How to Make Faux Turquoise With Polymer Clay

Many people love the look of turquoise but hate the price tag that comes along with it. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to create custom pieces that look like the real thing out of polymer clay. So gather together your craft supplies and get ready to make faux turquoise out of polymer clay - matrix and all.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Polymer clay (various shades of blue, green, white and translucent)
• Knife
• White potting sand or glitter
• Black or dark brown acrylic craft paint
• Wet/dry sandpaper

1. Using the different shades of blue, green and white, mix your clay until it forms the shade of turquoise that you want to work with. You can also add glitter or potting sand if you want your faux turquoise to shine a bit. If the clay becomes too soft during mixing, place it in the refrigerator until it firms.
2. Cut the clay into chunks. The size will depend on the size of your project, but don't spend too much time aiming for specific shapes or precise lines. Real turquoise is more free-form and natural looking.
3. Cure the clay as you normally would. Allow the piece to cool completely before moving to the next step.
4. Create the matrix. Real turquoise has dark brown veins running through it that are produced by bits of earth. To reproduce the look, cover the entire piece of clay with thinned-out brown or black paint. Wipe off any excess.
5. Fire the pieces. Once the pieces are baked, wet the clay. Use a little bit of sandpaper to remove any excess paint and smooth out the surface.
6. Finish the piece by applying a coat of varnish and sanding it further.