Make a Single Blend Polymer Clay Cane | Dizzy Spirals
Follow along in this tutorial as I demonstrate how to make a single blend polymer clay cane I like to call Dizzy Spirals.
Ready to create something that’s equal parts mesmerizing and satisfying? Let me introduce you to a single blend polymer clay cane that’s perfect for bringing your leftover scraps back to life—and adding a touch of wow to your next project. Whether you’re diving into caning for the first time or you’ve been rolling and slicing like a pro, this tutorial is all about simplicity, color harmony, and a little bit of puzzle-solving fun.
Let’s talk about scrap busting for a minute. My “blue bin” was starting to look like a tornado hit a crayon box, so this cane was my excuse to pull out a handful of blues and see what magic could happen. The result? A gorgeous blend that ranges from deep, rich, almost black, blue to crisp, fresh white. And the best part? You don’t have to overthink it! As long as your colors flow together nicely and there’s a good contrast from light to dark, you’re golden. Or blue. Or pink. Whatever your heart desires.
Need a refresher on Skinner blends or a few tips on making canes? Check out these posts:
And hey, if your scrap stash isn’t quite ready for its glow-up, feel free to crack open some fresh clay instead. I won’t tell. Just don’t forget this golden rule for this single blend polymer clay cane: offset your colors! No corner-to-corner business here when setting up for the skinner blend—we want good contrast from one side of the blend to the other.
What makes this cane so special? For starters, it’s pretty quick to whip up and customizable, depending on what colors you use in your blend. Plus, the final assembly gives your brain a bit of a workout, so it’s like crafting and a logic puzzle all in one. (Who doesn’t love multitasking?)
So, grab your tools and let’s get spinning! Dizzy Spirals awaits, and trust me, you’re going to love how this single blend polymer clay cane comes together.
Tools & Materials
- Non-porous work surface — I work on either glazed tile or glass.
- Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay — I use an Atlas 180 and will reference its settings here. No pasta machine? No problem. An acrylic roller and some playing cards can save the day (though your arms might get a workout).
- Polymer clay — I used approximately 4 oz (two blocks worth).
- Polymer clay blade
Directions for Single Blend Polymer Clay Cane
Step 1: The Skinner Blend
Choose colors ranging from very dark to very light. A simple two-color blend works, but be sure to offset the triangles in your setup (don’t line them up corner to corner) to create enough contrast. For this tutorial, I used four colors from my scrap stash with a little fresh white clay for good measure.
Lay the strips of clay at slight angles, feed them through the pasta machine, and repeat until your blend is smooth and gorgeous. Sheet the blend on the thickest setting (no.0 on my Atlas) and cut off about one-third of the sheet.
Step 2: Making the Skinner Plug & Bullseye
Take the larger (2/3) sheet and run it through the pasta machine on a no. 4 setting. Fold in half, aligning the colors, and fold again.
Pinch one of the short ends together and feed it into the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Keep running it through the machine until you’ve reached the no.6 or 7 setting and you have a long, thin ribbon of clay. Fold this ribbon back and forth like an accordion to form a neat, squarish Skinner plug.
Run the smaller (1/3) sheet through the pasta machine on the no.3 setting. Fold in half, making sure to align the colors. Pinch one of the short ends together and feed it through the pasta machine, making a second long, thin ribbon.
Roll the ribbon up into a cylinder, starting with the lighter end so it forms the center of the roll.
Step 3: Making the Spiral
Stretch and flatten the square plug. Make the width 2” to 2 1/2” with nice, straight sides and flatten it until it is twice as thick as the thickest setting on the pasta machine. Run the flattened plug through the pasta machine, narrow end in first. Run it through the machine again on the no.2 setting.
Neaten off one of the ends by cutting it at an angle with a polymer clay blade. Make sure the longer side of the angle is the darkest color.
Flip the sheet onto the work surface with the light side facing down. Starting at the bevelled end, roll the sheet up until you’ve rolled about 2/3 of it into a spiral with the lightest color on the outside. Cut the excess 1/3 off in a straight line.
Step 4: Topping the Spiral
Cut the remaining 1/3 into gradually smaller pieces. My largest piece was about 1 1/4” wide and each piece was 1/4” smaller until the sheet was all used up.
Stack the slices on top of each other in a pyramid shape with the darkest color on the bottom.
Place the pyramid on top of the spiral, lining up the cut edge of the spiral with the rest of the pyramid stack. Use a sharp blade to cut through the “steps” of the pyramid, making the sides smoothly angled.
Step 5: Filling out the Triangle
Grab the bullseye cylinder you rolled up earlier and stretch it out to about 3”. Cut 1/3 off and stretch that out util it’s the same length and the spiral. Shape it into a rough triangle and snug it up along one side of the spiral, below the pyramid.
Take the remaining 2/3 of the cylinder, flatten it slightly and pinch the sides into sharp points. Roll the points back on themselves, making a sort of mushroom cap shape. (At least that’s what it looks like to me.)
Place the “mushroom cap” on the other side of the spiral. The aim here is to make a right triangle with the smaller bullseye triangle forming the 90 degree angle. Take care where the mushroom cap is placed in relation to the other corners of the triangle.
Flatten the sides and sharpen all the corners of the triangle cane. Reduce and stretch it out until you have approximately 3” in length. If the ends have gotten really wonky, trim them off and stretch the cane out again to 3”.
Step 6: The Home Stretch
Cut the triangle cane in half with a sharp blade. Rather than pairing the two halves together as you typically would when building a square cane (left picture) flip one half over (right picture). Press the triangles together, forming a square.
Reduce the square cane and stretch it out until it is 6” to 8” in length with the wonky ends removed. Cut into four equal sized lengths.
Now, here comes the tricky part—putting the pieces together. Even though I knew where I wanted to go with this pattern, it took me a few tries to get it right. Here goes…
Line up all four pieces so the pattern is facing the same way. Grab one piece for the upper left quadrant and point one of the pyramid points into what will be the center of the cane. Take the next piece, for the upper right quadrant, position it the same way—and then give it a clockwise quarter turn before joining it to the first piece.
Repeat for the lower right quadrant—position the same as the upper right piece, give it a clockwise quarter turn, and then set it in place. Do the same with the last piece. Compare your pattern with the photo and then check it again before committing.
Once satisfied with the pattern, press everything together firmly. Reduce the cane to your desired size, and voilà!
If you enjoyed learning how to make the Dizzy Spirals single blend polymer clay cane, I’d love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @bysandracallander.
Have questions? Comments? Funny clay mishaps? Hit me up—I’m here to help (and laugh along with you).
