How Do You Make Polymer Clay Canes For Beads?

Polymer clay is easy to shape, cleaner to work with than "real" clay, comes in many colors, and (best of all) can be hardened in your home oven. Polymer clay canes are long, colored "pictures," from which you can cut individual pieces, (like refrigerator cookies.) Once you've made a cane, you can do lots of things with it. Make beads for necklaces or bracelets, make buttons, or press into larger designs.

Sculpey III and Fimo Soft are good clays if you're new to this. Decide on a design. For this article I've chosen a simple flower, using three colors: yellow, pink and blue.

"Condition" your clay: Roll it between your hands until it's smooth and soft. It shouldn't be crumbly at all. If it's a firm clay, like FIMO, you might want to run it through a pasta maker.

Make a yellow ball, about the size of a marble. Roll it into a "snake." (a long strand of clay--Do you remember making snakes with Play-Doh?) This will be the yellow center of the flower. Make five pink snakes, the same length ... more.

€¢ Cut or mold small pieces into whatever shapes you choose. Stars, balls, and boxes are common shapes. You can also try swirls, mini foods, creatures, or household items.

€¢ Using a nail or skewer, poke a hole all the way through each bead. €¢ Spread them on a cookie tray. If you're concerned about them sticking, place oven-safe parchment paper underneath.

€¢ Bake them for 25 minutes at 275ºF (or temperature stated on clay package). €¢ After the bead has baked and cooled, put a thread through the wire loop. €¢ If using plain white clay, paint them with acrylic paint, water colors, or finger nail polish.

€¢ Let the paint dry. €¢ String them into a necklace, earrings, pendants or your own creation. Show them off to your friends.

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