Learn how to make these marble effect coasters made by Cara from FIMO polymer clay. The clay is available in a large choice of colours allowing you to design your coasters to complement your decor.
There are also a choice of effect colours (2 of which were used to make Cara’s coasters) plus FIMO Soft which is easily softened into a workable state, and the firmer FIMO Professional which is best used for fine detail work and colour accuracy. All three of these polymer clays are inter-mixable and easily blended.
The clay is so versatile. It is smooth, easy to model with, keeps its shape and becomes super durable once hardened. It can be used to make any number of decorative items, beads or faux stones for jewellery, or miniatures for dolls houses and model train stations.
There is no need for a kiln or special equipment, the clay is baked for 30 minutes in a domestic oven at just 130°C.
Materials & Tools List
- Cara’s marble mix which consists of 2 parts FIMO Professional – White, 1 part FIMO Soft – Dolphin Grey, 1 part each FIMO Effect – Metallic Silver and Pearl Rose.
- A cardboard template. You don’t need to use a hexagon shape, a square, pentagon or octagon will work equally well. Ensure that the shape is large enough for the average sized cup or glass
- A roller
- Rolling guides (DVD case/thick card) if desired. These help to achieve a level surface.
- Sharp craft knife
- Ceramic tile or similar (for rolling out the clay)
- Grease proof paper and old baking tray or foil dish
- A domestic oven
- Sandpaper
Additional items for Finishing Touches:
- Lumiere Acrylic Paint
- Varnish
How to Make your Coaster
- Prepare the clay by cutting it into equally sized portions. See Cara’s marble mix above (2 x dominant colour FIMO Professional and 3 x other colours of either FIMO Effect or FIMO soft.). This ratio will make 4 matching coasters. Any left over clay can be used for another project!
- The next stage is to condition the clay. The best way to do this is to work it in your hands and roll it across your work surface (use a smooth, non-porous surface such as a tile or glass chopping board) until it warms and softens. (TIP: A good trick is to wrap the clay in cling film and put it in your pocket half an hour before beginning work.)
- When the clay is soft enough roll it into logs.
- Squash the logs together into a large log and roll until the colours begin to blend. You can fold your log in half and roll again until you are happy with the marble pattern.
- Roll the clay to your desired thickness (Cara’s coasters are 5mm deep), position your template and carefully cut around the shape with a sharp knife. The edges may distort slightly when cutting and can be corrected by smoothing with a finger.
- Place the cut out FIMO polymer clay coasters onto baking paper on a baking tray and heat in an oven at 130°C for 30 minutes.
Finishing off the Polymer Clay Coasters
- Allow the clay coasters to cool thoroughly before handling them. The clay will continue to harden as it cools down.
- If required, use a smooth grit sandpaper to tidy the edges and corners.
- The coasters are ready to use as they are, or they can be further embellished. The image below shows Cara painting the clay with Sculpey Satin Glaze which provides the clay with a protective coating and brings out the colours.
- The final step is paint around the edges of the coaster with an acrylic paint. The Jacquard Lumiere Metallic Gold brings an element of luxury to the “marble” coasters.
