How to Make Scrap Polymer Clay Mokume Gane

In this blog tutorial I’ll be showing you how to make scrap polymer clay mokume gane. Gather up some of those colorful clay scraps you’ve got tucked away and turn them into beautiful veneers.

My favorite thing to make with polymer clay is canes. But the I find the biggest drawback with making canes is the amount of scrap clay produced. There’s been times that the amount of polymer clay scraps generated is equal in weight to the finished cane. Especially when I rush the reduction process. Oops.

That’s a lot of scrap to deal with.

If I know those scraps won’t blend into a usable color, I have a few favorite techniques for turning them into something beautiful. In this post I’m sharing my favorite scrap polymer clay mokume gane technique.

Mokume gane is probably my second favorite polymer clay technique after caning. There are numerous approaches to the technique—click here for another mokume gane tutorial—and being able to use up some of those cane scraps with mokume gane is a bonus.

Don’t make canes? That’s okay, I’m sure you have some other scraps tucked away somewhere. Try the scrap polymer clay mokume gane technique using the leftover skeleton from a colorful slab. Or grab an assortment of solid colors and chop them up together!

If the chopped clay mix is looking a little too dark I’ll grab some white clay and add it in to lighten things up. The main thing to remember is to not pass the clay through the pasta machine too many times or you risk muddying the colors if there’s lots of contrasting variety.

I find having two different blades on hand for this technique to be very helpful. A sturdy, rigid blade is best for chopping clay and it doesn’t need to be sharp. A flexible, sharp blade is best for shaving the mokume gane itself. And keep some baby wipes handy if you’re having trouble with the clay sticking to the blade. Wiping the blade after each pass will keep it cleanly slicing through the veneer.

Now, collect some of those scraps you’ve been wondering what to do with and let’s make some scrap polymer clay mokume gane.

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
• Colorful polymer clay scraps—this is a great project for those wonky cane ends
• Texture mat suitable for mokume gane. See notes below
• Polymer clay blades—use your most rigid blade for chopping clay & a sharp, flexible blade for the mokume gane technique itself
• Parchment paper
• Acrylic rod
• Stainless steel soap or espresso tamper for burnishing (optional)

Directions for Scrap Polymer Clay Mokume Gane

Gather up the wonky ends from your latest polymer clay cane project or any leftover scraps that go well together.

Chop up the scraps using a rigid blade until they’re fairly finely chopped. 

I find a rigid blade works best for chopping clay like this and it doesn’t have to be terribly sharp. My favorite blade for chopping clay is an old one from my Lucy Clay slicer.

Gather up all the chopped clay bits and press them into a cube. Make sure to press them together really well to eliminate any air pockets.

Cut the cube into thick slices. Mine were about double the thickest setting on my Atlas pasta machine (no.0)

Firmly press the edges together and use an acrylic rod to flatten until it will pass easily through the pasta machine on the thickest setting.

Pass through the machine on progressively thinner settings until you reach setting no.3. Cut the sheet in half, stack the halves together, and pass it through the machine again, this time on the thickest setting.

Condition a contrasting piece of clay and sheet it on a thin setting (no.8). For this example I used some of leftover darker green used in the cane with a bit of black mixed in. Cover the scrap clay sheet with the thin, solid colored sheet and pass them through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Roll it thinner if you’d like a thinner veneer in the end. I usually go to a no.2 setting.

Dust the clay LIGHTLY with cornstarch. Don’t go overboard like I did in the photo. You want enough that the texture mat doesn’t stick to the clay but not so much that the mat just wants to slide around on the clay.

Texture the clay with your texture mat of choice. Using your sharpest, flexible blade shave off the raised areas. Only take off the thinnest shavings you can manage at a time. If the clay is sticking to your blade wipe it off between passes with a baby wipe.

Continue shaving off bits of clay until all the raised areas have been removed. Cover the sheet with a piece of parchment paper and burnish with a stainless steel soap or by rubbing over with an acrylic rod.

To further smooth out the sheet you can run it through the pasta machine. I always start with the same setting I initially sheeted the clay. I give it a quarter turn each time until it’s gone through four times before I move to the next thinner setting. This will help the image from becoming distorted.

When you’re finished smoothing the veneer it’s ready for use in a project. 

Grab some more scrap polymer clay and make another veneer! These are fun and addictive to make.

Notes on Texture Mats

When it comes to using texture mats for polymer clay mokume gane techniques not all are suitable. For mokume gane a deeper texture is better. Look for textures that are at least 1mm deep. A shorter depth may be possible but it takes a lot of practice to shave off such a small amount. Fineline textures are also more difficult to use as they are typically not as deep as well as having very narrow lines.

Experiment with the textures you have in your collection and see what works best for you. I still struggle wrapping my head around the thought that it’s not wasting clay if I’m experimenting or trying out a new technique. Using scrap polymer clay makes it feel a little less wasteful.

Texture Mats Used in Scrap Polymer Clay Mokume Gane Tutorial

• Green veneer: Lucy Struncova Texture Stamp 10 from Polymer Week
• Navy & mustard veneer: MOIKO texture – 18.26 from Moiko Silkscreens This one can be a bit tricky to use for mokume gane as the texture isn’t that deep but the results are worth it when you get it right.
• Pink & yellow veneer: Lucy Struncova Texture Stamp 5 from Polymer Week

I hope you’re feeling inspired to try this scrap polymer clay mokume gane tutorial and make some beautiful veneers.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, I’m happy to hear from you.