Friendly Plastic®: the Fracture and Fusion Technique

Designed by Jana Ewy for AMACO®

MATERIALS

Friendly Plastic® 7” sticks – in colors of your choice
AMACO® Work Mat
AMACO® PolyBlade
AMACO® Needle Tool
Cutting mat
Mat knife
Acrylic ruler
Scissors
1 1/4” round cutters or cutter shape of your choice
Small dish of cold water with a few drops of olive oil 
Griddle set at 200-300°F
Non-stick baking sheet that fits flat on griddle surface 
Heat tool
Sealer (Envirotex Lite used, but any high gloss acrylic sealer will work)
Disposable mixing container and stir stick
Straw
Non-stick cookie sheet
Brass filigree flowers, 2”, 3/4”  and 1/2” in size.
Brass teardrop shaped book mark
Crystal flat back rhinestone
E6000 glue

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1
Fracture: Using a cutting mat, ruler and blade, cut the Friendly Plastic® sticks into 1/4” and 1/8” strips. Then cut the strips in half using scissors. Cut enough strips to create a 1 1/2” x 3 1/2” rectangle. This size will allow you to make two bookmarks, if desired.

Step 2
Fusion:  Pre-heat the griddle. Place the baking sheet onto the griddle. One at a time, in a color pattern of your choice, place the plastic strips onto the baking sheet. Make sure each strip is stuck in place before adding the next. Try to press each strip tightly against the one before, to prevent any gaps. Continue until all of the strips have been added. 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. When all the strips have softened and sealed together, remove the baking sheet from the griddle and allow the plastic to cool. Use the needle tool to press under the edges of the cooled plastic and remove it from the pan. 

Step 3
Fracture: Place the cooled plastic back on the cutting mat and trim off the two uneven edges. Continue to cut the plastic into random widths, until the entire piece has been cut apart. 

Step 4
Flip every other strip in reverse, revealing what the finished fractured pattern will look like. Play around with the different size strips until you have the desired pattern. The finished piece only needs to be large enough to accommodate two large circle cut-outs. 

Step 5
Fusion: Place the baking sheet back onto the griddle. One at a time, in the pattern you have arranged, place the plastic strips onto the baking sheet. 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. Continue until all of the strips have been added. Allow the plastic to soften and seal together. If any gaps do appear, remember to tap over them with your finger, pressing the softened plastic together. When all the strips have softened and sealed together, remove the baking sheet from the griddle. 

Step 6
While the plastic is still warm, cut two circles by pressing the cutter into the softened plastic. Dip the cutter back into the cold water after each cut. This will help keep it from sticking to the plastic. 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 and remove it from the pan. Pop out the circles. If needed use the PolyBlade to cut around each one. 

Step 7
Mix the Envirotex lite sealer following the manufacturer’s instructions. Application: 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. Once the resin has been applied, blow softly through a straw over each piece to pop any bubbles that remain. Allow the pieces 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. The resin is still soft enough that you can cut the excess off with scissors. Envirotex cures completely in 24 hours. 

Step 8
Position and glue the 2” filigree flower to the top of the bookmark. Glue the friendly plastic circle into the center of the 2” filigree flower. Next, position and glue the 3/4” filigree flower onto the plastic and the 1/2” flower into the center of it. Finally, glue the crystal rhinestone into place. Allow the glue to dry.  

Variation: Try using different color combinations to create your very own unique look.