Many techniques exist for working with polymer clay. Caning is a technique borrowed from glass artisans, who used the name millefiori, meaning "a thousand flowers". It involves making a picture from thick pieces of polymer clay, which are then extruded so the picture becomes smaller, and the cane much longer. The original picture can then be seen running throughout the length of the cane, though smaller. It can then be sliced, with the slices used to cover other objects or blobs of scrap polymer clay.