How I Store Polymer Clay Canes
Storage is always an intriguing dilemma for any crafter or hobbyist. We have lots of little bits of stuff, and unless we can see it easily, we tend to forget we have it. Some things are easily stored (such as blocks of unopened polymer clay), but other things are more awkward and tricky.
I’ve tried a ton of methods to store polymer clay canes, and most have been problematic. If you let the canes touch, they’ll stick together. Laid on their side, they roll around. If you wrap your canes with plastic wrap (or waxed paper or deli sheets), then you can’t see the end of the cane. Plus, that takes a lot of time to cut little pieces of plastic wrap. You can’t store them in the open, or they will get dusty. But if you stack them in a box, it’s hard to see what you have. Dilemmas, dilemmas.
Here’s what I’m doing now and…it’s working! If you’re not happy with your system, this one might be worth trying.
I found these low, wide scrapbooking boxes with a latch-on lid. The bottom is flat. They’re tall enough that most of my canes can sit vertically, and the lid is easy to see through. The boxes stack easily. It’s easy to sort and organize the canes by type (or theme or artist) and then you can take just that box to your work table. I’m sure you could find similar boxes. The ones designed for storing scrapbooking paper would be great.
This system did need one modification, however. The canes tend to fall over easily because they don’t stick well to the plastic bottom of the box. So I put a piece of glass into the bottom. I bought some cheap picture frames at Hobby Lobby and cut the glass to fit. (The glass is very thin and super easy to cut with a simple glass cutter.) But you could also get glass cut to the right size from a frame shop. Make sure you measure the bottom of the box, not the top, though. Now the canes stay vertical, and I can easily see what I have. Perfection!
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12 thoughts on “A Great Way to Store Polymer Clay Canes”
Both waxed paper and a zip lock bag seem overkill, unless you have multiple canes in one zip lock bag. It’s not about keeping them from drying out, but keeping them from gathering dust. I store my canes wrapped in deli sheet, (much like clear plastic wrap), and have them in small parts drawers. That way at least I can see the ends so I know what I have.
I’m trying to find an article about the best way to store opened clay, both conditioned and not conditioned. Mine is wrapped in wax paper in zip lock bags and I can’t see what I have. Can I put it in a photo album?
Ziploc bags are perfect. A photo album works well. However, be aware that conditioned clay is only temporary. After a few days it’s back to the pre-conditioned state.
The struggle to store canes is real. While the box with them stood up on glass seems good, these all seem short. Do you cut the longer canes and just group them together?
For the longer ones, I lay them down. I don’t have that many long ones, honestly.
What a smart and simple way to store canes! Thanks
A wonderful idea ! I´ve had a lot of problems with storing. Thank you !
I read about folks who make a veneer and store for future use. Wouldn’t that be very difficult to recondition without ruining it? I never understood that, therefore, have never done it. Use it or lose it. Separate issue from storing canes, but somewhat relevant.
You can store veneers if they’re made from a clay that’s not a “shattering” clay. (That’s my term…see what I mean here.) Make sure they’re not too thin. They won’t be as flexible as they originally were, but they’re still very usable.
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That’s awesome! I could use the drawer I currently store them in (if they aren’t too tall) and just cover the top of the whole bin!
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