How to Make a Colorful Dorodango
A Japanese dorodango is made from nothing more than dirt and water. The highly polished dorodango is a ball that varies in size, with versions made as small as a marble to as large as a bowling ball. Interestingly, the hard polished mud ball is made without any tools as the ball is shaped using only your hands, making the dorodango a perfect craft for both children and adults. The process is simple but very time-consuming.
Things You'll Need
- Dirt
- Water
- Mixing container
- Plastic bag
- Bath towel
- Tempera powder
- Paper plate
- Soft cloth
Instructions
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1
Pour 4 to 5 cups of dirt into a mixing container and add 1 cup water.
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2
Mix the water into the dirt with your hands. Continue to mix in water until the dirt is the consistency of thick cookie dough. Since different types of dirt require different amounts of water, add water sparingly until the consistency is correct.
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3
Fold a bath towel into 8ths and place it on a flat surface in a warm location. This will be used to hold the dorodango once it is formed.
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4
Scoop a handful of mud from the mixing bowl and shape it in the palms of your hands until it is the shape of a sphere. The mud ball will hold its own shape. If it does not, the mud is not the right consistency. Add more dirt if the ball is mushy or more water if the ball crumbles.
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5
Place the completed ball into a plastic bag and place the plastic bag onto the folded bath towel. Allow the ball to dry for 30 minutes.
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6
Pour tempera paint powder onto a paper plate until an approximately 1/4-inch layer is made across the entire paper plate.
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7
Remove the dorodango from the plastic bag and roll it between the palms of your hands.
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8
Place the palm of each hand in the tempera powder and roll the dorodango between the palms of your hands to impart the colored tempera powder to the surface of the ball.
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9
Place the dorodango into the plastic bag and let it dry for another 30 minutes. Repeat the process one more time.
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10
Remove the dorodango from the plastic bag and rub the surface of the ball with your hands to polish it.
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11
Sit the dorodango on the folded bath towel until it dries completely. This may take up to 24 hours, depending on the room's ambient humidity and heat.
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12
Polish the surface of the dried dorodango with a soft cloth. Rub the surface in small circular motions to attain a high sheen.
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References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
