Bulls Eye Polymer Clay Cane Tutorial from Fimo & Premo Sculpey Clay

Simple Beginner Cane Can Be Used To Make Several More Complex Polymer Clay Canes:

I talk a lot on this site about the versatility of polymer clay canes. They can be used in so many different bead making techniques for all kinds of jewelry projects and sculptural art. They can also be the starting point for even more complex canes. One very simple Fimo Cane to make that is very useful and versatile is the bulls eye cane.

It is called a bulls eye cane because it looks like a target or bulls-eye. It can be made as simple as a log of polymer clay wrapped with a thin sheet of a different color. Or as complicated as a log wrapped in many different colored sheets of variable thicknesses.

Here are just a few ideas of more complex canes that can be created from a simple bulls-eye cane.

Lace Cane:

Cut a bulls eye cane into several equal lengths. Gather together into one cane. Reduce. Cut into several equal lengths again, and gather into one cane. Reduce. This cane has a lacey look, especially if you use a transparent log wrapped in a white sheet. When done with all opaque colors it can make a nice center for a flower cane.

Polka Dot Cane:

Create a bulls eye cane with an opaque color log wrapped in a thick translucent sheet. 'Square up' the cane and cut into several equal length pieces. Stack the square logs into one new log and reduce. You can repeat if you want more polka dots. This cane looks neat because the polka dots appear to be floating on the surface.

Mod Cane:

Make several different bulls-eye canes in coordinating colors. Square them up and stack into a single cane to make some very mod looking polymer clay jewelry pendants.

Heart Cane:

Take a bulls eye cane created in reds, pinks or purples and pinch one side to a point, right down the full length of the cane. This will be the point at the bottom of the heart. The cane should now look like a tear drop. Take a long round skewer or knitting needle and press into the top of the cane to make the indent the full length of the cane. You may have to reshape the cane a bit with your fingers. But you now have a heart cane which can be used as is or packed with a background color. There is a tiny version of this cane on the corner of my face cane pendant pictured in a post from a few days ago.

Here's another Bullseye Cane article for more ideas. And if you have any ideas or questions about how to use this versatile cane, leave a comment below.