Create DIY Terrazzo homewares using polymer clay

If you want to get crafty and try your hand at DIY homewares, then you might enjoy giving this project a go. Follow along as we make an awesome Terrazzo style flower pot, tea light holder and jewellery dish. They’re really fun to make and will look beautiful in your home!

Extra material you will need:

Rolling pin
Roll of cling film
A bowl
A can
Palette knife
Sheet of wax proof paper

Take the 400g Polymer Clay block and separate the four sheets of clay. Lay two of them on the wax proof paper side by side and place the remaining two sheets underneath.

Slice off any areas of clay that join, overlapping them slightly. Lay cling film over the top of the clay and use a rolling pin to flatten it out. Apply pressure to smooth the ridges. Once the clay is smooth and flat, flip it over and lay more cling film over the top. Roll this side until it is smooth and remove the cling wrap.

Real Terrazzo is a composite material consisting of marble, quartz, granite and sometimes glass chips held in a solid binder. The chips in Terrazzo can be any number of colours, but are commonly earth tones. In this tutorial, feel free to use any colours that you think will look nice together.

To create the chips, slice off a square edge of the coloured polymer clay blocks and cut pieces with the palette knife. Try to make the bits different sizes.

Then, lay the pieces sporadically over the white sheet of clay. Try to spread the different colours out, continuing until the sheet is nicely covered.

Cover it with another layer of cling film and roll the coloured chips into the white sheet until it is totally smooth and flat. If you find any sparse areas, add more colour chips and repeat the rolling process.

Firstly, lay the sheet colour side down and cut one side and one end at right angles to each other.

Place the can over the flush end of the sheet and roll it until the end touches the sheet, leaving the clay to overlap over the top of the can.

Roll the can back over and cut the sheet at that point. Then, roll the can up in the clay.

Cut the clay flush around the base, join the edges together and smooth with the palette knife.

Once you are happy with the join, lay the can on some off-cut clay and cut around the base. Smooth this into the sides. Finally, roll the clay over and around the edge of the can.

For the tea light holder, flip the clay face side down and measure out the width of the clay. Use the tea light as a guide to cut the top and bottom of the sheet into a strip.

Make the strip twice as thick as the tea light so that it sits in the top portion of the piece. Cut the strip at 90 degrees and roll it around the tea light, press the edge onto the other side of the clay and cut it at that point. Smooth the edges together with a palette knife.

Place the base on an off-cut piece of clay and cut around the base. Then, join the base to the side and smooth it out.

Remove the tea light from the piece and create a cone shape of clay and apply it to the bottom of the base inside. Place the tea light into the top of the holder and press it down just below the rim.

To help create the jewellery dish, cut a circular shape out of the clay. You can use a saucer as a guide and cut around it with a palette knife.

Then, lay the circular piece of clay inside the bowl, ensuring the clay sits centrally in the bowl. When you’re ready, smooth the edge and you’re done!