Cane Work with Polymer Clay

A cane is a log or cylinder of clay that has a design running through it. You can make a large, complex design that's easy to handle, then reduce the size of the cane by pressing or rolling it so it becomes longer and thinner. This creates a tiny and delicate design that will stay intact no matter how small you make it.


At Quilted in Clay, we use FIMO polymer clay to ensure crisp, clean lines on the canes.	This combination of colors will result in a custom, mixed shade of blue.

The clay must then be chopped into pieces in the correct proportions to produce the select color.	It’s then "food processed" until it looks like odd-colored cottage cheese.

From the food processor, the clay is run through a pasta machine.	We run it through the pasta machine until the colors are mixed and it’s become a nice smooth sheet.
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The design is laid out and broken down into a number of elements. The tools needed to make the variety of shapes include a clay gun with different dies.	Return to "Cane Work" Home >

"What is Polymer Clay?"

"Polymer clay is a pliable, easy-to-blend polymer compound for artists and crafters. It's not truly clay, but rather fine particles of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) suspended in plasticizer that’s extremely versatile. One of the nice things about working with polymer clay is that it doesn’t dry out so we can sculpt and form it without worrying about time. Firing it in an oven fuses the particles into a solid, and then it can be finished in a variety of ways."