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Polymer Clay Canes Megan Holloway and Brandy White. Materials. Polymer Clay Hobby Lobby 12 pieces $10.99 Ceramic Tool Hobby Lobby $2.77 Toothpicks Walmart $2.44 Elastic String Hobby Lobby $1.59. Motor Upgrade/Downgrade. Skill : Strength
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Materials • Polymer Clay • Hobby Lobby • 12 pieces • $10.99 • Ceramic Tool • Hobby Lobby • $2.77 • Toothpicks • Walmart • $2.44 • Elastic String • Hobby Lobby • $1.59
Motor Upgrade/Downgrade • Skill: Strength • Baseline: Knead both colors individually and flatten with hands. • Downgrade: OT will knead clay for the client. • Upgrade: OT will give client more clay to knead on their own.
Cognitive Upgrade/Downgrade • Skill: Concept formation • Baseline: Use two colors to make the “jelly roll” patterned cane. • Downgrade: Knead two colors together, not following a pattern. • Upgrade: Show client a premade cane, like the picture to the right, and have him/her duplicate the cane.
Population • Clients who would benefit from this activity in therapy: • Arthritis • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Children with sensory processing issues • Mostly females (ages 7+) enjoy making jewelry out of polymer clay.
Therapeutic Benefits • Psychosocial • Relaxing and rhythmic activity • Satisfactory and meaningful occupation • Sense of competence and self-efficacy when finished successfully • Rehab • Strengthens muscles used for fine motor skills • Improves hand-eye coordination • Quote: • “Several years ago, I fell and fractured by shoulder which meant a lot of therapy. Working with polymer clay has helped to strengthen my muscles and puts me in a zone where I’m concentrating and all cares are moot.” –June Fredrick
Precautions • Ceramic tool blade and toothpicks are sharp. • Color from clay can rub off on hands, be careful not to touch clothing. • Oven baking portion of this activity requires oven mitts and let the beads cool before stringing. • Be cautious of clients who may be allergic to red dye.
Instructions • Pick two colors of polymer clay and one toothpick. • The ceramic tools will need to be shared. • Knead the clay well or until it is soft. • Flatten each color separately into approximately 3x5 in. rectangles. • Place one color on top of another, folding the bottom layer over the top layer, creating a “lip”.
Instructions • Tightly roll the clay sheets together, making sure there are no air bubbles. • Next, use the ceramic tool to cut each end off to even the edges. • Use the ceramic tool again to cut off the overlapping clay sheet. • Smooth the top layer of clay to blend into the rest of the roll with your fingers. • Cut cane into at least ¼ in. slices.
Instructions • Use your toothpick to pierce a hole through the clay bead. • Repeat step 10 for all following beads. • Tie a knot on one end of string. • Proceed by stringing all beads onto the string. • Don’t tie a knot on the end, so we can bake them for you to keep!
Oven Baking Portion • If you were doing this activity in the clinic, string beads after baked in the oven • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. • Bake beads for 10 minutes. • When removing beads, use oven mitts and let beads cool for 10 minutes. • String beads onto elastic string and tie knot on both ends. • Enjoy!
Resources • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28SbYmRAufY • http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/classic-sculpey-iii-multi-pack-691485/ • http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=toothpick&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0 • https://www.google.com/search?q=polymer+clay+canes • http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-creative-art-therapy-muscle-shoulder-injury/6906/ • http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/beading-cord-elastic-586941/