Letter R Polymer Clay Alphabet Cane Tutorial

This is the latest in the series of free polymer clay alphabet step-by-step tutorials. Click here for a list of all of the other alphabet canes so far. Today’s letter is the hardest letter cane to create. Not only is the “R” shape made of a mixture of curves and straight lines, but it’s also asymmetrical. A really tricky combination. In fact it’s so tricky that I’m not even fully satisfied with this design! But it’s the closest I’ve got so far with a round cane. So here it is: the Letter “R” polymer clay alphabet cane:

You will need:

• Approximately 45g white clay (= about three quarters of a standard-sized block of clay) Examples of white clay from Amazon
• Approx. 8g black clay (about an eighth of a standard block) Examples of black clay from Amazon 
• Pasta machine or clay roller (examples of pasta machines)
• Tissue blade (a.k.a. polymer clay slicer blade) (examples from Amazon)

Step-by-step instructions: Letter “R” polymer clay alphabet cane

Step 0 – Condition the clay. (Roll each colour through the pasta machine until they are very flexible:

Step 1 – Roll the black clay into a sheet approximately 1.5mm (1/24in) thick:

Step 2 – Cut off about a third of the white clay and save it for a later step:

Step 3 – With the remaining larger piece of white clay, roll it into a cylinder approximately 35mm (1.5ins) in diameter:

Step 4 –Cut the cylinder in half down the middle to make two semicircles:

Step 5 –Using the semicircle on the right, re-roll it into a cylinder with a diameter of approx. 25mm (1in) and about 30mm (1.25ins) tall:

Step 6 – Cut off approx. one third of the cylinder and keep it aside for using in a later step:

Step 7 –Using the remaining small cylinder of white clay, turn it so that the round faces are on the top and bottom, and then squeeze it into an oval shape as shown below. Try to also make it the same height as the white semicircle:

Step 8: Cut the oval in half down the middle:

Step 9 – Arrange the two halves of the oval cane so that they are pointing in the same direction as shown below:

Step 10 – Using one half of the oval cane, completely wrap its sides with the strip of black clay that was created in Step 1, and then lay it against the flat side of the white semicircle. Trim off any excess black clay:

Step 11 – Arrange the second part of the oval cane as shown below:

Step 12 – Retrieve the smaller piece of the cylinder that was cut off in Step 6:

Step 13 –Roll it until it is the same height as the other pieces of clay:

Step 14 – Squeeze the cylinder into a triangle shape:

Step 15 –Squeeze two of the points of the triangle so that they become long and flat:

Step 16 –Insert this shape to fit into the other shapes as shown below:

Step 17 – Cut the cane in half diagonally, as shown in the image below:

Step 18 – Insert a sheet of black clay so that it goes from the middle of the cane to the outer edge:

Step 19 – Reassemble the cane pieces:

Step 20 – Using the piece of white clay that was cut off in Step 2, roll it through the pasta machine on the thinnest setting, and then wrap the sides of the cane with the thin white layers of clay:

Reduce the cane.

Finished letter “R” polymer clay alphabet cane: