How to Make a Chopstick Rest
Fine Japanese restaurants supply their guests with hoshiaki, or chopstick rests, to hold chopsticks neatly and keep them clean when the diner must set them down. This elegant item is often ceramic, but can be found in bamboo, glass, wood and even stone. The gracious hostess can add this detail to the dining table by making her own unique hoshiaki from polymer clay.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 packages of polymer clay in contrasting colors
- aspic cutters
- plastic knife
- plastic wrap
- cornstarch
- rolling pin
- disposable baking pan
- oven
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
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2
Knead one color of clay or run it through a pasta machine until it is completely conditioned. This means that it should be soft and pliable with no bubbles.
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3
Place the clay between two sheets of plastic wrap and press it flat.
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4
Roll the clay with the rolling pin until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick.
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5
Cut rectangles in the clay about 1/2 inch by 2 inches with the plastic knife, being careful not to pierce the plastic wrap.
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6
Repeat with the contrasting color of clay.
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7
Dip the aspic cutter of your choice in cornstarch.
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8
Press the aspic cutter into the centers of the rectangles. Coat the cutter in cornstarch between uses.
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9
Cut the same shape from the contrasting clay.
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10
Peel back the plastic wrap from the top of the rectangles and remove the cut shapes from the centers.
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11
Peel back the top sheet of plastic wrap from the contrasting clay and lift out the cut shapes.
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12
Place the rectangles in the foil baking pan.
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13
Place the contrasting shapes into the holes in the rectangles like puzzle pieces.
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14
Bake the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Avoid contact between the tools used and the clay, or use tools dedicated to this purpose.
Overbaking will turn the clay brown.
References
- "Creative Ways with Polymer Clay"; Dotty McMillan; 2001
- Polymer Clay Superstore
- Asian Gifts Online
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
