yellow packet has the number 16. On some website they give step by step instructions using colour codes. The codes make it a lot easier to but the products. If you don't have any craft shops nearby finding FIMO is quite difficult, but you can always buy it from online craft shops.

SUMMARY
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Overall this is a great product to use with children. I enjoy using it myself and will continue to use it in the future. I can't wait to have children so that one day we can make items together. The items I have made in the past for charity, the wedding and for family or friends have been fun to make and I have been proud that I could make an item that a family member can keep and enjoy for years to come. The clay is so durable a model I made for my nan when I was 7 (16 years ago) is still sat on her mantelpiece and despite being played with by younger cousins it still looks as good as it did the day if left the oven. There is so much you can do with this clay and it's not too expensive. I would definitely recommend this product.

Summary: A modelling clay that can be kept forever!