This is a step-by-step photo tutorial which will show you how to make a DIY polymer clay drawer knob (or cupboard door knob, etc…)

From this…

boring wooden drawer knob before it gets replaced

…to this:

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - marbled blue and white doorknob

…or this:

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - pink cupboard doorknob

…or this:

DIY polymer clay flower and leaf drawer knob - Kay Vincent

Sometimes drawer knobs get loose or keep falling off, so need fixing or replacing. And sometimes cupboard door knobs are just boooooring. Here is the antidote! It is so simple to make your own doorknobs to match other items in your rooms, add a zap of colour, or just to fix or replace a missing drawer knob. These bespoke, handmade knobs can really transform the whole look of a room. And the only ‘proper’ tool you need is a screwdriver…

You will need:

Tools

  • Wood screw
  • Rawl plug approx 2cm (3/4 inch) long
  • Screwdriver
  • Acrylic roller

Optional:

  • Tile or baking tray to bake the piece on

Polymer clay

(The quantities below are approximate. You might need slightly more or less of each colour. Also, choose your own colours! I just happened to have these colours around, but maybe you have some clay that you want to use up, or maybe you have some favourite colours that you prefer to my examples…)

  • Scrap clay equivalent to half a standard-sized block (approx. 28g or 1oz)
  • White clay (about the size of a small grape)
  • Blue clay (about the size of a small grape)

Step 0) Condition the clay

As always, you should condition the clay before you start to work with it. (Read this post to find out how (and why) to condition polymer clay.)

Condition the clays

1) Roll the scrap clay into a ball.

Roll scrap clay into a ball
Roll scrap clay into a ball

2) Roll the white and blue clays into long thin snakes.

Marbling polymer clay - roll out blue worm and white worm
Roll out long thin snakes

3) Twist the two snakes together.

Marbling polymer clay - twist the two worms together
Twist snakes together

4) Fold the twisted snakes in half.

Marbling polymer clay: fold snake in half
Fold snake in half

5. Roll the stripey snake out longer.

Marbling polymer clay: Roll the snake out so it gets longer
Roll out snake

6) Twist the snake again.

Marbling polymer clay: twist snake again
Twist snake

7) Fold snake in half again.

Marbling polymer clay: Fold snake again
Fold again

8) Roll out again.

Marbling polymer clay: Roll out again
Roll out again

9) Keep repeating the last three steps (twist, fold, roll out) until the clay has a swirly, marbled pattern.

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - clay is now marbled
Repeat until clay is marbled

10) Fold the marbled snake in half.

Fold marbled polymer clay snake in half
Fold marbled clay snake in half

11) Fold in half again.

Fold marbled polymer clay snake in half again
Fold again

12) Twist the piece of clay.

Twist the marbled piece of clay
Twist the clay

13) Roll the marbled clay flat.

Roll the marbled polymer clay flat
Roll out clay

14) Keep rolling the marbled clay until it is big enough to cover the ball of scrap clay.

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - keep rolling out the marbled clay
Keep rolling out the marbled clay

15) Cover the scrap clay with the sheet of marbled clay
Cover the ball of scrap clay with the sheet of marbled clay
Cover the ball of scrap clay

16) Roll the clay back into a ball.

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - roll into a marbled ball
Roll into a marbled ball

17) Pinch the ball into a teardrop shape.

Pinch marbled ball into teardrop shape
Pinch into teardrop shape

18) Push the rawl plug into the pinched end of the ball.

DIY polymer clay drawer knob - Push in rawl plug
Push in rawl plug

19) Bake the drawer knob as per clay manufacturer’s instructions (with the rawl plug on the bottom).

Bake with the rawl plug on the underside of the doorknob
Bake with rawl plug underneath

Finished piece:


DIY polymer clay drawer knob - finished piece

I hope you found this tutorial useful. Have you tried it? How did it go? Let me know on Twitter (@PolymerKay) or Pinterest (PolymerKay) or via the comments or Contact Us page.