Making Beads with a Mod Polymer Clay Cane for Cool Jewelry Projects
Jewellry making is more fun when the beads you use are made by YOU!
The upper left image in this photo is a modern funky polka dot cane. Slices from this cane were added to the surface of the tube bead also pictured.
What makes the 'Mod' polymer clay cane such an excellent cane for beginners is how easy it is to build. Using an extruder tool, you squeeze out long snakes of clay using different shades of clay. These multi-colored snakes are then cut and stacked to make a block of clay or 'cane' which can then be thinly sliced and added to any shaped clay bead or pendant.
Extruder canes such as these can be made in any color combination you choose. For the cane in this project, I used the color recipes posted in this article: Mixing Polymer Clay
When you make several different types of canes from the same palette it is easy to coordinate handmade bead designs into your jewelry making patterns.
Creating a variety of different styled beads in the same color palette can make for an interesting piece of jewellry that still flows nicely because of the identical colors it contains.
A good example of how versatile one simple color palette can be is the big difference between how the modern polka dot bead above looks, compared to this flower bead made from the exact same polymer clay color recipes.
So like I always say (well maybe this is the first time I've said it), if you are busy making beads and polymer clay canes for your jewelry projects and designs, nothing bad will ever happen to you :) … And that's my good Karma advice for the today. Talk to you tomorrow. Same time, same place.
Filed Under: 06: Bead Shapes, 07: Cane Work, 08: Color Theory by Comment. 
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Comments on Making Beads with a Mod Polymer Clay Cane for Cool Jewelry Projects
12:09 pm
I've got an extruder. I bought it on sale a long time ago and now I know what to do with it. I will try this type of cane for my fingernail canes. Yeeaaa
8:47 pm
Fascinating!! Where do I get an extruder? I have so much to learn!!! Cindy, I like your theory that nothing bad can happen if you're busy making canes and beads!! I think you are absolutely right!
2:45 pm
Trust me Marsha… Bad things can happen when your not doing polymer clay! For example, when I got pregnant, I was not doing polymer clay!! :-) [EDIT... Oooops, I didn't say that quite right... I love having my kids...I just meant.... Well, You know... Bad things!! *wink, wink*]
My favorite extruder is the Makin's Professional Clay Extruder. It is the green Aluminum one with the twist in handle. Avoid plastic ones or the squeeze trigger ones. Plastic will break and the squeeze triggers are too hard to squeeze. Michaels carries them.
Cindy's last post..Slicing Fimo Nail Art Canes | Sculpey Polymer Clay Cake Toppers
6:43 pm
Cindy, You really have a way of making what looks impossible, POSSIBLE! Thanks! It never fails…every time I see something new on your site, I get all excited, my heart starts beating fast, and I just have to start working right away to try my hand at what I just saw here!
To put the cane slices on the bead, do you first make and bake a plain bead, and then cover it with the cane slices?
I will have to try the Makins extruder. I got the cheaper brand, tried it once, and decided that that was enough of that! I would have to be a body builder to get the clay to come out with it, but it looks like the Makins brand probably gives a lot more leverage. I actually saw a woman on a craft show using her feet to get the cheaper brand extruder to work! I don't know if I am athletic enough for that!
:) Hugs to you,
Cindy Erickson
7:32 pm
Cindy You are a delight! Really her foot to squeeze the handle?! That's nuts! The green metal extruder by Makin's is the one to get. It has a twist in handle and not a squeeze trigger. My wrists would never be able to handle the abuse of a squeeze handle! I would hate to use my foot and possible get dirt in my clay!
I put the cane slices on a raw bead. A video on the technique is scheduled to play in the video newsletter in the next few weeks. So anyone wanting to know how to add cane slices to a bead, (in this case a lentil bead) needs to make sure to get on my Polymer Clay Guest List in order to get access to the video!
8:42 pm
Okay, I have a ton of how-to books. I am now inspired to actually give it a try.
9:40 am
That is really great Toni! Glad you're here!