Making A Flower Cane

Margo Therien demonstrates how we make one of our flower canes in polymer clay. These canes are used for a variety of projects, from lightswitch covers to beads to nail art.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• polymer clay
• polymer clay cane
• polymer cane
• millefiore
• millefiori
• nail art cane
• neoflex nail art
• fimo nail art
• fimo cane
• clay nail art cane
• clay cane

[thegirlygirl233]

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MAKEING THOSE?! THEY ARE SOOOO PRETTY!

[CharleneTherien]

@thegirlygirl233 *laugh* Thank you very much! Um, I started making polymer clay canes in 2003. I originally didn't want to make canes at all! I was teaching at a local Michael's craft store, and had this husband-wife team that was attending my classes. They begged me to teach them how to make canes, and that's what got me started. It's an addiction, hahaha. I've made... (lemme check).... 821 canes in the last 9 years. And that doesn't include the repeat canes.

[BlueberrryCharms]

So how long do you bake it for? Do you cut your pieces first or bake first?

[CharleneTherien]

@BlueberrryCharms I use a special 'recipe' for the canes I intend for baking, so that the end result is a very flexible slice. Baking is done according to manufacturer's recommendations, 30 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness. I slice my canes after they are baked. I've got a youtube video showing how I slice a nail art cane; just visit my channel and you'll be able to find the video.

[kroxx131998]

Can you use other types of clay also?

[CharleneTherien]

@kroxx131998 You could use any of the oven bake polymer clays brands, such as Fimo, Premo, Cernit, and Kato, The air-dry clays such as Makins Clay, aren't designed to stay soft, and would ruin your cane. Hope this helps!

[CharleneTherien]

@Skidder1369 Sure, you could use the same process to make it smaller! Let me know how it goes. :)

[Skidder1369]

sorry but even thou u made it huge if i made it smaller would that have any effect??

[CharleneTherien]

@HWMekdara I baked this flower cane to use it for nail art. Slices of this flower design can be used like nail art stickers. If I didn't bake it, then the design could be used to decorate anything that was heat-safe up to 275 degrees farenheit. So glass, metal, and some plastics like Bic Stic pens. I use slices of my raw canes (unbaked canes) to make beads, to cover Altoid tins, to decorate the handles of crochet hooks, etcetera.

[HWMekdara]

why do you bake it.