Fimo clay cures with heat. Most oven-hardening Fimo clays, such as Fimo Soft, Fimo Effect, Fimo Professional and Fimo Kids, can be baked in a regular household oven. The standard temperature is usually 110 degrees Celsius and the baking time is about 30 minutes. Always check the packaging of the exact Fimo product you are using, because some product lines may have slightly different instructions. Fimo Leather Effect, for example, is usually baked at 130 degrees Celsius.
Do not use a microwave. Fimo clay is designed to cure slowly and evenly in an oven. A microwave heats differently and can damage the clay. A hair dryer or heat gun is also not a proper replacement for an oven. These tools heat the surface too quickly, while the inside may not cure well enough.
The baking temperature has a major influence on the strength of your finished Fimo creation. If the oven is too cool, the clay may look hard on the outside but remain weak inside. This is especially risky for thin parts such as earrings, pendants, beads, leaves or small details. If the oven is too hot, colours may darken, change or, in extreme cases, burn.
Many household ovens are not completely accurate. An oven set to 110 degrees Celsius may actually be warmer or cooler. This is why a separate oven thermometer is useful, especially if you often make jewellery or detailed pieces. It gives you a much clearer idea of the real temperature inside the oven.
Place your Fimo piece on baking paper, a ceramic tile or another heat-resistant surface. Make sure the parts do not press against each other and that thin shapes lie flat. For jewellery, it is important that the pieces are roughly the same thickness. This helps them cure evenly and prevents thin sections from being overbaked while thicker sections remain undercured.
If you need holes for jump rings, pendants or beads, it is usually best to make them before baking while the clay is still soft. You can also drill after baking, but you need to work carefully to avoid cracks or breakage. For round beads, a bead rack or a layer of baking powder can help prevent pressure marks.
For most Fimo projects, 30 minutes is enough. Thicker pieces may need a little more time, but do not simply increase the temperature. Baking slightly longer at the correct temperature is safer than baking hotter for a shorter time. Always follow the instructions from Staedtler and the packaging.
If you bake several pieces at once, group them by thickness. Very thin jewellery parts and thick figures are often better baked separately. This gives you more control over the result and reduces the risk of fragile or unevenly cured pieces.
Let Fimo cool completely after baking before you handle, sand, drill, glue or varnish it. Fresh from the oven, Fimo can still feel slightly flexible. This does not automatically mean that it was baked incorrectly. The material becomes firmer as it cools.
Place warm pieces on a flat surface so they do not warp. Only continue with finishing steps, such as sanding, polishing, varnishing or attaching jewellery findings, once the parts are fully cool.
Fimo Air is different from Fimo Soft, Effect and Professional. It dries in the air and does not need to be baked. Use Fimo Air for projects where air-drying clay is useful. For strong jewellery, fine details and colourful effect techniques, oven-hardening Fimo is usually the better choice.
The most common mistakes are baking for too short a time, relying on an inaccurate oven temperature, cooling too quickly or working on pieces while they are still warm. Very thick pieces without proper support can also cause problems. Work calmly, check the temperature and test new techniques with a small sample piece first.
When Fimo is baked correctly and allowed to cool completely, you get strong creations suitable for jewellery, decorations, figures and many other creative projects.