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Recreating elements of nature in creative ways can be a great way to express yourself. One form of this art can be seen in the beautiful geodes and agates that people are making and using in such unique and beautiful ways.
There are different mediums to work with to recreate agates and geodes, and some of the most popular ways include with acrylic paint in paint pours, with epoxy resin and with polymer clay.
Geodes and agates can be made as free form pieces of art, in which their natural shape is captured with the medium that is being used to make it. You can also make a squared agate or geode on a canvas or wood panels to achieve the look of a piece of a geode or an agate slice.
Many people like to recreate geodes and agates in the forms of drink coasters, on canvas or wooden panels, on free form geodes and on magnets.
And the colors that these geodes and agates can come in are often beautiful and complimentary and you can find unique ways to bring color into a room or theme when you are making these colorful creations!
Today, we are going to show you a way to make some beautiful agate magnets for your fridge that anyone can easily make. There is an easy-to-work-with medium that is becoming extremely popular for making agates and geodes with, and that is Sculpey polymer clay and liquid Sculpey products.
In this DIY polymer clay tutorial, you will learn some unique ways to use these products to achieve the same look as an agate. We are going to modernize it a bit by using some bold, complimenting colors, gold rocks and fireglass to bring a beautiful, reflective and sparkly effect to it.
Here is how to make an agate magnet for your fridge using Sculpey polymer clay and Liquid Sculpey.
You can be as creative as you would like when you are planning the shape, style and colors of your agate magnets. There is a fun and beautiful variety of products to choose from on the Sculpey website. Here are the colors and materials we used, please use this tutorial as a general guideline and go ahead and experiment with different color selections and sheens of finishing glaze.
Find all the Sculpey products we used right here
1. First off you are going to want to decide what shape of agate you are going to try to create. You can go with a classic oval shape, or you can get creative and add some intricate edging. We used a large white and gold geode that was made in a previous resin tutorial as inspiration, so we went with a somewhat oval shape and added to it from there to come up with the shape you see.
*Note: it is easiest if you draw out your shape first on a piece of paper. If you are doing a set of magnets or a series, go ahead and draw out exactly what you are looking for. You can play with your color choices here as well using markers or pencil crayons to make sure they are going to reflect the colors and the vibe you are going for.
2.Take the polymer clay and roll it softly in your hands until it feels pliable. Then, you are going to keep rolling it into your hands until it lengthens out into a shoelace shape. This is going to create the edging for your agate, so the thicker it is will reflect how thick your agate will be in depth. You won't want it too thin or too thick. Try to use the thickness we created as an example, it is less than 1/4 inch thick.
3. Roll out some separate polymer clay to create the smaller ring on the inside. Use slightly less than the first time, and roll it with your hands or on a smooth surface to get that shoelace shape again to create an inner circle.
*Note: If you are going for an agate look, you can fill this inner circle in with Liquid Sculpey, but if you are opting for more of a geode with a hollow, sparkly center, you can leave this inner circle empty and decorate the inside edge with gemstones or sparkles.
4. On an oven-proof baking surface, you are going to lay down the shape of your agate. Try to use a baking surface that is clean, so you don't pick up any baked-on sediment from a old baking sheet or anything like that. Always use a clean, flat surface to work on. A clean baking sheet, a ceramic oven-safe dish or a silicone mat works great as well. Keep crafting supplies separate from your food supplies.
5. Spread the outer edge of polymer clay down onto the baking surface and mold it into the shape you want. There is no rush here, Sculpey polymer clay will not harden until it has been baked, which is really nice. This means you have a lengthy working time here to get your shape perfect.
6. Once the shape is the way you envisioned it, press the ends together to join your agate edging, and do the same for your inner edge. You will now gently press the clay to the bottom of your oven-proof surface so when you pour your Liquid Sculpey in, it won't run out the bottom.
7. Time to use the Liquid Sculpey! Take your first color and pick it up. You are going to want to mix it before using it by taking the cap off and stirring it gently.
8. Once the Liquid Sculpey is thoroughly mixed together, put the cap back on. Turn the bottle upside down and gently squeeze the Liquid Sculpey out. You will find that it is a thick medium and flows thicker than acrylic paint, but it still has a good flow to it. Use the fine tip to direct where you want the medium to go, and you can actually move the Liquid Sculpey around with this nozzle as well.
*Note: For finer details and to really make sure it gets into every part of your dedicated area, you can use a small toothpick or popsicle stick to really smooth it down, or you can create some texture and flow lines with it as well. Just make sure that the Liquid Sculpey touches the edges of the polymer clay for an even and thorough bake.
9. Once you have the first color done, you can add your next color. Use the same technique: roll the bottle gently between your hands to mix it and squeeze gently until the medium comes through. Use the nozzle again to push the Liquid Sculpey around making sure you touch every edge of the polymer clay. Use a toothpick or popsicle stick to create patterns in the Liquid Sculpey or to smooth the surface.
Note: You will find that as you draw your popsicle stick or toothpick through, it can leave some beautiful waves on your agate or geode which really bring out the natural look of it. When you see an actual agate or geode, you will notice all the intricate details in the lines, and this method of moving the Liquid Sculpey around can easily recreate this.
10. Leaving your geode or agate in place on your oven-proof surface, bake according to the directions on the packaging.
11. Take your agate out when it is finished baking, and let it completely cool off. Then, you can paint the edges. Using an acrylic paint and a small or fine-tipped paintbrush, gently paint the edges. We chose to paint ours a gold color.
12. Using either the same color or a different color of acrylic paint, you can add further enhancements by painting more fine lines on your agate if you wish.
13. Once everything has dried, it is time to add your sparkly elements. For this, you can use small painted stones, gemstones, glitter, fireglass or anything that catches the light. Decide where you are going to place your embellishments and use some glue to secure them into place. Just make sure that your glue dries clear. To place your embellishments exactly where you want them, you can adjust them with a pair of tweezers.
14. Once the stones and embellishments have dried in place, it is your chance to add any last minute details. This can be in the form of more detailed lines or swirls on your agate slice. In nature, a lot of these swirls and line details are in opaque whites, and this always looks great as finishing details.
15. Once you are happy with your agate design, it is time to seal your work. Using Sculpey Satin Glaze, fill your agate with a thick line of glaze and then use a small paint brush to spread it around. You are going to want to seal every surface of your agate including the rocks or crystals, sparkles and the polymer clay edging.
16. Once the Sculpey Satin Glaze has dried, it is time to adhere the magnets to the back of it. Using your glue, place a small dot around the same size as your magnet to the back of your agate slice. If you agate is very small, you can use a small magnet, but it never hurts to use more than one magnet.
17. Voila! Your Sculpey agate magnet is complete! Use it on any magnetic surface for your important notes and things, or make several for a collection! This is a super cute way to bring color and sparkle to your kitchen, or wherever you want to use them.
We hope you found this tutorial helpful and inspirational! Here are some questions you may have about Sculpey products:
Will the Sculpey Satin Glaze dry clear?
Yes, Sculpey Satin Glaze is a coating that many crafters use for their polymer clay pieces. The glaze seals your clay creations and lends more durability to your projects. It can also give your piece a beautiful shine if your glaze is glossy and dries clear, so you don't have to worry about losing your fine details.
Can I use different Sculpey Glazes for my project?
Yes, absolutely! There is the Sculpey Satin Glaze and there is also the Sculpey Gloss Glaze. They will both dry clear with reflective finishes, however the Gloss Glaze with be a highly reflective finish whereas the Satin Glaze will offer a semi-reflective sheen when dried. Be sure to watch our tutorial video to see how the Sculpey Satin Glaze looks on the agate magnet. Both finishes are beautiful, it is simply a matter of preference.
What is Liquid Sculpey?
Liquid Sculpey is a liquid polymer clay. This liquid makes an excellent bakeable polymer clay glue to enhance the bond between pieces of clay, or it can be used on its own for a variety of craft projects. Liquid Sculpey bakes the same as Sculpey polymer clay and comes out solid, so it is perfect for so many different craft projects.
What else can I make with Sculpey products?
Sculpey offers a huge variety of different polymer clays for you to try your hand at many different projects and ideas. Jewelry is very popular among clayers, but there is nothing stopping you from making other kinds of magnets, picture frames, doll house items, ornaments, elements for your garden such as clay mushrooms, fairy doors and garden markers, and more. Try one of their variety packs to see what you like!
See all Sculpey products available to try right here
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There are so many different things you can make with polymer clay, it is a really fun and enjoyable form of art that we recommend trying. Be sure to try some yourself and leave us a message with your creative ideas! We'll leave a Pin for your Pinterest board below so you can pin and revisit us again!
Thanks, and have a creative day.
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