Vid #169: “Using
cookie cutters to make
canes? Now that sounds like
something I might be able
to do :-)” ~Tina-A
Making polymer clay canes, does not have to be a complicated process. In fact, there are absolutely tons of cool graphic cane designs that can be created using simple little cookie cutters.
Not sure what Cookie Cutter canes are, so I’ll put them down on my tute request list just to find out what they are all about, LOL. Thanks Cindy! ~Marueen-G
I’m curious about cookie cutter canes too. ~MaryClare-S
Hi Cindy – I’ve been going through the beginners course – LOVE IT! In video 15 you use itty bitty cookie cutters. I’m guessing they are part of a set. Where can I get these cutters? I like how they are so small and don’t waste much clay. Thanks. ~Desiree-J
When my folks were visiting a few months ago, we were shopping in a speciality kitchenware shop… they had everything from cookware, gadgets to ceramics. I came across a flat round tin of cookie cutters and thought they seemed awfully small for cookies… then the light bulb switched on! I checked the price and for under $10, brought home 11 (nice pendant sized) butterfly and flower shaped cutters. ~DJ
So… on Friday, Aug 27th at the Polymer Clay Library (Vol-027-4), the member video tutorial will teach you how to make some wonderfully simple Cookie Cutter Canes from polymer clay.
Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my weekly tutorials is that you have a good understanding of the polymer clay basics, including: conditioning clay, using a pasta machine, clay blade and other simple tools, making Skinner Blends or Teardrop Blends, baking clay, as well as sanding and finishing. If you need help in these areas, my Polymer Clay Beginners Course will get you up to speed quickly. There is also plenty of free information on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page to find articles on specific topics.
Supplies & Tools: Video-027-4 Cookie Cutter Canes:
- Two or more colors of well conditioned polymer clay. I used Black and White Premo Sculpey clay for the demo. But you can use any color combination of your choice. My color recipe palettes are perfect for this kind of polymer clay cane. In fact I show several examples of beads and canes made using the Volume-027 A-series, Snapdragon Color Palette.
- Pasta machine.
- Set of small cookie cutters that fit inside of each other. I used two flower shaped cutters made by Amaco in the Polycutters Series (Set #3), and one square cutter from Makins. There are tons of options for this technique, which you will see in the video.
- A clay blade.
The full version of the Vid-027-4 Cookie Cutter Canes video will be posted in the Polymer Clay Members Library on Friday August 27th, 2010. But if you would like to see a sneak peek intro clip right now, scroll down the page a bit to the video player below.
Here’s That “Link Below” Referred To at End of the Video
>> Polymer Clay Tutorials <<
The full version of the “Cookie Cutter Canes” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-027 Back Issue Package.
Customer Feedback About Membership Value:
Yup… another “AHA! Now why didn’t I think of that?” moment for me! Cindy, you’ve done it again! Great job on video as always Doug! Where else can we get so much for so little? A great BIG thank you to both of you for another job well done. There’s so much here that we can all take away from this and use – my wheels are spinning and I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee! Have a great weekend guys! ~Tanya-L
Cindy I love your Snapdragon story and most of all Doug’s “roar”. It is so sweet to know there is still true love out there to be found and kept. The colors are so rich and deep. I am sure you will make something amazing out of these colors. Once again the artistic duo has managed to design yet another color palette. How many is that for you now???? Thank you both for everything you do for all of us asking so little in return. We all owe you so very much. God Bless you and your family. Many Uuuuuuggggs. ~Peggy-B
Thank you Cindy and Doug for being our research department for new products, just as you’ve made the mistakes so we don’t have to, which saves us money on clay, your researching of anything new that could be beneficial to us and make our projects easier is SO much appreciated. Thank you SO very much. ~Ken-H
The following topics are included in this week’s Polymer Clay Tutor Library, Cookie Cutter Canes video tutorial:
- See examples of several canes and beads made using this fun and easy caning technique.
- Discussion of the type of clay needed to have success making polymer clay canes.
- Learn tricks and tips for assembling the cane so that the design stays aligned and doesn’t become distorted.
- And finally, find out how to create the cane in any size you want, just by adjusting the number of duplicate shapes you cut out.
The full version of the “Cookie Cutter Canes” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-027 Back Issue Package.
Love these! I actually have done this before, and I thought of it by myself! Hopefully this means that I at least somewhat think like you Cindy! I had a friend request a bracelet made with moon and star cane slice beads. I loved the result. Still can’t wait for this tute though, as I’m sure you put your usual ” Polymer Clay Tutor” spin on it!
Another great, and extremely useful, tut coming up! Tons of possibilities with this technique, too, which is what I love about everything you teach us, Cindy! I don’t think I’ve watched one video where we couldn’t take what you show us and use it in so many different ways. Can’t wait til Friday!
Intriguing, I can’t wait to see this.
I always struggle with caning so this should be great!
Love this technique, so easy for someone with hand difficulties!!! Splitting and rearranging the final cane just adds to the possibilities.
Ooh, this is gonna be cool, I can tell already. I’ll be here ready and watin’.
Oh how fun! and as usual with polymer, endless colors and patterns can be used – oh my poor brain!
And no cookie calories either!
Oh!! The possibilities –hmmmmmmmmm- endless. Bring it on!
I had thought of this kind of cane and kind of figured how I would do it but haven’t got around to it. I’m sure I will be able to do a better job after watching the video as i will be able to avoid mistakes specially with reducing. That’s always been the tricky part for me but I’m getting better.
Fortunately I brought all my cookie cutters with me … and more clay than food. Don’t know where I’ll be on Friday, but do know I’ll be watching this video! Looks like fun.
Can’t wait until Friday. Looks like a very interesting idea………
I have something very important to tell you that will change your lives forever. It’s a stretch to post this here but it is clay related so I’m goin’ for it.— This morning’s spill (I tend to leave open containers of liquid in precarious places on my work table to ensure at least one mess a day)was Kato liquid clay. Now before I share the miraculous aftermath of today’s spill I must give you a bit of personal history. A couple of years ago I taped a paper skirt to said table to make it more attractive for a show. To my dismay when removing the skirt the tape remained and ever since I have endured this ugly line of tape which has grown blacker with every substance I spilled on it to date. I figured if vinegar wouldn’t get it off, nothing would. HEAD’S UP-HERE’S THE GOOD PART! Do you believe that while I was wiping up the spilled liquid clay that tape just dissolved? With a quick swipe of the paper towel I was left without a drop of residue. Now,– aren’t you glad that I spilled this particular substance today, and onto my stuck tape at that? Your hearts are bursting with joy at my news I know, but my friends I will not stop here. Before writing to Donna Kato to offer my assistance in marketing this newly discovered property of Kato liquid clay I must spend the rest of the day finding out what else it will dissolve. With my research in hand she will certainly want to make me part of the Kato team. Right? OK, I’m off-let’s start with the hard water ring in the toilet bowl.
@Elizabeth S.: OH GOD!! CAN”T BREATHE, ROFL!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the laugh, I needed it today at work. :)
@Ken H: Glad I gave you a smile.
@Elizabeth S.: You go girl!!!!!!!! Try it in a corner on floor wax. If it drips on the floor we could be in serious trouble if it takes wax off however, a “good to know” if it will take off floor wax from beads that need to be re-coated.
Linda B.
@Elizabeth S: ROFL!!! Oh my! Your poor husband’s gonna come home to find you in the middle of the drive way with no house in site ’cause you dissolved it, along with everything inside it! That’s so funny Elizabeth!
Quick note: Apparently the new look here at the blog created a bug Doug’s working on — if you use the reply button, it will send your comment for moderation! Let’s NOT use it, as it’s creating extra work for the Lietz gang! (When my comment was moderated, I thought they had finally got an assistant! But, that’s not the case; Doug & Cindy are having to fix each comment by hand…)
@Elizabeth: Funny girl! You’d make a fine member of the Kato team (if you haven’t dissolved yourSELF! I can just picture you running about, splashing your Kato sauce. Ms. Scientist, please do let me know about any of your ‘experiments’, though — I’ve got a few things that could use a nifty cleaner. (Although, Kato medium wouldn’t be the cheapest way to go…) Have a great day! ~Kat
PS: At least one spill a day; are you a bit of a clutz – like me?
Oh Elizabeth……lol!! You are a hoot!!!! Can’t wait to see what else you discover. I hope someone can send that on to Ritzs too.
Andrea
What a fun tutorial, and what a cool group of bead shapes! Thanks for showing them all in the preview video. That Snapdragon palette really “wows”…looks very cool as clay fabric on all those nifty shapes. This cane looks great in black & white too…more striking beads!
I’ve tried this method before…but the method I used could certainly be improved upon. I know Cindy will have ironed out any problems, so I’m really looking forward to this tute. She’s gonna show me how to do it RIGHT! ;D Thanks, Cindy! ~Kat
Oops. I didn’t see your post about using the “reply” button, Kat, until after I had sent one to TANYA telling her it was my turn to ROFL. I’m glad you told us about the glitch as I won’t send any more.
Thanks, Kat, for yet another opportunity to ROFL. I think there is real potential here- I like the Kato sauce concept. I just have to convince Donna Kato of the goldmine I have discovered for her.
Update for Linda and Polyanna–it does not remove fingernail polish and I wouldn’t suggest it for wrinkle removal.
ELIZABETH S -OMG you are funny. Isn’t fun to laugh at yourself (before anyone else does). Life is for living -joyously………. Bet Donna thinks so too
@Elizabeth Hehehe you’re too funny girl! I agree using Kato Sauce as a wrinkle remover would be a bad idea… especially if you used it in places that may react to other plasticizers such as silicone!! ;-)
@ Elizabeth S: You are too funny! Good to know it won’t take off my nailpolish, but I am a little disappointed about the wrinkles! I don’t have any Kato Liquid Clay, but I do have some glue gunk on the side of my sink where the fabric sink skirt used to be stuck. I wonder if Sculpey TLS will work. I’ll have to try it out. Gee, Tanya’s got you out in the driveway with the TLS…wasn’t it you that Cindy had in the driveway with a torch? Your neighbors are going to start to wonder.
Cindy, this one looks like fun. I’d been playing with something similar in my mind, but I never thought about making a cane out of it. Terrific idea!
Are ya all crazy?? Good! Me, too!
@Elizabeth, you’re making my tummy hurt! I can’t laugh yet! We should have warnings on the blog:
“WARNING! Reading this blog can cause you to burst out laughing! Read with care and at your own risk!”
ROFL!!!!! Oh, no! I have to stop! My tummy….. :)
@Catalina:Sorry, Catalina. They say that laughter is the best medicine, right?
What a great idea! Looking forward to Friday!! I have a plethora (LOL) of cutters. Can’t believe I didn’t think of this. Cindy, Thank you!
Elizabeth! Love it. I’m going to get a bottle of Kato liquid clay for ‘home improvement’ purposes. Don’t you just love those happy little accidents?
Elizabeth, Wow you go girl! That’s how things are invented is by accident! At least we can say we knew you before you get famous! Thanks for the laugh :)
Catalina, Thats a great idea, haven’t stopped laughing!
Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to Michaels to buy more cutters, never can have to many clay tools. Can’t wait for Friday to get here. :)
Elizabeth S. I just LOVE your expert and very scientific approach to research!!
Now I’d volunteer as your assistant immediately except I think I’d be doubled over giggling more than be able to offer any actual help with your experiments. Thanks again for the laugh…you’re the best! =)
These canes and the patterns from them will be fun…I’m hoping I can put my tin of cutters to good use with this technique!
@Elizabeth! Laughter is the best medicine but NOT when you have been stabbed 8 times in the gut!! I look like I have been shot with pellet gun! They say this is better than “regular” surgery – uh, ok, ya right!! :)
Any who… this has been fun! It will be a long wait for Friday!! Can’t we change Wednesday to Friday?
@Catalina: Sorry about your ‘shotgunned ab’s’…Ouch! Your idea about changing days…or making Cindy THINK they’re changed…didn’t work last time. Remember the thread where we chanted “tomorrow is Friday”…TIF…TIF…many times? Didn’t work, unfortunately… :(
We’ll have to find other ways to amuse ourselves (like one of Cindy’s other fab tutes, *grin*.) Hey Elizabeth — entertain us! ;D I mean, KEEP entertaining us…and thanks for the laughs!
@Kat, you know the squeaky wheel gets the grease! So, if we keep saying Wednesday IS Friday , maybe Cindy will get confused and post the video early!! …..ok, I’m dreaming! Talk about revisiting the other tutes, I just did that! I was trying to collect all my color recipes (I’m very far behind) and started watching the videos again. I just made some book charms!
About the color recipes, I had a heck of a time looking for all the recipies. I wanted the image with all the colors and names so I could print that out and SEE the palette. But, I did find them. I have been saving the news letters with the color recipes in them so I can find them easier. I wished I had had them all. It would make it easier for me, at least.
Here is another question…how do you organize your recipes? I started to do them by the color group. For example, all the reds together, all the yellows, etc. But, I’m beginning to think to file them by color palette would be better? I was going to print the palette, with all the colors and the names and then print each recipe and file it behind it. I started this because I was having trouble finding the color I wanted. For example, If wanted a color from the Stargazer’s palette, I know it is 4A but what is the name? I guess it would be easier for me to look for a name rather than a number. I’m I making any sense?
@Dear Cat: I’m off to try to sleep again, but here’s a comment I left for someone about how to save the color palette photo to your PC. Then read down a couple comments…there’s a link…goes to a post where many people describe their recipe organization…both on computer & physical color chips. I described mine, as did Sue F. and others. Best of luck, and I’ll add more tomorrow (I mean later today!) if you need any help. The sun’s about to come up & the pain kept me from sleep tonight… Hugs, my healin’ sister! ~Kat <3
Ooops! Laid in bed & remembered no link! Here it is… tips and ideas for organizing your color recipe cards and color palette photos.
@ Elizabeth – You are th ebest ! I have tears running down from laughing. I can just picture you withyour Kato ‘Sauce’!
@Kat, thanks! I hope you feel better. I hate to think you are having trouble sleeping because of pain. I pray you are better soon. Thanks for the tip! Going there right now! I guess you know I’m feeling a bit better and doing some organization. I love these color recipes and I got to start using them more. Sending some healing Hugs!!!!!
This is so funny about the kato lc , I dont know whether to believe it or what LOL. Have to try it, or maybe not might disolve, LOL. Looking forwrd to the cookie cutter Canes look very summery.
XXX
Cindy just watched the Cookie cutter cane. Wow you are a magician, so simple yet so head scratching. Talk about slight of hand. Now I know what those magicians do when they put the lady in the cabinet, LOl. Anyway cant wait to do some.
XXX
Hey I see I am ahead of time here is that right ? Think it must be about 12/13hrs ahead of where you are. Weird tha, isnt it.
It is Friday 26th, 5 20 pm/ Bye
XXX
Whoops, mistake again, see it is Friday 27th not 26th, Durr — I will have evreyone headscratching wont I LOL. Off to find my Cookie Cutters
Love
E. XXX
loved this idea- lots of variations can be made- ingenious!
thanks again cindy
Yes its a brilliant idea and yet another good way to use our cutters! Thank you Cindy xx
love it!…..I just started doing regular canes so this is great…..can’t wait to create. If I only didn’t have to wait for my husband to get home and occupy the kiddos.
That is really cool. I bought some long petite four cutters that I’m going to try using with this tut.
Thanks Cindy, you make everything look so easy. Love that color on the round beads.
Kat, thanks for the information about saving the color recipes. I started a little book but this sounds easier.
SO much easier than I would have done it. Thanks again Cindy!
Cindy, this is a great tut. Lots of good hints and tricks to make it easy too. Cannot wait to see what folks here come up with due to the vast variety of cutters available.
Best of all, using this method can really reduce wasted clay when trying to make canes.
Best of all worlds, fun, easy and economical. Thanks!
Bonnie, just hit the link to your page. Yikes, are you talented!!! Happy belated birthday!
Oh man!! This is gonna be fun.
Thanks Jocelyn, I owe about 90% of my success to Cindy’s video tutorials, and the other 10% to having every polymer clay book published. I think it’s a disease. The Cindy part has been a big inspiration though. It’s like a kick in the muse every Friday.
Hi Cindy, this is the coolest. I have learned so much from your videos. I finally got sanding down to a science, thanks to the micromesh pads. The problem is that I have begun to sand a lot and find the sanding portion separating from the little pads. Also I was wondering how long can you use them? What I do know is that I really like them. The faux agate video has also helped me tremendously. My beads are really coming along. Thank you so much for all your videos. It is taking my jewelry designs to another level.
@Ifama: Sorry Ifama. I missed answering this for you. I am not totally sure how long the pads will last. Someone here (can’t for the life of me remember who) has been using them a lot for more than a year so they do last a long time.
I know what you mean about the mesh separating from the foam pad. A couple of mine have done that too. It seems to only be the ones I left soaking in the water for too long.
I have been meaning to write the company to see if there is a way to prevent that from happening. The mesh itself is perfect, so maybe its the glue or something. I have been so busy that even little things like that are hard to get to.
I agree that using the pads takes the work to a whole new level. Have actually gone back to previous pieces and re-did them with the Micro-mesh to gorgeous results. I love them too!
Cindy, I also wanted to let you know that I still refer back to the Beginners Course quite a bit. It helps me so much. It was the best investment I have had this year. Thanks again.
All I can say after viewing this tute is this technique is so simple, so logical, so “duh” – (so why didn’t I think of it before?!?!) I’m really looking forward to trying out the various color palettes with the cutters.
Wondering if anyone has tried doing this technique with sugar cookie dough?
Wouldn’t it be fun?
Great tutorial Cindy with lots of possibilites. Thank you once again!
Maria – I love your idea of the sugar cookie dough!
@Maria: Love your idea — what fun cookies!
I can’t wait to try these. There are such wonderful bead shapes in this and some of your other tutorials. I have searched most of the back issues but can’t seem to find any tutorials which speak to beads shapes other than the bead roller one, which does not always provide large enough beads for my purposes. If I have missed a tutorial showing bead shapes I would appreciate if someone could direct me to it. Thanks bunches folks, and Cindy I loved the tutorial.
For those looking for some cookie cutter possibilities, I googled this site: fancyflours.com
It’s a little expensive but certainly comprehensive and seemed to have the largest selection of the graduated shape cutters.
Janet – Did you check out all the ones under ‘bead shapes’ – item #6 in the left column near the top of this blog? It indicates that there are 126 entries. Have fun!
Glad you guys like this week’s simple, but very versatile, cookie cutter cane technique. Be sure to post lots of your project photos over at the Facebook Gallery. I can’t wait to see what designs and color combinations you guys come up with.
@Janet – in addition to Carolyn’s great suggestion about how to find bead shape references here at the blog, there is also a category link for bead shapes in the “Table of Contents” at the Bead Videos library site.
@Cindy Lietz: Cindy, I was looking for something like this Cookie Cutters Tute just last night. This answered my question. Thanks
I can’t find bead shapes in the Table of Contents at the Bead Videos site.
Cindy, you’ve done it again. I am always amazed at how you even simplify what on first glance seems to be a simple process. First I would have tried to make too many layers for my cutters and then I would have tried to ram the centers into each other and wonder why my designs came out so squashed. This is why you make the mistakes so I don’t have to…so worth the modest fee of your site. Thanks for so many great tutorials. It’s the high point of my weekend!
@Carolyn: I provided you with a direct link to the library “bead shapes” category link in my previous comment. You will be able to find it directly at in the right navigation side bar at the library site. Under the “Table of Contents” heading, you will see a little plus sign to the right of the “1: Weekly Video Tutorials (116)” Subheading. You click on that plus sign to reveal all the Subcategories.
@Sue Werner and Everyone Else Too: THANK YOU for the kind words!!! I’m sorry that I’m not able to address everyone individually. But please know that I appreciate all of your comments.
Well, I’m glad I was brave enough to reply … I never really knew what those little + in boxes were all about … and I’m not a cat so I wasn’t curious enough to click on one. Now I know … and yes, that’s where you find all sorts of things including bead shapes. Way cool! Thank you so much, Cindy, for explaining this for me … and maybe for some others who weren’t gutsy enough to ask.
Also, I just finished making this cane, with a rather complicated center … that pointy cutter for cards … I think it is the suit of spades. Anyway, it worked perfectly! Thanks for keeping me from the squish bit! You are the greatest!
Thank you Cindy and Carolyn. I guess I was so busy watching all the back issues of tutorials to try and catch up with you all, I didn’t take the time to navigate the rest of the site. This will be very helpful.
Janet
@Cindy – I have emailed the Micro-Mesh company and asked for their help and guidance with this problem. I’ll let you know when I hear something back.
I’m curious to see what Micro Mesh has to say about the “separation” issue…how to prevent or fix it. In the meantime, it’s good to know that they sell the pads individually, in case just one or two grits wear out faster than the others…
[Cindy FYI: I believe one of the members who used the product for at least a year is Melinda H. Sorry Melinda, everyone just wants your expertise, LOL!]