What you'll need

Jesmonite & Terrazzo Starter Kit from noah
Baking paper
Digital scales
An apron or old tee
Bowl of water
Protective plastic (like a bin liner)

Shop the kit

How to make it

8 steps

Step 1 Getting Started

Pop on an apron or old tee. Clear a workspace. Lay down protective plastic and tape to table. Cover floor with protective plastic. Get your gloves on and ready to make.

Step 2 Colour me creative

First decide what colours you would like your piece to be. Contrasting colours often work the best. Choose your base colour (most prominent) and then decide your terrazzo chip accent colour.

Step 3 Check the Scales

To make things easy for yourself, you can start by weighing out your powder and liquids. You need to take your 4x cups and weigh out your base powder and liquid into separate cups and then weigh out your chips powder and liquid into separate cups. You can label your cups too if you find it helpful!

Step 4 Chip & Pin

Now it's time to make your terrazzo chips using colour 2. Depending on how many colours you've chosen to make, grab yourself an A4 size of greaseproof paper/baking paper. You'll need a piece of greaseproof paper for every colour you are making, and lay this on a hard and flat surface – like a kitchen worktop. Take your 'chips' liquid and add a tiny bit of colour using your lollipop stick. By dyeing the liquid before you add in the powder, you give yourself more time to adjust the colour and get it right before mixing together. Using the lollipop stick will allow you to gradually add your colour bit by bit. Top tip: The golden rule with Jesmonite pigments is that a little goes a long way! Always start with a tiny bit and build up to the colour you're after. Luckily, we have tried and tested colour combos so you can dive straight into the process... We have a range of combinations from how to achieve a periwinkle blue to a peachy peach. Noah tested, pantone (unofficially) approved. FYI: The colour will change ever so slightly when you add the powder Be careful not to add too much pigment or your chips might not dry and won't be usable for your design Add in your powder once you're happy with the colour and mix to a smooth paste. Pour onto your greaseproof paper, and then use your stick to spread the Jesmonite into a consistent and thin layer. Make sure you spread it as much as possible to make sure you have enough chips in your final design! Want to add another colour? Repeat the process! If you're using your noah Jesmonite Starter Kit then you'll have all the liquid and powder weights to hand. If not, scroll to the bottom for all the deets! Leave for 30 minutes to fully dry.

Step 5 Chip away

Check your sheet is dry – you should be able to peel it off the paper and begin to crumble it up into chips. What size should your chips be? That's up to you! If you want large ones then don't crack & crumble too much. If you do want smaller chips (they often look better in the design) then keep breaking them up until they are a few millimetres big, or you could get wild and create a variety of sizes. Top tip: To break your chips you can use your hands, or if your Jesmonite is quite thick you can use a rolling pin or pestle (just cover your Jesmonite with another sheet of greaseproof paper). Put all your chips into a container - this is where you'll see your vision come to life, especially if you have more than one colour.

Step 6 All about that base

Weigh out your powder and your liquid, and dye it in the same way you did with the chips. Once you're happy with the liquid colour, pour your powder in and mix into a smooth paste. You will now have a cup with your base colour, and it's time to start adding in your chips to create the final design of your Jesmonite piece!

Step 7 Shape the future

Add your chips into your base paste to create the mixture you will pour into your mould. Top tip: You want to add about 25% of your chips into the base paste – this will give your piece a dramatic effect! If you add more than said amount it can stop the Jesmonite from setting and staying together. Pour half of the mixture into your mould and give it a bang on a hard surface, this helps to settle the mixture into place and remove air bubbles. Pour the rest of the mixture in and give it a jiggle and a bang to get those final bubbles out. Top tip: There will always be some air bubbles, but this banging and tapping process removes any large air bubbles Leave it somewhere safe to dry and set! Leave for approx. 45-60 minutes. Jesmonite gets hot as it sets so don't be alarmed if it feels hot. Once it's cool to touch, it's good to go.

Step 8 The big reveal

Once your piece has cooled - demould it. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and grab your different sandpapers. Top tip: Cover your work surface with a layer of plastic – you can use something like a bin liner and masking tape to tape it down to the table. Wet your piece and wet the sandpaper - start with your 80 grit sandpaper as this is rougher and will get the piece sanded pretty quickly. Top tip: Water is your friend! Using water in this process helps to keep scratches and scuffs at bay. Don't submerge your piece in water too long as it could cause it to crumble. Sand your piece to start seeing your coloured chips showing through! Once you're happy with the amount of chips you can see, you can move on to using your 240 grit sandpaper. Wet your sandpaper and work in small gentle circular motions to give your piece that pro finish. Give your piece a quick rinse and dry, and then leave to fully dry. We recommend an extra 24 hours to make sure it's fully touch dry. Need a little more inspo? Find out what your mood is with a little visual stimulation or get experimental with colours!

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