FIMO is the oldest name in polymer clay. It goes back to 1939 in Germany — the name comes from Fifi Rehbinder, the dollmaker’s daughter who developed it — and Staedtler still makes it in Germany today.

FIMO Soft is the easy one. It is pliable straight out of the pack, needs very little conditioning and almost no hand strength, and it bakes up strong. The color range is large, and the shades are clean and bright.

Good for: beads and pendants, charms and miniatures, covering pens, tins and frames, kid-and-parent projects and classroom work, and general everyday making.

Trend. A seasonal FIMO Soft shade, coordinated with the others in the Trend range.

If you need crisper detail, or the same color mix twice, look at FIMO Professional. It is the firmer clay, it holds a fine edge better, and it is built around a published mixing system, which matters when a shade has to be repeatable.

If it feels dry or crumbly, it is not spent. FIMO Soft stiffens with age and usually just wants more conditioning than a fresh block — keep working it and it comes back. If it is being stubborn, a few drops of clay softener sorts it out; Cernit Magic Mix works well for this and a little goes a long way.

Baking. FIMO cures at 230°F (110°C) for 30 minutes. That is considerably cooler than Sculpey, so if you have been baking Sculpey, do not carry the same oven setting over — too hot and FIMO scorches and darkens. Thicker pieces are happy with longer at the right temperature; there is no penalty for extra time. Most home ovens run well off their dial, so an oven thermometer is the single most useful thing you can add to your setup, and underbaking is the usual reason a finished piece turns out weak.

Specification. 2 oz (57 g) bar. Staedtler item 8020-T31. Cures at 230°F (110°C) for 30 minutes.

Staedtler’s own page for FIMO Soft · Ginger Davis Allman’s polymer clay brand comparison at The Blue Bottle Tree