Polymer Clay Brooch Tutorial: Make a Whimsical Statement

Alright, let’s talk about flowers—quirky, whimsical, and absolutely not realistic. In this polymer clay brooch tutorial, I’m stepping away from the real world and diving into something more imaginative. Think playful petals, bold pattern, and fun color combinations.

I truly enjoyed making this playful brooch and I’m already dreaming up the next one.

polymer clay brooch tutorial pinterest pin

This project is all about creative freedom. You’ll craft a dimensional flower brooch with hollow petals to keep it lightweight and a mokume gane veneer to add eye-catching detail. Whether you pin it to your jacket, bag, or hat, this piece is guaranteed to stand out. Get ready for the compliments and comments.

Why You’ll Love This Polymer Clay Brooch Tutorial

Perfect for Scrap Clay – The hollow petal forms make use of those muddy scraps you’ve been hoarding.
DIY Texture Stamps in Action – If you caught my last post on making custom texture stamps, you can put them to good use with this project!
Creative Potential – Play with color, shimmer, or bold neon—this design is yours to reinvent.

While this isn’t the quickest project, it’s totally doable for an adventurous beginner. You’ll learn how to shape hollow petals, apply a mokume gane veneer, and assemble a brooch that’s equal parts funky and fabulous. Ready? Let’s make some floral fun happen!

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 on my machine. If you don’t have a pasta machine, an acrylic roller and some playing cards will work in a pinch—it’ll just take a little more effort.
Polymer clay – You’ll need scrap clay for the hollow forms and several colors for the flower petals and center.
Liquid polymer clay
Polymer clay blade – I prefer a flexible blade for mokume gane, but you may find a rigid one easier to use. Either way, make sure it’s sharp.
Shape cutters – You’ll need something petal-shaped, plus ¾-inch and ½-inch round cutters, and micro cutters.
Texture tools – I’m using DIY texture stamps.
Glazed tile for baking
Parchment paper
Burnishing tool – I use a stainless steel soap to burnish but a roller works, too.
Super glue
Ball tools
Craft knife
Bar pin (or substitute 2 pin backs)
Texture sponge
Needle tool
2 kitchen sponges
Coarse sanding sponge

Instructions | Polymer Clay Brooch Tutorial

Step 1: Make the Hollow Forms

Condition the scrap clay and sheet it on a medium setting (No. 4 on my Atlas). Burnish the sheet onto a glazed tile for baking.

a sheet of brownish polymer clay on a tile and a hand holding a shape cutter with a piece of clay draped inside

Use a very small micro cutter or a needle tool to make holes in the sheet for the bottom of each hollow-form petal.

Drape a piece of scrap clay over your chosen cutter to shape the flower petals. Using your fingertip or a ball tool, gently dome the clay into the cutter.

hollow polymer clay petal shapes on a tile ready to be cured

Place the cutter, with the clay still in it, on the prepared sheet of clay and press through all layers.

Once all the hollow forms are made, peel up the excess clay, leaving the petal forms in place. I made a few extra in case some didn’t turn out as expected.

Bake at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for 30 minutes.

Once the forms have cooled, gently pop them off. Use a sanding block to quickly smooth any sharp edges.

Step 2: The Mokume Gane Veneer

You have a couple of options for your mokume gane. I made three small Skinner blends, planning for the darker side of each blend to point toward the flower center. However, my blends were too subtle, and the effect got lost.

six pieces of polymer clay in varying shades of pink made into skinner blends

Here’s what you could do instead:

Save yourself the extra steps and just choose three solid colors for your mokume gane veneer.
Use stronger contrast in your Skinner blends to ensure the dark-to-light effect is visible.
Try a straight cut instead of a diagonal cut when setting up the blends—this will create more definition between the light and dark sections. (This is the method I’ll try next time.)

If you decide to make a blend, keep it long and narrow so you get a bit of light and dark on each petal. If using solid sheets, you can keep them more square.

layered sheets of pink polymer clay being prepared for mokume gane technique

No matter your method, sheet each color on a No. 3 setting and stack them together. Run them through the pasta machine on the thickest setting (No. 0). Cut the stack in half, restack, and run it through the machine again.

If you have plenty of clay to cover your petal forms, cut the sheet in half again and run it through the pasta machine once more. I didn’t have quite enough, so I added a solid sheet of pink to my stack before running it through the machine one last time.

long, narrow sheets of pink polymer clay textured with diy texture stamps

Lay the sheet on your work surface and texture it with your chosen tools. Use a sharp blade to shave off the raised areas. (Save the shaved bits! You can lay them on another sheet of clay for a second veneer.)

polymer clay mokume gane veneer covered in a sheet of parchment with a stainless steel soap for burnishing

Burnish the shaved veneer to smooth everything out.

Run the veneer through the pasta machine on a setting that matches the thickness of your original sheet. Run it through three more times on the same setting giving the sheet a quarter turn each time. (I had to cut my sheet into three sections to manage the quarter turns.)

Move the rollers to the next thinnest setting and repeat. Stop at No. 4 or 5.

Step 3: Wrap the Hollow Forms

prepared sheets of polymer clay mokume gane being wrapped around hollow petal forms

Sponge or smear a thin layer of liquid clay over the front of a petal form, then cover it with a piece of the veneer. Wrap the edges around to the back, smooth out the front, and set it aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

a hand holding a hollow petal form wrapped in a polymer clay veneer and a blade shown trimming the excess clay from the forms

Once all the petals are wrapped, return to the first one and trim away the excess clay with a sharp blade or craft knife. (Waiting a few minutes allows the raw clay to bond slightly with the cured form, making trimming easier.)

Bake again for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Assemble the Flower

Once the petals have cooled, join them together with a small drop of super glue. They may feel a little unstable, but don’t worry—you’ll reinforce everything in the next step.

petal forms covered in mokume gane veneer with a container of super glue

Place the flower back on your baking tile and press a small ball of clay into the center to hold the petal points together. If there’s a gap in the center, press the ball of clay flat onto the tile as well.

a hand holding a yellow circle of polymer clay being manipulated with a ball tool

I used three shades of yellow for my flower center.

Cut a ¾-inch circle from a No. 2 sheet of clay. Place it in your palm and use a ball tool to flatten the edges and create a slightly uneven shape. Press it into the center of the flower using the ball tool.

Repeat with a ½-inch circle in a darker shade.

a ball tool pressing a flatten circle of clay into the center of the flower

Add a generous drop of liquid clay to the center of the flower. Use a micro cutter to create several tiny circles (~1/8 inch) from the darkest color. Roll them into balls and drop them into the liquid clay. Use a silicone tool or toothpick to mix them in, ensuring they’re fully coated.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Apply the Pin and Backing Clay

the polymer clay brooch with the center completed on a tile ready to cure

Once the flower has cooled, glue a brooch pin (or two pin backs) onto the back. Position it off-center so the flower lays flat when pinned.

the polymer clay brooch pictured face down with the brooch pin glued on and sponged with liquid polymer clay ready for the backing clay to be applied

Sheet your backing clay on a No. 5 setting. Lightly press the pin into the clay to mark its placement. Cut two holes for the pin ends and a slit down the middle. Place the backing clay onto the back of the flower, keeping the holes aligned.

Use a texture sponge to press the clay into place and seal the seam around the pin. Carefully trim away the excess clay with a craft knife. Use a silicone tool or a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to smooth the edges. Finishing neatly now means less sanding later.

Rest the flower on two kitchen sponges with the pin positioned in the gap between them. Bake one last time for 45 minutes at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay.

Sand if needed, and enjoy your new whimsical polymer clay brooch!

the completed flower made using the polymer clay brooch tutorial pictured with mokume gane scraps and diy texture stamps

Tips, Tricks & Creative Variety

Hollow Forms: Don’t Skip the Vent Holes!

As polymer clay bakes, the air inside hollow forms expands and then contracts as it cools. Without tiny vent holes, your petals could collapse into sad little pancakes. Trust me, skip the holes, and you’ll learn this lesson the hard way.

Make the Mokume Gane Yours

Mokume gane is all about layering, slicing, and revealing unexpected patterns. Want to mix things up? Here are a few ways to put your own spin on it:

Experiment with texture – Try different stamps, DIY or store-bought, or even things you find around the house.
Play with color – I went for a monochrome palette, but you could go for high-contrast hues, metallic clay for extra shimmer, or even metallic foil for a touch of glam.
Switch up the technique – Instead of a sheet mokume gane with more predictable results, try a block technique for a more organic, random pattern.

Finishing Touches: To Sand or Not to Sand?

I’m usually a stickler for sanding, but this brooch didn’t need much of it. That said, if you love that buttery-smooth, polished look, here’s where to focus:

Sand before assembling – It’s easier to refine the petals before gluing them together.
Smooth the petal edges – After the final bake, go in with light sanding where the backing clay meets the mokume gane veneer for a clean finish.
Extra tip for metallic clay – If you used metallic polymer clay, sanding and buffing will really make that shimmer pop.

Get Weird with the Petals

Your brooch doesn’t have to look like mine! Here are some fun ways to customize the shape:

Try different petal cutters—teardrops, ovals, scalloped edges, or even heart shapes.
Use a graduated cutter set to mix petal sizes within one flower.
Check out this tutorial for an example of how I mixed petal sizes for a completely different look.

Conclusion: Your Quirky Statement Piece Awaits!

And there you have it—your own whimsical polymer clay brooch, full of personality and color!

If you enjoyed this polymer clay brooch tutorial, I’d love to see what you made! Tag me on Instagram @bysandracallander so I can cheer you on.

Want even more polymer clay inspiration? Join my Facebook group, The Polymer Clay Collective, where we geek out over techniques, share creative wins (and fails), and keep each other inspired.

Now, go forth and make something fun!