DIY Agate Inspired Coaster

I have recently been scrolling through my Pinterest and have come across these agate coasters. I know they can be really expensive to buy so I decided to DIY them! If you like these coasters and want to find out how to make them keep on reading!

The Supplies: 
Acrylic rolling pin
Different colors of polymer (oven baked) clay! I will give you more information about this further down in the blog post.
Gold craft paint
Small tipped paint brush
Safe oven tray to bake the coasters in

The special supply that will make your coaster look more realistic to an actual agate rock slate is translucent polymer clay! This can be found at your local craft store. For me, I have Michael's. This is an important supply if you want to make yours look realistic. If you prefer not to use it that will be fine! 

For the polymer clay, I chose clay that was in my color scheme. I used a few different colors, mixing them to create more colors, too. You can have tons of colors or just stick to two. It's really your chose. I also added some fine glitter to some of the balls to make them more sparkly. 

Step 1:

Start to form your different groups of clay. I decided I wanted to create three so I spit my clay balls into three piles.

Step 2:

Roll your clay balls into long fat strips. Squish them lightly together like shown below.

Step 3:

Start to twist your fat logs together and mix them.

Tip: After twisting the logs together bend the clay down and then ball the clay up again. Repeat until you like the color and mixture of the clay. Also, make sure not to completely blend the clay together. Most likely it will turn out to be an ugly color so try to only do this process 3-5 times.  

Step 4:

After you combine the clay together, roll the mixture together in one ball. Pick the side you would like to see on the front. For me, it was this really pretty chunk. 

Step 5: 

Take your rolling pin and flatten your ball BUT you need to only flatten it a little bit. You don't want it to be too thick or too thin. 

This is what mine turned out to be! 

Step 6:

Place all of your coasters in a safe oven pan. I am using a pie pan my dad lets me borrow. Also, make sure to line your pan with a sheet of non-stick parchment paper.

Step 7: 

Bake according to your clay package. If you are having trouble finding your clay instructions then check either the top of bottom of the plastic. It should be there somewhere! :) 

Step 8: 

Let your coasters cool for the whole time. Then take your gold paint and brush and start to paint the edge of your coasters. Use your small tip brush. That's why you didn't want a coaster that was too thick or thin. You will need a few coats. I believe I had about 4-5 coats, letting the paint dry fully before painting on the next coat. 

Step 9: (Optional)

If you want to go an extra step add a coat of protector to your coasters for a nice finish. This is also an important step if you want to use these as drink coasters. You don't want the water to ruin your work. I am using Sculpey gloss glaze specifically for polymer clay. I believe you can use Mod Podge if you have that. (I am not 100% sure so I will update this post when I find something)  

That's It! 

If you guys make this DIY project then tag me in a picture on Instagram or Twiter (@itsliddy)! I find these blog posts super fun to write! I hope you enjoyed. If you have any questions then don't forget to post a comment. I would love to read them! Love you all so much.