DIY Faux Agate Coasters

Has spring started already where you live ? For us in New york , it seems like it has started but we still don't feel like it is spring as the forecast says it is going to snow again next week. (oh no !! we want Mr.sun to show some mercy on us :( ) But , we are sure one day we will also get into spring and summer eventually. Summer means some outdoor fun .So, if you are hosting a party and want to add something different to your table setting ,then I got you covered. I came across these  agate coasters and agate pendant and pinned them to my Pinterest board. Ask me why ? Because they were unique and I liked the look of the agate stone but the price tag was like $60 , $95. I am like no way I will buy this for that much money. So, I thought I can mimic the look with my favorite medium ,polymer clay .I tried it and it worked. Here is how.

Materials required :
Premo Sculpey Translucent 2oz   - 1 block
Premo Sculpey White 2 oz           - 1 block
Premo Sculpey  Black 2 oz           - 1 block (You can choose any other color instead of black)
Premo Sculpey  *Gray  2oz          -  Half block
Premo Sculpey  *Silver 2oz         -  Half block
Premo Sculpey  Gold  2oz           - Half block
Rolling pin
knife
A piece of aluminum foil

* I preferred gray and silver as they are lighter shades of black but you can use the base color you selected and mix pearl white or white to get lighter shades of the main color you are choosing and use that color instead of gray and silver.In that case, you need 2 blocks of the main color.
* I have mentioned Premo Sculpey as I have used it personally and it is the strongest of all the clay that I have used but it is up to you to chose different brand.

Inspiration :

Image Source

Step 1: Cut a 1/4 block of translucent clay and condition it by kneading the clay using the rolling pin.Do the same for the white clay.

Step 2: Take some random pieces of white clay and place them over the rolled sheet of translucent clay and then roll it. This is done to get random white parts in translucent clay. Shape the roll into an oval tube for the center. You can also make them circle but again it is up to you.

Step 3: Next cover it with the white sheet of clay and poke randomly with the back of a pen just to create curves or waves in the coasters.This is an optional step. You can see the effect for this in the final step. If you like that you can do or proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Start covering  the roll with sheets of clay in shades of the main color. In my case it is black so ,I covered with light gray, dark gray, translucent, translucent mixed with light gray , etc.Do this till you get the required size for a coaster.

Step 5 : Cover the roll of clay with a sheet of gold clay if you want gold edges for your coasters.

The sliced piece is without the gold edge. 

Step 6 : Use the knife and carefully cut them into slices. I was little impatient to see how it looks and so I got some random agate pieces ;) and four complete coasters. But if you carefully slice it , you can get six to eight coasters.

Step 7 : Take the piece of aluminum foil and crush it. Use that to create the crinkled texture on the edges of the coasters.

Step 8: Bake the coasters at 275F for 30 to 45 minutes.(Refer to the package) Allow them to cool down. Voila !! You now have a set of unique coasters to add to your table setting for your next outdoor party.

How interesting was that tutorial ?? You can also make these set of coasters and tie it with a ribbon to give as a hostess gift. If you have leftover pieces of faux agate , you can make them into pendants. To create the look of the pendant shown in the intro link, use xacto knife and cut a random shaped oval piece and use aluminum foil to create a crinkled effect, attach an eye pin at the top and bake it to create the pendant.It is that easy :). Hope you will give this a try. As always I will be happy to hear your comments about this faux agate coasters.

Other clay projects that you might like :

DIY Embroidered Clay Rings

Office Supplies Makeover

DIY Knobs using Polymer clay