Floral Polymer Clay Canes Tutorial

Make polymer clay floral canes.

Using polymer clay allows a crafter to make a variety of small sculptures and beadwork. Polymer clay comes in many bright, fun colors and is designed to be baked in the home oven. Much polymer clay beading uses the technique of constructing canes, or cylinders of many colors of clay, strategically placed to create shapes when cut into small disks. Make these simple polymer clay canes to create beads with floral patterns inside them.

Things You'll Need

• Blocks of pink, yellow, and green polymer clay (found at craft stores)
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Warm blocks of pink yellow, and green polymer clay one at a time by rolling in the palms of your hands and rolling on a table to make the clay easier to work with.

2. Use a rolling pin, to be used only for clay projects so as not to contaminate food, to roll out one small sheet each of green and pink clay, reserving some clay for other steps. Roll until, at most, 1/8 inch thick.

3. Roll pink polymer clay into a thin log the circumference of your thumb. Roll a yellow log the size of your pinky. Roll a green log into a cylinder half that circumference.

4. Wrap the pink sheet around the yellow log and roll to create a single pink log with a yellow center. Roll your pink and green logs into tighter cylinders so they are both six times longer than the yellow-centered log. Cut the both logs into six equal pieces with a sharp knife.

5. Stick the pink logs around the yellow-centered log. Looking from the end of the log, you will see a flower shape with six petals. Place the thin green logs in the spaces between each petal. Wrap the green sheet around this newly formed log and roll to create a green log with a flower in the center.

6. Reduce the circumference of the new log by rolling evenly across a smooth work surface until the floral cane reaches the circumference you desire for your beadwork.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn the cane into beads by slicing off equally sized disks from the reduced cane. Use a needle to poke a hole through each disk. Bake according to instructions on polymer clay packaging, usually at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

References

• Polymer Clay Cyclopedia: Simple Flower Cane

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish