When making your own clay beads, start with a cane that is much bigger around than the final bead. Trying to get the detail on a 6-petal flower to show up when working on a cane the same size as you want for the finished bead can cause lots of frustration. (I’ve tried it just so you didn’t have to!) The details can be difficult to see, the air pockets created get in the way, and pieces are just so tiny!

Instead, plan for or expect your cane to be about 1.5-2 inches in diameter as you put the bits together. The cane only needs to be 2-3 inches long at most as it will become much longer as you work the cane smaller and smaller to reach the size you want your beads to be.