2. Terrazzo Style Geometric Coasters
Bring a splash of mid-century modern elegance into your living space with custom-made terrazzo coasters. The beauty of terrazzo lies in its chaotic yet harmonious mosaic of colors, a style that is surprisingly easy to replicate using air dry clay. Start by selecting a clean, neutral base clay, such as a soft cream or a cool grey. Next, prepare your “chips” by rolling out very thin sheets of contrasting colored clays—think terracotta, mustard yellow, deep indigo, and dusty rose. Allow these colored sheets to dry slightly so they become firm, then tear or chop them into tiny, irregular fragments of varying sizes.
Scatter these colorful clay chips generously over your freshly rolled-out neutral base clay. Gently press them into the surface with your fingers, then use a rolling pin to firmly roll over the entire slab. This action embeds the colorful fragments flush into the base clay, creating a smooth, unified sheet speckled with vibrant, mosaic-like patterns. Use a hexagonal or circular cookie cutter to punch out your coasters, ensuring sharp, clean edges. After the coasters have dried thoroughly, use a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth down the edges and surface, revealing the crisp borders of the embedded chips. Finish with a high-gloss glaze to mimic the polished stone look of traditional Italian terrazzo, and apply adhesive cork backing to protect your tabletops.