This type of clay bead takes parental help, but you will like the results just as much as the kids will. Matching bracelets are definitely in order.
Caned beads are often called “millifiori” which means “thousand flowers” in Italian. You can make the canes as small and ornate as you want. This project has a fairly simple flower pattern which is a good launching point for more complicated beads.
You will need:
Four contrasting colors polymer clay (Fimo Soft or Sculpey III), here I use orange, blue, yellow and turquoise
Waxed paper or clean, washable work surface
Glass or rolling pin
Sharp knife
Toothpick or darning needle
Glass or ceramic baking dish
1. Make a log of orange clay. The size of a child’s index finger is about the right size. Roll out a flat sheet of blue clay, long enough and wide enough to go around the orange clay. Wrap the orange clay in the blue clay. Roll the log on your work surface to smooth it out.
2. Now roll the log so it’s long and skinny, about four times its original size. Make sure you roll it evenly, so the log stays all the same thickness.
3. Cut the log in six equal pieces. Try not to squish the log too much when you cut it. If the clay is very warm and easily squashed, put it in the refrigerator until it’s firm again.
4. Roll a thick log of yellow the same length as your cut pieces. Put the cut pieces all the way around the yellow log, like petals on a flower.
5. Now roll a sheet of turquoise clay to wrap around the whole bundle.
6. Roll the log on your work surface until it is as small as you want your beads to be. You can make large beads or very small beads. The design will maintain its integrity all the way through the cane, except on the ends, where it will distort. Make sure you roll the log so it all stays the same thickness.
7. Refrigerate the cane for at least 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut slices of the cane, about 1/4” thick for the beads (job for parents only). Be careful not to squish the cane when you cut it. The ends of the cane will have a distorted design, so cut them off until you see the design intact.
8. Poke a toothpick or needle sideways through each bead to make a hole, or poke a hole through the top of the bead if you want to string it as a pedant.
9. Bake the beads according to the package directions.