How to create a checkered polymer clay pattern

July 28, 2024

An interesting way to design polymer clay earrings can be with a checkered polymer clay pattern! These checkered patterns always remind me of 8th grade when Sk8tr Boi came out 😂 and I had hot pink checkered vans… I know, I’m old, but that song still rocks and so does checkered polymer clay patterns!

In this blog I’ll walk through how to create a 2 colored polymer clay checkered pattern, but expand on this to incorporate 3 or more colors!

Choose Your Polymer Clay Checkered Colors

First choose the checkered color scheme you’re after. You don’t have to stick with the classic black and white, you can have fun or use different palettes for the season, like this summer polymer clay color recipes

Here is some more inspo for different colors to use for your checkered polymer clay design (Hartford checkered pattern by Funkypaperco.com, and Checkmate checkered wallpaper by Tempaper & Co)

Prep the Clay to Create a Checkered Pattern

Using your clay blade tool, create 2 even rectangles of each color clay that you want to use. Keeping them the same size will reduce waste of your clay AND will help you create an even checkered pattern.

Start with a Stripe Clay Pattern

If you have a polymer clay line tool, use this clay cutter to cut even stripes on the clay. Otherwise, use a blade to create even stripes, doing your best to make the spacing even so that your checkered pattern will look polished in the end.

(But also... unpolished look gives the handmade vibe which I LOVE!)

Start to build your stripe pattern:

Using your blade tool, take a stripe from COLOR A and place it on your tile.
Using your blade tool, take a stripe from COLOR B and place it above your previous COLOR A stripe.
Continue this stripe pattern until your original slabs of polymer clay are gone and you have 1 stripe slab left

Tip! Use your blade tool to push the stripes together and even them out as you build the stripe slab of clay. This will also help the clay come off of your blade tool.

Create the Checkered Polymer Clay Pattern

To get the checkered pattern you are going to cut squares with your cutting blade from the striped clay, and create the checkered pattern. You’ll see what I mean after 3 rows!!

Turn your stripe pattern clay so that the stripes are vertical, and create an even rectangle again cutting off any excess rows
Row 1

Using the cutting blade, cut across the stripe pattern, ensuring that you are creating a square sized row with the cut
The clay should stick to the blade, and place this row on a clear space on the tile

Row 2

Using the cutting blade, cut across the stripe pattern again. Ensure that you are keeping the rows even height as your first.
Place this row above the first. Place the squares above the OPPOSITE color - NOTE - you will have 1 square overhang.

Row 3

Using the cutting blade, cut across the stripe pattern again. Ensure that you are keeping the rows even height as your first.
Place this row above the second row. Place the squares above the OPPOSITE color - NOTE - you will have 1 square overhang on the opposite side now.

Repeat for each sequential row. You should start to see a checkered pattern building!!
When you're finished, use your acrylic roller, and roll lightly over the pattern to flatten and ensure the checkered pattern will bake together.

Create Checkered Polymer Clay Earrings and Accessories

Now that you have a checkered slab, you can create your polymer clay checkered earrings with any polymer clay cutters you have!

Here are some finished earrings with a checkered pattern:

Helpful Checkered Clay Tools for Polymer Clay Makers

I hope this polymer clay checkered tutorial gives you inspiration for how you can create and design your own checkered clay slab! My Etsy shop has several polymer clay cutters made for polymer clay makers and to help further your creativity with polymer clay.

Here are some cutters that would be perfect to use on a checkered clay slab,

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