FIMO canes: This is how you can make beautiful FIMO jelly roll canes in no time at all
FIMO canes offer a world of possibilities for creating beautiful and one-of-a-kind works of art. Would you like to know what you can do with these colourful patterned canes, made of the very popular modelling clay, as well as how you can make your very own polymer clay canes in no time at all? There is plenty of useful information and tips to read in our guide.
What are FIMO canes and what can they be used for?
A FIMO cane is basically a cane made of FIMO modelling clay, which consists of a variety of different colours. The colours contained within the cane can be constructed in such a way, that a two-dimensional pattern can be seen in it, wherever you decide to cut into it.
FIMO canes can be designed in a huge variety of different designs and looks:
- Flowers
- Smileys
- Animals
- Stars
- Fruits
- and much more
The huge number of possible uses for FIMO canes are endless, so you can let your imagination run wild!
Guide: How to make your own FIMO canes
You will need the following accessories ready at your work station to make FIMO canes:
- Oven-hardening FIMO modelling clay in different colours
- Flat work surface (e.g. smooth tile or a glass cutting board)
- Acrylic roller or clay machine
- Ruler (e.g. made of metal)
- Cutter knife
Example: Here is how you can quickly and easily make a FIMO “credit card flower”:
To make a credit card flower, you will need FIMO blocks in a variety of different colours – whichever colours you wish to use to create your very own FIMO cane.
Roll the modelling clay out flat using an acrylic roller and then place the sheets – in your desired colour order – on top of each other.
The layers need to now be rolled out again together. This is easiest to do using the FIMO clay machine. This is a roller with a hand crank that is used to roll out oven-hardening FIMO modelling clay. Alternatively, you can also continue using your acrylic roller.
Once the FIMO sheet has been rolled out somewhat flatter, you can cut the two long and short edges to create a nice rectangle. It is best to use the corresponding FIMO modelling tools, such as a sharp cutter knife.
One of the narrow edges should be cut at somewhat of an angle.
Now you can roll up the FIMO sheet from the straight, short side. Because one of the edges on the slim side was cut at an angle, you can see a bit more colour coming out from the bottom of the sheet.
To ensure the roll gets the characteristic look of flower petals, the roll now needs to be scored. You can use – as the name suggests – a(n old) credit card, or if you prefer, a sturdy metal ruler. Use this to press six to eight evenly spaced grooves into your cane.
Important: Make sure not to score too deeply into the cane, and once you finish each groove, push the two sections of the cane together to avoid it falling apart completely.
To finish, you should roll out the cane evenly on your work surface, so it regains a straight, consistent surface. The thinner the roll gets, the smaller and more dainty your flower will become. Now you have your very own FIMO cane.
To work with the FIMO canes, you just need to cut thin slices off the long roll. When you are cutting the roll, it is always best to turn it slightly so you can prevent the bottom from flattening too much on your flat surface. You should also ensure that when you cut your canes, your knife is kept as straight as possible to get the most accurate slice.
How can I use the FIMO canes now?
Finished FIMO canes can be used in a variety of different ways. Firstly, it depends on what you want to achieve with it:
- Would you like to cover an object or an element with FIMO discs cut from a cane, and then place the whole artwork into an oven to cure? Then you can just cut the canes in their “raw”, unhardened state as desired and use them however you like (example: encasing a special FIMO pen (8025 10) with a colourful FIMO cane).
- Alternatively, the FIMO canes can be cured in the oven as they are, and then cut into slices afterwards. When they are in a “firm” state, these rolls are much more sturdy, but can still bend slightly so they can be cut to the desired thickness. This means they cannot be squashed. The hardened canes are best cut with a sharp cutter knife.
There is a huge number of different possible uses for FIMO canes. The slices cut from the colourfully decorated canes can be used to create the following:
- FIMO jewellery: Beautiful jewellery can be made using colourful FIMO canes. The discs need to be sliced somewhat thicker for this. Now you just need to drill a hole into the finished FIMO beads, which will allow you to string them together to create a bracelet or necklace.
- Home decorations: FIMO canes are great for decorating flower pots, bowls and a wide variety of other decorative objects that can be found around the house and in the garden.
What can leftover FIMO canes be used for?
As hard as you try to not waste any FIMO, sometimes leftovers are just unavoidable. The same goes for FIMO canes. At first glance, these leftovers may look like nothing special, but when combined it takes just a few short minutes to process them into more beautiful works of art. Sometimes these FIMO leftovers may actually inspire ideas that you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of. From bright clumps to cane leftovers – you can do anything with FIMO.
End pieces and other cane leftovers can, for example, be transformed into beautiful, marbled beads. You can also use them to make buttons and other colourful decorations for creative FIMO masterpieces. You will often end up with beautiful, new patterns. Even using the leftovers from other FIMO projects can be great fun!
