DIY Network

Create Polymer Clay Design Template for Switch Plate Learn how to create the design template and silkscreen for the light-switch plate. From "Craft Lab" episode DCLB-101

Guest Savarick joins host Jennifer Perkins and begins the improvisational screen printed polymer light-switch plate by creating the design template and silkscreen.

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Seth Savarick shows you how to create a design template and silkscreen to turn your plain switch plate into a thing of beauty.

Project designed by Seth Savarick.

Materials:

lucite or acrylic rod
bone folder
work surface
plastic container about 6" x 9" x 3"
natural sea sponge
glazed tile 6" x 6"
squeegee (old credit card or hotel room card key works great)
contact frame (8.5" x 11" cheap "frame-less" picture frame)
black felt
large "butterfly" binder clips or small workbench clamps
Premo brand polymer clay (6 oz. black, white or favorite color)
4 oz. translucent high quality acrylic paints (Golden Iridescent Bright Gold—fine, Iridescent Pearl—fine—and Interference Green—fine—or any of your favorite colors
plastic or metal light-switch plate
Photo-Ez screen printing film
white glue
wax paper
paper towel
wet/dry sandpaper in 320, 400, 600, 800 and 1,000 grits

Material for Screen Stencils:

Photo-EZ screen printing film

Materials for Autographic Image Positive:

True-Grain or Dura-Lar film
black permanent marker
brushes
inking pen
black ink
found objects

Or, for Digital Image Positive:

digital set up with computer, software and ink-jet printer
ink-jet printer transparency film

	This is the design template after the first layer of clay.
	This is the design template after the second layer of clay.
	Figure A

Improvisational Screen Printed Polymer Light-Switch Plate

1. To make a contact frame, glue black felt onto the baking board of the picture frame and let it dry.

2. Make your positives. For autographic positives use a permanent marker or black ink and brush to draw your designs. You can also use flat found objects as a positive. For digital positives use your computer and software to create your design and output them to the ink jet printer transparency film.

3. Keep EZ screen-printing film in bag until ready for exposure because it is sensitive to light. When ready, place your screen printing film down on felt then the design and next the glass from the frame. Clamp them together using butterfly clips or clamps.

4. Cover with a black cloth and carry outside to expose your film for approximately 30 seconds in bright sunlight. Then cover back up with the cloth until you develop.

5. Soak your film in cool tap water for ten minutes, and then wash out the stencil under a gentle stream of water. Use a sea sponge and glazed tile if needed to assist with the wash out. Pat the stencil dry in a few layers of paper towels. Place the washed out screen on a flat surface and place in the sun for a minimum of ten minutes and let dry completely with the shiny side up.

6. Condition your colored polymer clay by running it through the pasta machine about 10 times.

7. Roll a sheet of clay on the third thickest setting on the pasta machine approximately 4.5" x 7.5".

8. Roll two or three sheets, approximately 4.5"x 7.5" each, of translucent clay on the thinnest setting on the pasta machine. First roll a slice of clay to a thickness two setting thicker than the thinnest setting. Then sandwich the clay sheets between two sheets of wax paper and roll the sandwich through the thinnest setting. Peel off the top sheet (from the convex side) of wax paper from the clay sheets and set aside.

9. Take one of your dry screen stencils and place it shiny side down onto your sheet of colored clay.

10. Apply a bead of paint along the top of the screen stencil on the dull side. With a squeegee held at a 45-degree angle (figure A), stroke the paint down the screen applying light pressure. If you miss an area, remove the excess paint from the squeegee and place it above the area and pull it down to fill in the gap.

11. Do not let acrylic paints dry on your stencil. Keep a container of water nearby to drop your stencil in as soon as you've used it. Gently rinse your stencil under running water while gently brushing the dull side with a natural sponge. Never rub the shiny side. Pat dry with paper towel and hang to dry.

12. Let the paint dry on the colored clay.

13. Meanwhile screen-print your other designs onto the two or three sheets of translucent clay. Allow to dry.

14. Take one layer of the screen printed translucent clay and lay it paint side down onto the sheet of screen-printed colored clay. Use a bone folder to burnish the layers together. Slowly peel off the wax paper. Remove any air bubbles with a needle tool or craft knife. Repeat with the other layer(s).

15. Coat the light-switch plate with a thin coat of white glue. Let dry.

16. Apply the laminated sheet of clay to the light-switch plate making sure there are no air bubbles. Use a tissue blade to trim the clay to the edge of the light-switch plate and a craft knife to cut out the hole for the light-switch. Use a knitting needle or bamboo skewer to open the holes for the screws.

17. Bake the light switch plate at 265 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool.

18. Wet sand the light-switch plate using wet-dry sandpaper starting at 400-grit and working up to 1000-grit. Buff with a soft cloth to bring up a natural satin shine.

GUESTS :

Jill MacKay
Website: www.jillmackay.com

SL Savarick
SL Savarick Studio
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: 323-634-1898
E-mail: slsavarick@earthlink.net
Website: www.slsavarickstudio.com