How To Store Polymer Clay Canes Using Plastic Wrap
Vid #45: Don't Trust Just Any Plastic Wrap When it Comes to Storing Your Polymer Clay Canes:
Plastic wrap works great to help protect those beautiful canes that you worked long and hard to create. However, be careful which brand you choose. Certain types contain plasticisers that can chemically bond with the clay and cause your canes to go brittle in some cases and rubbery in others. Neither is good.
So how can you tell which brand to use? Look at the fine print on the underside of the box for the words, "Does Not Contain Plasticisers." Glad Cling Wrap is a safe bet… at least it is at the grocery store where I shop. I can't tell you for sure if all Glad Cling Wrap is the same, so be sure to check for yourself.
Another brand I've purchased is called Resinite. It does not say anything on the box about plasticisers one way or the other. But I can tell with certainty to NOT use this brand for wrapping your polymer clay canes. Ask me how I know :-(
>> Polymer Clay Tutorials <<
The full version of the "Glad Cling Wrap" preview video shown above, is part of a free bonus package that I give away as a special promotion with the purchase of my Polymer Clay Bead Making Fundamentals Course. In this video I show some of the things that can go horribly wrong when you use the wrong type of plastic wrap to store your polymer clay canes. Parental discretion is advised (kidding on the viewer warning bit… just thought it would be fun to say for dramatic effect :-)
Filed Under: 02: Tools, 04: Handling, 07: Cane Work by Comment. 
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Comments on How To Store Polymer Clay Canes Using Plastic Wrap
6:35 pm
In the post above, I mentioned that I published a previous post about using plastic wrap to protect your polymer clay canes. This previous post can be found here: Storing Polymer Clay
Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Slicing Polymer Clay Canes With A Dull Knife Sucks
3:07 pm
What we need to do now is compile a list of plastic wraps that are safe and unsafe for Polymer Clay storage.
I have sent an email to Reynolds about their Foodservice film and will post their reply when available.
If others could do the same it would save everyone time and money!
3:47 pm
Thanks so much, Cindy!
I wonder if zip lock baggies have plasticizers in them? I do use these to store canes in. Do you happen to know about these baggies?
I was glad that you advised using the Cling Wrap…I normally use it in my kitchen anyways :)
Thanks again, Cindy E.
4:57 pm
@Katina: Thanks for putting in the effort. Let us know what you find out!
@Cindy E.: If you have been using a certain kind of bag and you haven't noticed any weird changes in the bag or the clay, than it should be OK.
8:49 am
well, this is lovely . . . extra videos! YIPPIE. Really good information regarding the Cling Wrap and I have added it to my grocery list. I thought I would let you know that when i watch your videos I can see the cracks and i was even able to see the crack down the middle of the cane. So, your filming is great. At least that is my opinion.
ok, on another topic . . . canes. Can you recommend a book with cane patterns or more videos or another site or anything? Also, I am now trying my hand at the canes . . . ah, what a wonderful mess i have made. I see to combine different types of clay, premo, kato and so on . . . is this just an experiment or is there a bit of a formula to follow for the right consistency? Thanks so much and thanks also for the extra freebie videos. You're the BEST!
4:31 pm
Canework can be a pretty big mystery! There are so many different aspects to building nice polymer clay canes that need to be learned.
That is exactly why I have decided to create some cane making courses that take you by the hand and teach you how to create each design, step by step. The nice thing is they will be created in video which in most people opinions is a much easier way to learn than to learn through books.
I am working on a few different cane courses right now and hope to be launching them soon!
5:42 am
For those of you in the UK looking for a brand of cling wrap that does not have plastisers, follow the link beside my name for a conversation I had with Andrea about this. She found a brand that seems to be working for her.
12:55 pm
I just signed up today for 9.95. I'm very confused with how to get the free videos all I see are ones that cost. I like what I've seen so far, but I don't know how to access what you have to offer. Thank you.
1:36 pm
Sorry you are having troubles finding how to access the videos and content you may be looking for. Let me see if I can explain things better for you here.
I have two web sites:
1) http://www.beadsandbeading.com and/or http://www.polymerclaytutor.com — This is where you are at right now. Most all of the videos here are just preview or sneak peak videos. There is text below each of these preview videos with links that take you to where you can purchase the full videos.
2) http://www.beadvideos.com — This is the library site where most all of the paid videos are hosted.
The best way to understand how the library works is to think of it like a print magazine subscription. When you sign up or subscribe, you get that current month plus all future content that is released during the period that your subscription is active.
So in your case, you have access to everything starting with Volume-007. And you will continue to have access to all new content released for as long as you keep your subscription current.
Anything that was released before you signed up is available to purchase as well… just like how you would purchase back issues of a print magazine.
The reason why all of the back issue links are available in the library (even though many of them won't take you to where you want to go), is so that if you decide to purchase any of the back issues, that content will become available to you immediately upon activation.
Everything is explained in more detail at the library member sign-up page here:
http://www.beadvideos.com/become-a-member/
Back Issues can be added to your account here:
http://www.beadvideos.com/purchase-back-issues/
Another batch of videos I offer is for the 39 part Polymer Clay Beginners Course. The info and order page for this course is here:
http://www.beadsandbeading.com/crse/01-more.html
Does this clear things up for you Sandra? If not, I am here to help.
6:51 pm
Thank you so much cindy. I'm really impressed with your quick answer,and you cared enough help me understand what to do. Bless you Sandy
12:45 pm
You're welcome Sandra!
2:01 pm
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for the video on storing clay. I just wrapped my first attempt at canes day before yesterday and it was with GLAD WRAP!! Unbelievable!!
I am still looking at the Beginners Course as I am a beginner. I think that learning how to cane properly is the key to becoming a great jewelry artist using polymer clay. I work during the day and have other activities in the evening as well as on the weekends but every chance I get at work and at home I look at the video course. I need to know how long I will be able to view it? I promise I will get better, LOL. Thank you again for putting these videos together and I will be purchasing more when I get more money. I appreciate them soo much as I am now addicted to polymer clay.
I have not used the Premo, but bought some at your suggestion, however I have bought tons of sculpey III to use up. I made a necklace the other day using a mold with sculpey III but I think I am going to back it with the studio sculpey that I bought so that it will be stronger and not break. I remember your saying that we can mix them.
I look forward to all you have to offer.
Ifama
3:13 pm
Hi Ifama,
So glad to hear you are enjoying the Beginners Course. To answer your question about how long you have to access the videos in the course, you will have as long as you feel you need.
7:27 am
May I also suggest for storage, parchament paper and wax paper. Over the long term though, clay tends to leach out into the papers, I have had canes wrapped in wax paper for over 3mo with no effect. I wrap the canes and store them in Glad plastic "Gladware" containers, for airtight storage. Found this to be a good mid / short term storage solution.
Rob
6:27 pm
Sorry to take so long to respond Rob… Too busy for my own good!
Great idea! Thanks for your input! It is always good to know which plastics will work with polymer clay.
1:16 pm
Cindy,
I watched the extra bonus video you sent about using plastic wrap to store your canes. After that I went to get some beads I had made a while back that were sitting on a styrofoam plate. Apparently the clay and styrofoam don't mix well either. The clay had eaten holes in the plate where it was touching. I thought you might find that bit of info interesting.
Blessings, Tiffany
1:20 pm
Thanks for sharing this information Tiffany. Having all these tips posted from everyone, sure makes this place a great resource for clayers to come and search for quick answers and insight.
10:44 pm
I use Glad Press and Seal over the clay that I am working with – overnight 'storage'. It does not actually touch the clay. I press it to the glass cutting board the clay is on. This does seem to make my cutting board a bit 'tacky' but baby wipes takes care of that as well as clay residue on the board. I'm leery about actually wrapping my canes it it. Does anyone have experience with this product?
10:47 pm
Ziplock plastic containers are #5 so I think they are OK – am I right?
3:52 pm
Hi carolyn, great questions! Sorry it's taking me so long to get to all the different ones you have posted. As you can see at the side bar, comments are coming in fast and furious, not to mention all the other stuff going on. Thank you btw for helping out so much with the wire based questions. That is incredibly helpful and I really appreciate it! On to your questions…
As long as the Glad Press and Seal says "Contains no plasticizers" on the box like it does on the Cling Wrap, it is safe to use on your polymer clay. And yes, the Zip Loc Bags are safe to use to store your polymer clay in.
5:13 pm
I went to the Glad website and read their FAQs:
"GLAD Cling Wrap contains no plasticizers. It consists of a high molecular weight polyethylene resin; it does not contain any substance that could be related to estrogens or estrogen mimics. The only additives are proprietary cling agents used at low concentrations which are FDA compliant."
"Glad food containers, wraps, and storage bags and other food contact products are not made of Polycarbonate nor is Bisphenol A (BPA) used as a raw material in their production."
So there we have it – Glad is good!
6:47 pm
Thanks for getting this info caroyln… that is great!
2:26 pm
Hey
Why not store the clay in those plastic bags we buy for our jewelry?
2:47 pm
@Judy Finch: Judy – Good question. You can try those bags, but watch for chemical reactions. I don't know if they have the plasticizers that react with polymer clay. If you do use them, watch for the clay getting sticky or brittle. It could go either way. We know that GLAD products do not contain the plasticizers that harm the clay, so we tend to store in GLAD wrap or GLAD bags.
7:38 pm
@Judy & Carolyn: I've tried several different types of plastic wraps, and they really can have bad reactions with the clays. You have to be sure to use the ones that DO NOT contain plasticizers. However, I've never had problems with plastic baggies or ziplock bags. I've tried top brands & the cheap dollar-store kind, and none of them have ever reacted with my clay. I'm guessing that it's because they don't have plasticizers — they probably don't have them since they don't need them to "cling" to things. I'm going to check my theory about the bags not having plasticizers by writing to a few companies. Still, I feel confident about it, and the fold-top sandwich bags (the kind with no zip) I bought at the dollar store have been perfect for all kinds of clay uses. You get 120 bags for a buck, so they're a great bargain for storage.