Beginner's Guide to Polymer Clay Mokume Gane Technique

The mokume gane technique is one of the most magical ways to work with polymer clay. If you’re a beginner, get ready to fall in love! Inspired by Japanese metalworking, this process creates stunning, one-of-a-kind patterns that look super intricate but are surprisingly beginner-friendly. In this post, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know to make your own mokume gane block. Whether you’re worried about messing up or just don’t know where to start, don’t stress—I’ve got your back!

What Is Mokume Gane?

Mokume gane is a technique with roots in traditional Japanese metalworking. The name itself translates to “wood grain metal,” and it was originally used to craft detailed, wood-like patterns in metals for things like swords and jewelry. But here’s the good news: the polymer clay version captures that same mesmerizing beauty—minus the forge and molten metal (thankfully!).

The mokume gane technique is perfect for beginners. It’s forgiving, doesn’t require fancy tools, and really lets you experiment. As long as you’ve chosen your colors wisely (more on that in the notes below) and get the thickness of your layers just right, you’ll be golden. So, if you’ve been intimidated by more advanced clay techniques, this one is a perfect place to start.

three different sheet of mokume gane technique-pale pastels, blues, and black and white layered with metallic foils — Examples of this same mokume gane technique I’ve made I the past.

Why Beginners Should Try Mokume Gane Technique

The very first technique I tried when I got my hands on polymer clay was the mokume gane technique. It was back during the COVID lockdowns, when polymer clay was harder to find than toilet paper. Looking back, my color choices could have been better, but I loved the results nonetheless. I was hooked.

So why is the mokume gane technique such a great starting point for polymer clay newbies?

Minimal tools, maximum impact: Some mokume gane techniques use texture sheets or rollers, or require a steady hand and a sharp, flexible blade to shave off thin slices. While I enjoy those techniques, this mokume gane block method really only requires something to poke the block of clay with. A pen, a pencil, a chopstick, or a butter knife would work just as well as the simple tools I’ve used in this tutorial. Heck, you could even use your finger to poke the clay.

Encourages experimentation: This technique is forgiving, playful, and all about happy accidents (and I do love a good happy accident). You can’t really mess it up. Every slice reveals a unique design.

Impressive results, even for beginners: There’s something so satisfying about cutting into a mokume gane block and revealing slice after slice of beautiful, organic patterns. There’s no need to worry about shaving too deep, like you might with controlled mokume techniques. The beauty of this method is that each cut is completely unique.

If you’re ready to fall in love with the mokume gane technique, let’s get started.

Tools & Materials

Non-porous work surface — I work on either glazed tile or glass
Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay use — I use an Atlas 180 and will refer to the settings I use on my machine. If you don’t have a pasta machine, an acrylic roller and some playing cards will do in a pinch; it’ll just take a little more work.
Polymer clay — choose 3 colors that play nice together and have good contrast, plus translucent. One of my colors has some metallic clay in the blend for a little extra shimmer.
Polymer clay blade — use a sharp one for nice, clean cuts
Acrylic roller
Metallic leaf sheets — if you don’t have any, that’s okay. See Notes below for a slightly different stacking technique.
A variety of tools for poking into the clay — ball tools, ripple blade, cutters, etc.

Instructions | Polymer Clay Mokume Gane Technique

Step 1: Prepare the Clay
Condition your chosen clay colors separately and sheet them on the thickest setting of your pasta machine (no. 0 on my Atlas).

four sheets of polymer clay stacked and four neatly trimmed square sheets

Trim each sheet to a square. My squares are 2 1/2”. Start with smaller squares if you don’t need much; it’s surprising how much you get out of this technique.

the polymer clay sheets rolled out thinner and one covered in metallic foil

Run each square through the pasta machine on the settings 2, 4, and 6. Alternate the direction of the clay each time so you end up with a rectangle.

Cover the translucent clay with a metallic leaf sheet.

Step 2: Make the Stacked Block
Stack the sheets together in whatever order you like. Make sure the metallic leaf is sandwiched between the clay and not on the outside of the stack.

the polymer clay sheets stacked together shown top view and side view

Run the stack through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Feed a narrow end in first so the rectangle gets longer. Run it through the machine again, same direction, on the no. 2 setting.

the stacked sheets of polymer clay rolled thin and cut into eighths

Cut the rectangle into 8 pieces. You can trim the uneven edges first if they bother you.

Stack the 8 pieces together. Make sure the layers are all facing the same way. Don’t accidentally make a double layer of the top or bottom colors.

the clay sheets stacked and formed into a block and cut in half

Neaten the sides by pressing the stack on your work surface or rolling them with a roller. Flatten the stack slightly and make it longer, until it is approximately twice as long as it is wide.

Cut the stack in half and stack together again, making certain all the layers are facing the same direction.

Step 3: Poke and Cut
Now, the fun part. Gather your poking and cutting tools. Poke holes and divots into the clay, varying the depths. Neaten the block and close up the holes by rolling the sides and top.

the polymer clay block poked with various tools to make the mokume gane technique pattern

Next, cut into the stack with cutters or a ripple blade. Close up the cuts and neaten the block again using your roller and your work surface.

the block of clay cut through with a ripple blade and the cuts sealed up again

Flip the block over and repeat the above process on the other side.

Step 4: Time to Slice!
Place the mokume block on its side so you are slicing with the “grain.” Use a sharp blade for clean cuts. You can either cut straight down through the block or vary the angles slightly. Either way, don’t cut them much thicker than what you’d like your finished veneer or slab to be.

the mokume gane block of clay shown on its side for slicing

Once you have enough slices, slightly overlap the edges and roll over the entire pieces with your roller. Run the veneer through your pasta machine on a setting that’s the same thickness or slightly thinner. Place it through the machine three more times, giving the sheet a quarter turn each time.

slices from the mokume gane technique block layer together to make a veneer

If you’d like a thinner veneer, run it through the machine four more times on a thinner setting until you’ve reached your desired thickness.

Get more mileage out of your mokume: Cut thinner slices and lay them on a solid sheet of clay. Burnish the slices to the sheet of clay before running it through the pasta machine as above.

Step 5: Finishing Options
Before using your veneer, you will need to decide how you will seal the finished piece to protect any exposed metallic leaf from wear and tear. You can either seal your finished work with resin or a varnish, or you can cover it now with a thin sheet of translucent clay.

the mokume gane technique sheet burnished and rolled and covered with a thin sheet of translucent clay

I’ve opted for the translucent clay, which can then be sanded and buffed to a shine.

To do this, roll out a sheet of translucent clay on the thinnest setting of your pasta machine. Lay the sheet over your mokume veneer and stretch it slightly as you set it down to make it even thinner. Check for trapped air bubbles and squeeze the air out by poking with a thin needle.

Pass the sheet through the pasta machine again on your desired thickness setting.

Your mokume gane veneer is now ready to be put to use!

Notes for Success

Choose your colors wisely: Whether you choose an analogous palette as I have or complementary shades, it’s important to make sure you have good contrast between your colors. The easiest way to check that you do is to take a picture of your colors and convert it to black and white. If there is contrast between the shades of gray, you’re good to go. If your grays look similar, you’ve got to do some tweaking. Try swapping something out for another color or adding some white to lighten things up.

three sheets of polymer clay in varying shades of green next to the same photo in black and white

Get the layers right: If your layers are too thick, you’ll get wide bands of color without much interest in the pattern. If your layers are too thin, you run the risk of the colors blending together. And if the colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, they’ll look muddy.
Experiment with blades: There’s no need to stick to a straight blade for cutting your slices. Try cutting slices with a ripple blade and see how that changes the pattern.

mokume Lane technique block and slices — I used a ripple blade to slice up my very first mokume gane technique block

No metallic foil? Just skip it, no big deal. Instead of the translucent layer, substitute another color. Rather than rolling each sheet out to the no. 6 setting individually and then stacking them together, do this instead:
- Pair two squares (rolled out on the thickest setting) together and run them through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Repeat with the other two squares.
- Stack those two sheets together and run them through the machine again, on the thickest setting.
- Run the stack through the machine one more time on the no. 2 setting and then proceed as above by cutting the sheet into 8 pieces and stacking them together.

Wrap-Up: Why Mokume Gane Will Be Your New Favorite Technique

Mokume gane is the perfect blend of creativity, simplicity, and just the right amount of unpredictability. Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned clay enthusiast looking to add something new to your repertoire, it’s approachable, fun, and endlessly rewarding. And the best part? Every single piece you make is truly one of a kind.

So grab some clay, pick your favorite colors, and dive into the wonderful world of mokume gane. And remember: there’s no such thing as mistakes here, just happy accidents that lead to something uniquely yours. I can’t wait to see what you create, so don’t forget to share your masterpieces and join the conversation. Now, go forth and make some clay magic!

Check out these posts for more mokume gane inspiration!

If you enjoyed learning how to make the polymer clay mokume gane technique, I’d love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @bysandracallander.

Got questions? Comments? Hilarious clay fails? Drop me a message—I’m here to help (and laugh with you, not at you… promise).

Want even more inspiration and a place to share your work? Join my Facebook group, The Polymer Clay Collective, and connect with a fabulous community of fellow makers. Let’s clay it up together!

Beginner’s Guide to Polymer Clay Mokume Gane Technique