DIY terrazzo napkin rings

so terrazzo, when did you become the trendiest thing ever? i've always had a soft spot for the retro marble chip pattern but lately it seems to be popping up everywhere from home decor through to DIY (check out these cool examples from brittni, fran, claire and marwa!) i'm pretty darn happy about it as it's a fun technique that you can try at home yourself.

i decided to make some napkin rings as i'm really into table settings right now (and i had some fancy new cutlery i wanted to play with!) 

you'll need:

white polymer clay (this size made 3-4 rings)

coloured polymer clay blocks

rolling pin

craft knife

ruler

1. take your coloured clay and slice off little pieces using a sharp knife, these will act as the faux marble chips in the terrazzo. arrange or scatter them on a flat board in a random pattern.

2. on a second board roll out some white polymer clay to approx 5mm thickness. cut out a rectangle approx 5cm x 17cm- gently lay this rectangle over the slices of coloured clay on the first board. 

3. next lightly roll with a rolling pin- this will incorporate the coloured pieces into the white. gently remove the rectangle from the board and flip it over to reveal a terrazzo pattern like mine above. lightly roll over it again to ensure all the coloured pieces are fully embedded.

4. trim any uneven edges and fold the rectangle into a cylinder to create the napkin ring. smooth over the joint where the ends meet.

5. place the napkin rings into the oven to harden. (follow the manufacturers instructions for your polymer clay- mine took no longer than 30 mins on a very low heat.)

once they've cooled you're ready to get your terrazzo on!

i've kept to grey, black and brown with mine (nice and neutral which i love.) however there are some beautiful shades of blue, pinks and creams used in terrazzo tiles if you don't want to limit your palette. 

i'm really pleased with them, hope you like them too.

back soon!

caroline x