DIY Jewelry--Polymer Clay--Tie Dye Technique or an Introduction to Millefiori

Polymer Clay Jewelry

Whether you are brand new to polymer clay or have been working with it for awhile, you might be intimidated by the millefiori technique. Or, you might not even be familiar with the term. Literally translated from Italian, it means thousands of flowers. Polymer clay artists adapted the technique from the decorative glassware technique. Instead of using glass to make complex canes, logs or loaves of clay are created by pressing rods and sheets of colors together to create images or patterns. Then the logs are sliced to reveal intricate patterns or pictures within. If you still cannot imagine what this looks like, you could try visiting the dairy section of a supermarket before a popular holiday like Halloween and look for Pillsbury® Holiday Cookies shapes.

This tie dye technique is an ideal way to start developing the skills used to make more complex millefiori patterns. You do not have to be a millefiori expert to achieve results you can be proud of with the tie dye technique.  This article shows you how to make the bracelet. You can easily adapt the technique to make the earrings or ring shown in the photo by making beads and attaching them to the appropriate metal base.