Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners 27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop
What people are saying about this tutorial.
jennifer rose
Just finished this first workshop on how to make canes, and I must say I learned so much. This is exactly what I have been looking for, someone who could explain cane making in a step by step that process that I could replicate. I watched the videos, went into my studio and began to create all of the canes Alice showed. I finally have results I can be proud of, and I say thank you so much for doing this workshop. My only question now is when do we get more workshops. If you are only going to take one online class let it be this workshop. Thank you Alice for your hard work, and your dedication to helping others learn the joys of polymer clay.
Online Workshops with Alice Stroppel
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I’m so happy to tell you that I have uploaded two new workshops to my online school. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see Cane Mapping and Extrusions.
The extrusion workshop consists of thirteen videos that equal over an hour of instruction.
This workshop will show you how to make small unique canes from extruded polymer clay. You can use these canes to make everything from buttons beads and pendants to cane mapped pieces.
It’s only about the techinque used in making the canes, not the finished pieces.
It’s all part of building your cane inventory so that when you are ready to begin a project you have many canes to choose from.
I use lots of extruded cane in my cane mapping pieces.
The butterfly on the left is made with both extruded canes and traditional canes. The one on the right is all extrusions.
 If you love mosaics, color and polymer clay, if you love the look of complex canes but simply don’t want to create a giant complex cane, if you love one of a kind pieces, and if you have tons of left over canes, this is the can mapping workshop for you!
This is the workshop I teach at my Sebring Studio and around the country at polymer clay guilds and retreats. The difference is you can rewind and watch each step over and over if you want.
In almost 2 hours of videos you’ll learn the basics by cane mapping this fish portrait and the butterfly on the left above. I’ll show you a few unexpected canes and different slices that you can incorporate into your designs.
This is an intermediate class and having some Skinner blended canes in your stash will make your designs pop.
Thanks so much for taking a look .
 I took time out from cane mapping to finish this face bracelet. It’s pen and ink on polymer clay. I’ve had the bracelet covered and baked for months so it was about time I finished it.
 Polymer Clay Bracelets More bracelets. The crazy one is made from scrap slices that I cut and didn’t use on other projects. Maybe I cut too many or maybe I decided that cane just didn’t work.
I can never bear to smash perfectly good slices of cane, so I just put them on a piece of deli paper in one of my clay drawers. (See this video for clay drawer ideas)
When I have enough, I make something crazy out of them. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have an adventurous spirit, maybe you should try it. If nothing else it’s kind of a record of your canes.
I know, you might be saying enough already. Well I think I might just be getting started. Okay, as soon as this order is finished, I think I’ll find some places to go teach. Anyone up for a class in face canes? Leave a comment. Really, I mean it.
Seriously, I’ve been having more fun than I thought I would making these girls. I really don’t like to do the same thing over and over again. Done too much in that in my life. But with the girls each one takes special consideration.
I have to decide what hair color, what color will look right on her and whether she is sweet sassy or showy.
Another wonderful thing that is happening is I’m using up lots of canes and I’ll have to make more. Some of these cane are my favorites and I might make another just like it, and others I’ll be happy to not see them again. Not that they are bad canes, it’s just that I’ve made so many things out of them, I’m ready to move on.
 A few more days to go and I’ll be finished and ready to get to my Christmas doings. After Christmas I’ll start on my next face cane tutorial. Can’t wait.
 But in the mean time, if you want to try your hand at one of these girls, go to my Etsy shop and try my Profile Face Cane Tutorial.
If you haven’t been here before there is a link at the very top of the page that says “Video Tutorials” or just click here.
I’ll be adding more free videos after the holidays.
Let me know what you want to learn, maybe I can help. Leave a comment.
I’ve been working hard on an order for my face canes. It was rainy this weekend. Perfect for clay and creating, I really enjoyed it. Still have more to go. I just thought I’d share some here.
     
 Skinner Blend Cuff Bracelet Still having fun after all these years! I’m still amazed that there are so many people that don’t know anything about polymer clay. Have never even heard of it. But I guess there are hundreds of things I know nothing about. Okay thousands……Millions? But polymer clay is such apart of my life and has been for the last 15 years, with it the main focus for at least 10, that it’s hard to imagine that there are people that haven’t heard of it.
Even when I wasn’t “into” pc, I had tried my hand at it. In the ’80 I made fruit ring candle holders. I know I have them somewhere and I’m going to look for them and see if they are anything like I remember them.
Anyway, I’m always so happy to hear from people who have found my blog and say they want to find out more about pc. The more interest we have the more related product there will be. Besides, it’s such a satisfying art form. Anyone can do just about anything with pc. So if you’re new to pc, go get yourself a few ounces and just play. Find a class near you or online. Do a search online and you’ll find hundreds of free tutorials for you to try.
The bracelet in the photo is a Skinner blend, roller into a plug flatten out and cut into two equal parts and formed into a cane. I cut this cane into four equal part to form the final cane (shown below). I covered a bracelet with a thin layer of black clay, then cut and place slices of the finished cane on top of the black, covering the whole bracelet.
 Skinner Blend Cane Okay, cheerleading over. Go forth and have fun! Christmas is coming, gifts to be made. But if you want, I have bracelets for sale on my Etsy site. Just in case you run out of time…….
I sent out Octobers newsletter today. I know I said I wasn’t doing any pc for Halloween. I know I did…but as soon as I sent it, I was sitting in front on my black and white and gray canes and decided to make a face cane. I need the practice….
This witch was born! I had fun and that’s the point. Probably too late to sell on Etsy, but I’ll put her up anyway.
 Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers A Beautiful day. Only finished two girls for one sale item. Lots of canes used on these girls. Also worked on the face cane tutorial and enjoyed the lake and the day late this afternoon.
 Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers Back
 Perfume Pen Three more items going to AliceStroppel.Etsy.com. Perfume pen, bottle stopper and card case. All great gifts for the holidays.
 Queen Bee I had a special request for a wine stopper for a friends mother. She was “The Queen Bee” to her family and loved a good glass of wine. Perfect! I made two so she could have her choice. This is the second one. I wanted you to see the piece of costume jewelry that I used for her crown. Another way to use found objects to make your pieces unique. There are little bees flying around and flowers on the back of this fun and crazy piece.
 Business Card Case I’ve sold quite a few business card holder and continue to hear from my customers that they gets tons of compliments on their unusual case. I buy my blanks for all these great things at Boston Craft Works.
 Polymer Clay Face Cane Bracelets I made another profile face cane this week. I am working on a tutorial to sell in my Etsy Shop. It’s coming along and I hope to have it ready soon.
In the meantime, I’ve made some bracelets with it and another mermaid with the older cane. This mermaid is going to one of my galleries and the other bracelets are going to be sold on AliceStroppel.Etsy.com
To photograph these ladies, I used the background in the pdf that I gave you in the last post. These girls are truly crazy and funky, but I have to tell you, they do get attention. One of my customers emailed me to tell me her sister was forever borrowing hers. I love that!
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If you love mosaics, color and polymer clay, if you love the look of complex canes but simply don’t want to create a giant complex cane, if you love one of a kind pieces, and if you have tons of left over canes, this is the can mapping workshop for you!
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