3 DIY Anthropologie Inspired Home Decor Projects Made with Original Sculpey®

This DIY Anthropologie Inspired Home Decor Projects post is sponsored by Sculpey, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I’ve been “playing” with Sculpey since I was about 10 years old, which means I’ve got about (gulp) 25 years of experience under my belt.

But most (correction…all) of those years up until now were spent making small pieces and beads.

So I had no idea how truly versatile Original Sculpey® was until I was perusing my Anthropologie inspiration Pinterest board for projects I could try and make and a lightbulb went off in my head.

I used Original Sculpey® for every single Anthropologie inspired project in this post! Did you know you can sand and drill into it?! I sure didn’t.

3 DIY Home Decor Anthropologie Inspired Projects Made with Original Sculpey Polymer Clay

Here is what you’ll need to complete all 3 projects…

Supplies Needed:

• 1 lb. each of Original Sculpey® in White, Granite, and Terra Cotta
• 1- Clock Movement Mechanism
• Gel Super Glue
• Wax Paper
• Parchment Paper
• 4- Taper Candles
• 1- Plate or Dish with High Edges
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Cornstarch

Tools Needed:

• Rolling Pin
• Ruler
• Baking Sheet or Glass Dish
• Plastic Knife
• Various Circular Cutters (lids, small bowls, etc.)
• Various Grit Sandpaper (I used 60 grit and 220 grit)
• Electric Drill

Before you begin any of these projects, protect your workspace with a layer of wax paper.

DIY Sculpey Polymer Clay Coasters

Step One: Create your Sculpey balls

So that all of my balls are the same size, I cut out circles using a mason jar lid and plastic knife.

Then, after I rolled the clay circle around in my hand to create a ball, they all turned out pretty much identical.

Step Two: Shape your coasters

I wanted my coasters to be square instead of round, so I made a square out of 9 balls.

Because I am using these for coasters, I wanted the top to be flat enough for a cup or mug to rest on. So, I covered the balls with wax paper and flattened by pressing a plate down on top.

I pressed until the coaster was a little less than 1/2″ thick.

If you’re also using these as a coaster, you’ll want to do this step as well. Feel free to experiment with how flat you press!

Repeat steps 1-3 for every color of Sculpey you are using.

Pro tip: start with your lightest color first! This will prevent color transfer. I did not do this and even though I washed my hands several times thoroughly, some of the terra cotta color came off on the white while I was shaping the balls.

Step Three: Bake the coasters in your oven

Place the coasters on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 275 for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness.

My coasters were about 1/2″ thick, so I baked for 30 minutes.

Sculpey is safe and non-toxic, so you can bake it in your home oven without any worry!

Once your timer goes off, take them out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet so they stay nice and flat.

• Original price for the Anthropologie version= $24.95 for 4
• My cost- approximately 1/4 block of Original Sculpey® per coaster= $8 for 3

The granite Sculpey has flecks that reflect light which give it a really cool effect.

Because of the colors of the clay I think this kind of looks like half of a neapolitan ice cream sandwich which I’m not mad at!

DIY Anthropologie Knock Off Marble Sculpey Wall Clock

Step One: Create your marble affect

Using various colors of Original Sculpey®, roll out a few ropes. I wanted to see more of the granite than white, so I rolled out 2 ropes of granite with 1 rope of white.

Then, wind them around each other and blend them together.

Finally, fold the large rope in half a couple times and then roll into a large ball.

Step Two: Cut out your clock face

Press the ball flat using your hands, and then roll out until approximately 1/2-1/4″ thick using a rolling pin.

Then, using a large circle as a template (I used a big lid for a bowl) cut out your clock face circle.

Step Three: Bake in the oven

Bake at 275 for 15 minutes per 1/4″ thick. My clock was about 1/4″ thick, and in the end it baked for a total of 20 minutes.

When your timer goes off, take it out of the oven and let it cool on the sheet so that it stays flat.

Step Four: Attach your clock mechanism

Drill a hole out of the center of your circle using a drill bit. Go through the front of the clock for a cleaner finish.

I first drilled a pilot hole with a 1/4″ bit and then finished with a 3/8″ bit. The size hole you need will depend on the mechanism you are using.

You can also sand the edges and face down using fine 220 grit sandpaper for a perfectly smooth finish.

Then, attach the clock mechanism. I used a mechanism from an old clock I had, but you can also buy them new.

• Original price for the Anthropologie version= $98 for a 9″ Clock
• My cost (remember I already had a clock mechanism)= approximately $8 for an 8″ Clock

DIY Anthropologie “Franka Candalbra” Inspired Candle Holder

Step One: Form your candle holders

Make four equally sized balls for your candle holders. My balls were about 1.5″ wide.

Dust the bottom of a taper candle with a light coat of cornstarch to prevent the clay from sticking. Then, gently form the ball of clay around the bottom of the candle.

I measured to make sure each of my holders was about the same height. I made mine higher than the inspiration photo because I was worried the candles might fall over if the holders were too short.

Do your best to keep the clay as smooth and even as possible.

Once you have shaped around the candle, press into the dish or plate it will go in to flatten the bottom.

Then, use a plastic knife to cross hatch the bottom. This will help it adhere to the dish later on.

CAREFULLY twist the taper candle out to remove it before the next step.

Step Three: Bake the candle holders

Bake the candle holders at 275 for 15 minutes per 1/4″ thick. I ended up baking mine for exactly 15 minutes.

Once your timer goes off, take them out and let them cool on the baking sheet so they stay flat on the bottom.

Step Four: Sand your candle holders

Sand first with a coarse grit sandpaper (in this case, 60 grit) and finish with a fine grit sandpaper (220 grit).

I tried to make the holders as smooth as possible when I was forming them, but a little sanding helped give them a more polished finish.

Step Five: Attach the candle holders

Prepare the holders by wiping down the bottom of the holders and the dish with rubbing alcohol to remove any oils that might be on the surface.

Using gel super glue, attach the holders to your dish in any formation that you want. I replicated the look of the Anthropologie one.

If your dish was a different color, you could paint the holders with water-based acrylic paint to color match before you attach. I had no idea you could paint Sculpey before doing this project!

Note: if you choose to light your candles, make sure you do not leave them unattended!

• Original price for the Anthropologie version= $38
• My cost- approximately 1/3 block of Original Sculpey® + $2 tray + tiny bit of gel super glue= $7

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, I’m in love with how all 3 projects turned out.

And now that I know just how functional and handy Original Sculpey® is for tackling various knock off and inspired home decor projects, you’ll be seeing a lot more of them here!

What sort of knock off and inspired pieces do you think I should tackle? Share them in the comments!