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.
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:
- once in one direction
- then turn 90°
- make setting slightly thinner
- 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.
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:
- Two colors of polymer clay, high contrast is best
- Pasta machine
- Acrylic roller
- Embossing gun
- Ceramic tile
- Clay blade
Enjoy the video and happy creating!
Watch the How to Get Crackle Effects in Polymer Clay Tutorial video at YouTube.
Very cool! I especially like the green crackle that looks like tree bark.
Part of the fun is that you never completely predict the results!
Very helpful video Sandy , I’ll be certain to try this !
Happy creating, Tracy!