Polymer Clay Bargello Leftover Tutorial

Find out how to make a beautiful Step Ladder Polymer Clay Bargello using leftover clay.

The many versions of this versatile polymer clay technique make it great fun to play around with. You can vary the pattern depending on how you place the strips. You can use Skinner Blends, create a raised or spiral version, and so much more.

Take a look at my Bargello Pinterest board, linked in the box below the video for ideas.

You will need the following supplies:

Leftover polymer clay
A tissue blade
An acrylic roller
A pasta machine
A ruler (I'm using a Kato Marx-It)

Steps To Making A Leftover Polymer Clay Bargello

To start you’ll need at least three colors of leftover clay. They don’t have to be solid colors.
Compact your leftovers into balls and then roll them into long cylinders.
Cut the cylinders in half so that you now have two cylinders per color. Line them up next to each other in any pattern you want.
Flatten them out with your acrylic roller so that you lengthen the logs.
Roll your sheet of logs through your pasta machine on the thickest setting so that you’re lengthening the stripes.
Fold in half and roll in the same direction again. Repeat this until you’re happy with the streaks.
Roll progressively through your pasta machine from the thickest to the middle setting, all the while lengthening the stripes.
Trim up and neaten the edges.
Use a ruler and a knife, or a Kato Marx-It, to mark equal progressions along your clay, perpendicular to the stripes.
Cut the sheet into equal strips using the marks as a guide. Make sure the cuts are perpendicular to the stripes in the sheet.
Take one strip and lay it on the tile. Then take another strip and place it a little higher than the last strip. Repeat this step, but again place the strip a little higher than the last one.
Carry on going for a while.
Reverse direction and make the strips start going down, then reverse and go up again.
Continue going up and down in a zigzag until you have used up all of your strips.
Once you’re finished you should have a sheet with the stripes going up and down in a stair like fashion.
Push the strips together with your fingertips.
Cut one end of the sheet off and attach to the other end so that you have a rectangular shape. This step isn't strictly necessary but it does save waste. See the video for directions.
Use your blade to squish all four edges of your Bargello sheet to straighten it out.
Roll the sheet flat with your acrylic roller to bond the strips together.

And that's the Leftover Polymer Clay Bargello Technique. It can be hard to explain, so I recommend that you watch the video tutorial for the best results.