Polymer Clay Ring Holder: A Simple Cone and Dish

Rings left on a dresser tend to wander. A polymer clay ring holder gives them one fixed place: a cone to stack them on and a small dish underneath for anything that does not fit over the tip. It is made from two basic forms, a tapered log and a flat disc, so it suits anyone who can roll a smooth ball.

The only real difficulty is the join. A cone that is simply set on a base will pop off after curing, usually the first time a ring is pulled upward.

What you need

• Polymer clay, about one standard small block, in one color or two for marbling
• Acrylic roller and a ceramic tile
• A round cutter or a jar lid about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across
• Ball stylus or another rounded tool
• Needle tool
• A ring you actually wear, for checking the size of the cone
• Optional: a toothpick or short length of wire, and liquid polymer clay

Plan the proportions first

Three measurements decide whether the holder is easy to use: the width of the cone at its base, its height, and the width of the dish.

A tall cone on a narrow base falls over when a ring catches on it, so if you make the cone taller, widen the dish to match.

Marble the clay (optional)

A marbled cone hides fingerprints and small surface flaws better than a flat color. Condition both colors separately, roll each into a log, twist the two logs together like a rope, fold the rope in half and twist again. Repeat only two or three times. Each fold makes the streaks finer, until the colors blend into one muddy tone.

If your clay feels crumbly or stiff at this stage, it is not conditioned enough, and joins made with stiff clay are the ones that fail. The guide to conditioning polymer clay covers how to tell when it is ready.

Roll the cone and join it to the base

1. Divide the clay. Set aside a little more than half for the cone and use the rest for the dish.
2. Roll a thick log. Shape the cone portion into a smooth ball first, so no folds or creases are trapped inside, then roll it into a short, thick log about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across.
3. Taper it. Lay the log on the tile and roll it back and forth under your palm with your hand tilted, pressing harder at one end. The angle of your hand becomes the angle of the cone. Roll slowly; fast rolling leaves flat facets along the sides.
4. Flatten the base. Stand the cone upright and tap it down firmly on the tile a few times. Check that it stands vertical from the front and from the side, and round the tip with a fingertip.
5. Test with a ring. Slide your ring over the tip. It should come to rest somewhere in the lower half. If it drops all the way to the bottom, the base is too narrow: press the cone down to widen it, or start again with more clay.
6. Make the base disc. Roll the remaining clay into a sheet about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut a circle with the cutter or by tracing around the lid with the needle tool. Leave it on the tile.
7. Join the two parts. Lightly score the center of the disc and the underside of the cone with the needle tool. For extra security, push half a toothpick into the cone base and add a thin smear of liquid polymer clay, then press the cone straight down onto the center of the disc.
8. Blend the seam. With the ball stylus, drag a little clay from the bottom edge of the cone down onto the disc, working all the way around, then smooth the drag marks with the side of the stylus and a fingertip.
9. Raise the rim. Pinch the outer edge of the disc gently upward all the way around to form a shallow lip, so loose rings and earring studs stay in the dish.

Smooth the surface before curing

Marks are far easier to remove now than after the clay is hard. Turn the tile instead of picking the holder up, and look at the cone against a light source to find flat spots. Roll a fingertip lightly over fingerprints in small circles. Pick off any lint with the tip of the needle tool.

For a wide, curved bowl under the cone in place of a flat disc, shape the dish using the method in the trinket dish tutorial and join the cone the same way.

Cure

Cure (bake) the holder upright on the tile it was built on. Curing requirements vary between manufacturers and product lines, so use the exact instructions supplied with your own clay. A solid cone is much thicker than a flat slab piece, so read what the package says about thicker items.

Place a separate oven thermometer near the piece because oven dials can be inaccurate, tent loosely with foil to shield the tip of the cone from direct heat, keep the room ventilated, and let the holder cool fully before touching it. See how to cure polymer clay for the setup. Under-cured clay tends to be brittle, and the thin tip is where that shows first.

Finish and use

Once cool, check the join by holding the dish and wiggling the cone gently. If the cone comes away, the two cured parts can be reattached with a strong adhesive such as two-part epoxy; adhesives vary, so check the label for the materials it is meant for and test on a scrap first.

A surface coat is optional. Rings slide on and off constantly, so any varnish on the cone will see more wear than it would on a display piece. Products differ, so read the label and test on a cured scrap before coating the holder; the options are compared in the guide to matte, satin and gloss finishes.