How to Get Crackle Effects in Polymer Clay Tutorial

Ever since the first time I got crackles on a piece of polymer clay ( I think it was by accident) I’ve been fascinated with the look and the concept.

crackled effects cover

One of my go-to techniques for creating an interesting finish on polymer clay is to simply add a sheet of metallic leaf to a sheet of clay and then run it through the pasta machine:

  1. once in one direction
  2. then turn 90°
  3. make setting slightly thinner
  4. run though in other direction

This gives you sparkling, even crackles in both directions.

I’ve also been seeing a lot of clay on clay crackles lately and wanted to explore this. The chunky crackles look especially cool and I’ll be sharing how to do those soon.

crackled effects

The dreamy, atmospheric looking crackles in the center of the above photo were done by folding and then rolling the sheet through the pasta machine a few more times after the initial crackling. As I mention in the video, this would be a gorgeous background for a landscape or beach scene.

Keep in mind that you likely will have to clean your pasta machine well after doing this!

In today’s video I’ll show you how to get a fine crackle effect on polymer clay and also explain the variables so you can understand and control them as you experiment.

Next week I’ll show you a way of using these crackled sheets to make beautiful cabochons.

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the How to Get Crackle Effects in Polymer Clay Tutorial video at YouTube.

Like my tutorials? Support me on Patreon for weekly peeks into my creative process and a bonus video every month!
Become a patron at Patreon!

4 thoughts on “How to Get Crackle Effects in Polymer Clay Tutorial

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.