Poly
Wanna Coaster
By Debi Wilson
When a friend
moved to a new home I wanted to give her a personalized gift that
was functional and coordinated with her décor. She and her
husband entertain frequently so I decided to make a set of coasters
from polymer clay.
To get a deep
impression, bold stamps work best. Fine-line images can be used as
well, but need to be dusted with contrasting colors of Pearl Ex to
bring the design to life. Small embellishments such as seed beads
or wire can be added, but push them flat so that glasses will have
a level place to rest.
You can make
your coasters any size or shape. I found that using an old round plastic
coaster as my template worked well. Some stamps, both round and square,
are already the perfect coaster size – just stamp and cut around
the clay design.
Supplies:
Rolling pin or
pasta machine
Baby powder or cornstarch
Wax paper
Rubber stamps
Baking sheet
Polymer clay
Paintbrushes
Pearl-Ex Pigments
Seed beads
Craft knife
Matte varnish spray
Thin cork
Spray adhesive
Heavy books
Technique:
-
Condition
polymer clay. This can be done with a pasta machine (dedicated for
clay only) or a rolling pin. Place on wax paper.
-
Dust
rubber stamps with cornstarch or baby powder to prevent sticking.
-
Stamp
firmly into the clay. Repeat as needed for the design.
-
Trim
clay with craft knife into desired shape, smoothing the edges with
your fingers.
-
Brush
Pearl Ex over the coaster design, cleaning brush when changing colors.
-
Remove
from wax paper and transfer to baking sheet. Use more cornstarch
or baby powder to prevent sticking on baking sheet.
-
Bake
according to manufacturer instructions. Remove and allow to cool.
-
Seal
with matte varnish spray and allow to dry.
-
Cut
cork to fit coaster and mount to the back of coaster with spray
adhesive. Place the coaster under a stack of books while it dries
to keep flat.
