Create sculpture and jewelry with with faux ebony.
Polymer clay is made up of microscopic bits of plastic suspended in a clay composite. The result is non-sticky, smooth, malleable and infinitely versatile. Artists often use polymer clay to mimic other materials, including expensive woods, like ebony. Use faux ebony to cover small boxes, add embellishments to table edges and create beads and pendants.
Instructions
1. Cut two 1/4-in.-thick squares of flat black polymer clay and two 1/4-in.-thick squares of charcoal gray. Cut each square in half so you have four rectangles of each color.
2. Lay a black rectangle on a piece of wax paper. Place a grey rectangle on top of it. Continue to stack the rectangles of clay in alternating colors until all eight are in the stack.
3. Gently push down on the center of the stack and smooth it out with your palms until it is about half its original height and twice its original length.
4. Roll the rectangle of clay back and forth with your fingertips on the wax paper, creating a log shape.
5. Pick up the log and twist it so that striations form across the length of it.
6. Lay the twisted log back down on the wax paper and roll it into a 1/4-in. thick sheet with the rolling pin. The twisted striations will become the wood grain while the two colors of clay will give the ebony depth and texture.
