How to Make Faux Wood Grain With Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a pliable clay-like material used to make unique arts and crafts. By combining different colors and varieties of polymer clay, you can create different looks and textures. Learning to make faux wood out of polymer is useful in creating picture frames, boxes and beads.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Polymer clay
• Sharp blade or knife
• Pasta machine
• Hair comb
• Toothbrush

1. Create a base color for your wood grain using polymer clay colors like red, copper, gold or yellow. Mix until the distinction between the colors disappears.

2. Twist to achieve a rod of polymer clay. Use two pieces of original rod to form the lighter and darker shades of the wood grain. Darken by adding black polymer clay. Lighten by using more gold and yellow, or even white or ecru.

3. Roll each shade of polymer clay to rods.

4. Combine three rods by stacking and twisting. Cut in half. Stack and twist again. Cut, stack and twist repeatedly.

5. Blend rods of polymer clay until you're close to achieving the ideal wood grain color.

6. Flatten the clay and place it on the pasta machine with the stripes upright. Roll it through pasta machine on thickest setting. Reduce the setting and roll the polymer clay through again. Continue to reduce the setting and roll the clay until you achieve the desired thickness.

7. Run the hair comb over the polymer clay in the direction of the grain to achieve the texture of wood. Follow with the toothbrush to soften any sharp edges.

Tips & Warnings

• When you mix colors, start with the polymer clay closest in color to your ideal color and add in other colors to achieve the perfect shade.
• If you don't have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin or acrylic roller.
• The optimal work surface for working with polymer clay is smooth glass or marble. Raw clay can damage plastic and wood. You can also tape a sheet of waxed paper to a tabletop.