Friendly Plastic® Marbling Technique

Design by Jana Ewy

MATERIALS

AMACO® Friendly Plastic® 7” sticks – Turquoise, Avocado, Swirl, Gold
AMACO® Craft Marbling Comb
AMACO® PolyBlade
AMACO® Needle Tool
1 1/4” Oval shape cutter 
Small dish of ice cold water with a few drops of olive oil. Note: keep the cutter in this dish. 
Cutting mat
Acrylic ruler 
Mat knife or utility knife
Scissors
Electric griddle set at 200 to 250F
Non-stick baking sheet
Envirotex Lite, resin sealer, or any high gloss acrylic sealer 
Non-stick cookie sheet
Jewelry components and findings of your choice

TECHNIQUE

Step 1
Using the cutting mat, ruler and matte knife, cut one 1/4” strip from each color of plastic. Now cut each strip in half with scissors.

Step 2
Pre-heat the griddle. Place the baking sheet onto the griddle. Place the plastic strips onto the baking sheet one at a time in the color pattern of your choice. Make sure each strip is stuck in place before adding the next strip. Try to press each strip tightly against the one before to prevent any gaps. Allow the plastic to soften and seal together. If any gaps do appear, simply tap over them with your finger pressing the softened plastic together.

Step 3
When all the strips have softened and sealed together, place the teeth of the marbling comb against the baking sheet and draw the comb towards you in a wavy “S” pattern cutting through the plastic. 

Note: It is very important that you keep the teeth of the comb against the pan while cutting through the plastic. If you only rake over the top, you split the metallic finish and take the chance of exposing too much of the base plastic. 

Step 4
Place the teeth of the marbling comb in between the lines you just cut. Now push the comb away following the same wavy pattern, bisecting the previous pass. 

Step 5
Remove the pan from the griddle. While the plastic is still warm, cut out the oval by pressing the cutter into the softened plastic. If you are cutting several ovals, be sure to dip the cutter back into the cold water after each cut. This will help keep it from sticking to the plastic. 

Step 6
Allow the plastic to cool. You may place the pan under cold running water to speed the cooling process along. Use the needle tool to press under the edges of the cooled plastic to remove it from the pan. Pop out the ovals. If needed use the craft knife to cut around each one.

Step 7
Apply the Envirotex sealer following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place pieces on a non stick cookie sheet. This way if there is any run off, it will be easy to remove later. Once the Envirotex is mixed, pour it into a small squeeze bottle. The application will be more precise and much easier. Blow softly, through a straw to pop any bubbles that remain. Allow the resin to dry at least 12 hours. If there has been any run off, remove the piece from the pan by pressing the needle tool under it and lifting it off the sheet. You can cut the excess that has run off with a scissor. Envirotex cures completely in 24 hours.

Step 8
Gather your jewelry components and findings and assemble them in a pleasing design.

The marbled cabochons are the perfect focal piece in any style of jewelry.