Omg this is garbage. It is NOT a good polythermal product. Gets super sticky and unusable, hardens so fast you literally have not finished picking this crap off your hands. It leaves you almost no time before it hardens, so you can't actually mold anything. Waste of money and time. I threw it out. Do NOT BUY

Omg this is garbage. It is NOT a good polythermal product. Gets super sticky and unusable, hardens so fast you literally have not finished picking this crap off your hands. It leaves you almost no time before it hardens, so you can't actually mold anything. Waste of money and time. I threw it out. Do NOT BUY

Awesome stuff

Awesome stuff

merci cest parfait

merci cest parfait

Purchased as a gift, and waiting for Halloween/Zombie walks, but the recipient is most excited to work with this product

Purchased as a gift, and waiting for Halloween/Zombie walks, but the recipient is most excited to work with this product

First time I've ever bought thermoplastic. I really do like it. It almost has the consistency of hot glue, but not as sticky when hot. It kind of has an elastic quality when warm and is not quite like clay when forming. It is like a dulled down silly putty when working with it (slightly elastic and stretchy). When it has hardened it is quite strong and will not shatter or stretch, and if thin is quite bendable without kinking. Similar to milk jug plastic. I intrinsically colored mine with cheap tempera paint by kneading and reheating it a few times. When doing that you will need to mentally add white to your paint for the final results.

First time I've ever bought thermoplastic. I really do like it. It almost has the consistency of hot glue, but not as sticky when hot. It kind of has an elastic quality when warm and is not quite like clay when forming. It is like a dulled down silly putty when working with it (slightly elastic and stretchy). When it has hardened it is quite strong and will not shatter or stretch, and if thin is quite bendable without kinking. Similar to milk jug plastic. I intrinsically colored mine with cheap tempera paint by kneading and reheating it a few times. When doing that you will need to mentally add white to your paint for the final results.

If you think Instamorph will just 'read your thoughts' and simply fall into line with whatever you shakily desire to make ... than you'll be disapointed. If on the other hand you 'catch the vision' of how to work with the hot plastic you will simply be overjoyed. One of the best craft examples to exemplify this incredible materials workability TO THOSE WITH SKILL is the making of a denture plate. This project in and of itself will immediately nullify those silly reviews that claim the product will not do detailed molding, cools too fast, is toxic, can't make a good upper plate liner, or the host of other silly negative remarks ... probably from excited and non skilled crafters . Probably every trick necessary to understand this stuff will be learned in making a bottom denture. I wear a 4 toothed bridge that has 2 holes to fit around my existing lower teeth. Here are some facts to greatly help you enjoy this marvelous plastic.1. 'Levels' of meltability ... While the initial first melting of the beads needs to be 140 to 150 degrees, the first rough forming of the shapes desired after cooling can be worked just like a sculpter uses clay. No artist just molds a bust in clay from one quick pressurized push of his hands to form a face or entire head and neither does a skilled crafter using Instamorph. You can dip the entire project rough shape into boiling water for only 1 to 3 seconds and even though the material stays bright white, still it is workable to press into the subtle curves and edges you desire. When you understand that you needn't wait for total clearness of the material nor must you ruin perfect parts to reform a different section of the project you'll 'catch the vision' of how to avoid too much heat, have continued workability all the way up to , as I did ... work the material even as it sat in my mouth without burning yourself. To experiment with it's workability melt some beads and form it into a small 'superball' and let it cool. Now dip only one half into boiling water and leaving the white side totally alone, mold the ball into round on one side and flat on the other. this will let you understand 'spot' melting and just light softening techniques.2. thinness of the material does not make it weaker after cooling. There might be a tendency to make a project too bulky because you dont understand how tough this material is when cooled ... the holes in my project for example are nearly 'see through' where my real teeth must pass through yet it's impossible to break or tear these thin walled holes. So yes, delicate projects like a sailing ship with sails and guy lines CAN be done.3. Many warn against using the product for car interiors because of the extreme heat that might be built up inside a vehicle on a summer day. Thin delicate molds would soften, but thicker and bulkier ideas that required at least a tablespoon or two of beads will get a bit 'rubbery' but not totally 'deform' as claimed. Test this by making a rod about 2 inches long and about as thick as a cigarette and press it into a second piece of plastic about as round as a nickel and just a bit thicker. then place it on your dashboard in summer heat to see it shouldn't become droopy nor deform, and any slight rubberyness will disappear as soon as the car is brought back to passenger comfort level.4. making holes .... if for example your project needs two quarter inch holes through it, dont just punch that size through the hot material as it might deform the material to the left, right, and bottom of the project. for any hole, dip a screwdriver, punch, ice pick or similar tool in boiling water and you can 'spot melt' delicate detail areas.5. controlling color pellet intensity ... the optional color pellets are incredibly brilliant. So, for example how would one make a light pink project from the intensely dark cranberry color that just one pellet produces ? It's easy ! never add any color pellets to your project mix when you care about color intensity. Make instead strips or circles of the pure color. I flatten these 'new' pellets into cuttable disks by using a drinking glass to flatten every new color disk to an equal thickness. Now when you need a more pastel color than the color pellet produces, add small cut pieces fron your color disk to your clear project mix to create much lighter hues that you can increase color intensity to gradually by slowly kneading in another piece of color strip.

If you think Instamorph will just 'read your thoughts' and simply fall into line with whatever you shakily desire to make ... than you'll be disapointed. If on the other hand you 'catch the vision' of how to work with the hot plastic you will simply be overjoyed. One of the best craft examples to exemplify this incredible materials workability TO THOSE WITH SKILL is the making of a denture plate. This project in and of itself will immediately nullify those silly reviews that claim the product will not do detailed molding, cools too fast, is toxic, can't make a good upper plate liner, or the host of other silly negative remarks ... probably from excited and non skilled crafters . Probably every trick necessary to understand this stuff will be learned in making a bottom denture. I wear a 4 toothed bridge that has 2 holes to fit around my existing lower teeth. Here are some facts to greatly help you enjoy this marvelous plastic.1. 'Levels' of meltability ... While the initial first melting of the beads needs to be 140 to 150 degrees, the first rough forming of the shapes desired after cooling can be worked just like a sculpter uses clay. No artist just molds a bust in clay from one quick pressurized push of his hands to form a face or entire head and neither does a skilled crafter using Instamorph. You can dip the entire project rough shape into boiling water for only 1 to 3 seconds and even though the material stays bright white, still it is workable to press into the subtle curves and edges you desire. When you understand that you needn't wait for total clearness of the material nor must you ruin perfect parts to reform a different section of the project you'll 'catch the vision' of how to avoid too much heat, have continued workability all the way up to , as I did ... work the material even as it sat in my mouth without burning yourself. To experiment with it's workability melt some beads and form it into a small 'superball' and let it cool. Now dip only one half into boiling water and leaving the white side totally alone, mold the ball into round on one side and flat on the other. this will let you understand 'spot' melting and just light softening techniques.2. thinness of the material does not make it weaker after cooling. There might be a tendency to make a project too bulky because you dont understand how tough this material is when cooled ... the holes in my project for example are nearly 'see through' where my real teeth must pass through yet it's impossible to break or tear these thin walled holes. So yes, delicate projects like a sailing ship with sails and guy lines CAN be done.3. Many warn against using the product for car interiors because of the extreme heat that might be built up inside a vehicle on a summer day. Thin delicate molds would soften, but thicker and bulkier ideas that required at least a tablespoon or two of beads will get a bit 'rubbery' but not totally 'deform' as claimed. Test this by making a rod about 2 inches long and about as thick as a cigarette and press it into a second piece of plastic about as round as a nickel and just a bit thicker. then place it on your dashboard in summer heat to see it shouldn't become droopy nor deform, and any slight rubberyness will disappear as soon as the car is brought back to passenger comfort level.4. making holes .... if for example your project needs two quarter inch holes through it, dont just punch that size through the hot material as it might deform the material to the left, right, and bottom of the project. for any hole, dip a screwdriver, punch, ice pick or similar tool in boiling water and you can 'spot melt' delicate detail areas.5. controlling color pellet intensity ... the optional color pellets are incredibly brilliant. So, for example how would one make a light pink project from the intensely dark cranberry color that just one pellet produces ? It's easy ! never add any color pellets to your project mix when you care about color intensity. Make instead strips or circles of the pure color. I flatten these 'new' pellets into cuttable disks by using a drinking glass to flatten every new color disk to an equal thickness. Now when you need a more pastel color than the color pellet produces, add small cut pieces fron your color disk to your clear project mix to create much lighter hues that you can increase color intensity to gradually by slowly kneading in another piece of color strip.

This is a great product and the other reviews focus on its potential uses. I want to offer some suggestions for working with the product. All temps are Fahrenheit.1) Heat water to at least 150 deg. (I usually heat to 160-170 deg. because the water will cool quickly and the hotter the water, the quicker the product softens. I use an instant temperature probe thermometer to check the temperature and I use long surgical tweezers to remove the Instamorph from the water). The instructions say heat to 140-150 degrees and never above 150 degrees, but that is for safety/liability reasons - stating you could be burned if you try to mold the stuff that is too hot. However, the hotter you get it, the longer the working time, and the hotter the water will be if you need to re-emerge the product. So, work with the hottest water you can handle, but BE CAREFUL!!2) Mold product in warm/hot water. As others have stated, the product has a short working time. As soon as you remove it from the heated water it starts to cool, and cool/cold hands don't help. So, take a bucket or container just large enough to be able to mold the material with both hands and fill it up with water that is as warm/hot as you can stand, without hurting yourself. Then, after removing the InstaMorph from the heated water, put it in the bucket and mold it there. This will extend the working time of the product considerably, and it won't take as long to bring it back to pliable temp. once the material cools down.3) If the bucket of water won't work for you, at least warm your hands before working with the softened product. Run warm water over your hands or hold something warm prior to removing the product from the heated water to help extend the working time.4) Heat the tools or working surface. If you are going to use tools to shape or sculpt the material, put the tools in warm/hot water. Also, if you are using a plate or some other surface that transfers heat as a base for shaping the material, place it in hot water or heat it some other way. Pressing your item against a cool plate to give it a flat surface will cause it to cool and harden quicker. However, if you want to flatten something and have it set quickly, do not use this tip.5) You can use a hair dryer to soften all or part of the product. You may find that you have created something that is close to what you want, but only the edges need to be changed/softened. Take a hair dryer and using warm or hot air point it at the area you want to change. You will see the area you are heating start to go from white to clear. When the area you want is clear, just shape it how you want. This will allow you to fix part of the item without softening the whole thing, and gives you an alternative when you can't put the Instamorph back in water. Also, this is great for softening rough edges.6) Inversely, you can use cold water to harden the created item quickly. You might not want to wait for the Instamorph to harden every time you work with it - especially if you are making small changes to the edges repeatedly. If you have the shape you want, and you don't have to worry about exposure to water, simply run cold tap water over your creation and it will harden very quickly.7) Adding the color chips (sold separately) makes the product harder, and harder to work with, and usually requires using slightly higher temperatures to work with and for softening. However, adding color is advantageous if you are going to be using the created item in an area where the heat comes close to the softening point of uncolored Instamorph because it raises the softening/melting point, and creates a harder overall product.Like I said, this is great product. Finding ways to extend the molding time just makes it that much easier to work with. I discovered these tips through trial and error. If you know of other ways to help others improve the working time, please comment on this, or post your own review. I hope this has been helpful.

This is a great product and the other reviews focus on its potential uses. I want to offer some suggestions for working with the product. All temps are Fahrenheit.1) Heat water to at least 150 deg. (I usually heat to 160-170 deg. because the water will cool quickly and the hotter the water, the quicker the product softens. I use an instant temperature probe thermometer to check the temperature and I use long surgical tweezers to remove the Instamorph from the water). The instructions say heat to 140-150 degrees and never above 150 degrees, but that is for safety/liability reasons - stating you could be burned if you try to mold the stuff that is too hot. However, the hotter you get it, the longer the working time, and the hotter the water will be if you need to re-emerge the product. So, work with the hottest water you can handle, but BE CAREFUL!!2) Mold product in warm/hot water. As others have stated, the product has a short working time. As soon as you remove it from the heated water it starts to cool, and cool/cold hands don't help. So, take a bucket or container just large enough to be able to mold the material with both hands and fill it up with water that is as warm/hot as you can stand, without hurting yourself. Then, after removing the InstaMorph from the heated water, put it in the bucket and mold it there. This will extend the working time of the product considerably, and it won't take as long to bring it back to pliable temp. once the material cools down.3) If the bucket of water won't work for you, at least warm your hands before working with the softened product. Run warm water over your hands or hold something warm prior to removing the product from the heated water to help extend the working time.4) Heat the tools or working surface. If you are going to use tools to shape or sculpt the material, put the tools in warm/hot water. Also, if you are using a plate or some other surface that transfers heat as a base for shaping the material, place it in hot water or heat it some other way. Pressing your item against a cool plate to give it a flat surface will cause it to cool and harden quicker. However, if you want to flatten something and have it set quickly, do not use this tip.5) You can use a hair dryer to soften all or part of the product. You may find that you have created something that is close to what you want, but only the edges need to be changed/softened. Take a hair dryer and using warm or hot air point it at the area you want to change. You will see the area you are heating start to go from white to clear. When the area you want is clear, just shape it how you want. This will allow you to fix part of the item without softening the whole thing, and gives you an alternative when you can't put the Instamorph back in water. Also, this is great for softening rough edges.6) Inversely, you can use cold water to harden the created item quickly. You might not want to wait for the Instamorph to harden every time you work with it - especially if you are making small changes to the edges repeatedly. If you have the shape you want, and you don't have to worry about exposure to water, simply run cold tap water over your creation and it will harden very quickly.7) Adding the color chips (sold separately) makes the product harder, and harder to work with, and usually requires using slightly higher temperatures to work with and for softening. However, adding color is advantageous if you are going to be using the created item in an area where the heat comes close to the softening point of uncolored Instamorph because it raises the softening/melting point, and creates a harder overall product.Like I said, this is great product. Finding ways to extend the molding time just makes it that much easier to work with. I discovered these tips through trial and error. If you know of other ways to help others improve the working time, please comment on this, or post your own review. I hope this has been helpful.