Sculpey is one of the oldest names in polymer clay, going back to the late 1960s, and it is made in the United States.

Sculpey III is the easiest polymer clay in the range to pick up and start with, and that is its real strength. It is soft straight out of the packet, so it needs almost no conditioning and almost no hand strength — which matters for children, for anyone with sore hands, and for anyone who has been put off by wrestling a stiff block into submission.

It bakes to a matte finish that takes acrylic paint beautifully, it holds a sculpted shape well, and it comes in a very large range of bright colors. It is also the least expensive way into the hobby, which makes it the sensible clay to learn on and to hand to a beginner.

It is at its best for: figurines and sculpted characters, chunky beads, ornaments, kid-and-parent projects, classroom work, and anything with some substance to it.

Where it is the wrong clay — and this is worth reading before you buy. Sculpey III is brittle once baked. Ginger Davis Allman puts it plainly: it is “notoriously brittle after baking,” and her rule is not to use it for anything thinner than ¼ inch. Below that, thin sections snap — earring dangles, slender limbs, delicate cut shapes, anything that gets flexed or knocked.

That is not a defect so much as a trade-off: the softness that makes it so easy to work is the same property that makes it fragile when thin.

If your project needs something Sculpey III cannot do:

• Thin, strong pieces, cutter earrings, fine detail, caning or blending — use Sculpey Premo. It is the stronger, firmer clay and it is what Sculpey themselves point to for caning, mokume gane and Skinner blends.
• Jewelry that has to flex, or anything lightweight that gets worn and handled — use Sculpey Soufflé. It stays flexible after baking instead of snapping.

Both cost a little more per bar. On a piece you intend to keep or sell, that is the cheaper end of the deal.

Baking. Sculpey cures at 275°F (130°C). Give it a full 30 minutes for every ¼ inch of thickness — a half-inch piece wants an hour, and there is no penalty for going longer at the right temperature. Underbaking, not the clay, is the usual reason a finished piece turns out weak and crumbly, and most home ovens run well off their dial, so an oven thermometer is the single best thing you can add to your setup.

• Sculpey reference: S302 055
• Line: Sculpey III
• Color: Aqua
• Best for: Figurines, chunky beads, ornaments, beginners and kids
• Not for: Anything thinner than 1/4 inch
• Size: 2 oz

Sculpey is sometimes spelled “Sculpy” — same clay, and you are in the right place.