DIY Chinese Teapots

Easily fashion a Chinese teapot by adding hard drying clay.

The Chinese have been known throughout history as global exporters of their ceramic art. One staple Chinese export is the typical teapot with ancient Chinese motifs. A few Chinese motifs are the lotus flower, the scaled roaring dragon and the bamboo pagoda. Many Chinese teapots come in a milk white body with the motifs in a monotone deep blue. Thanks to cheap imports, local craft stores market blank teapots and it is easy to duplicate the Chinese motif of a roaring dragon to transform the teapot into a copy of what was once categorized as a collectible.

Things You'll Need

• Milk white pot belly teapot
• 1/4 kilo hard drying blue clay compound
• Work table
• Clean cotton rag
• Glass cutting board
• Grease pencil
• Paper
• Small tube deep blue acrylic paint
• Fine-haired artist's paint brush

Instructions

1. Search the local stores for a typical teapot with a pot belly and small lid. Purchase one that is blank with a milk white finish. Wipe the work surface clean. Lay the clean cotton rag onto the top of the work surface. Place the teapot in the center of the rag. Remove and set aside the teapot's lid. Wipe the teapot clean of all dust and soil.

2. Sketch a rough draft of the roaring dragon onto the sheet of paper. Set it to the right of the teapot. Secure the teapot at the opening of the top with one hand. Hold the grease pencil in the other hand. Begin copying the dragon sketch free hand, at the apex of the teapot where the handle meets the body. Continue the sketch of the dragon's body around the teapot. Never sketch below the middle point of the teapot. Set the grease pencil aside.

3. Take the tube of acrylic paint and place a dab onto the hairs of the paint brush. Follow the lines of the grease pencil along the entire sketch on the teapot's body. Work with the paint brush from the sketch lines outward on either side. Paint onto the upper handle, the dragon's head in scale with the rest of the dragon's body. Set the teapot aside and allow the acrylic paint to dry.

4. Situate the glass cutting board onto the work table also. Open the clay only when the acrylic paint is completely dry. Begin to roll the clay into a thin snaking coil on the glass board. Roll out at least 2 feet of clay coil, no wider than the pinky finger of a young infant. Continue to work quickly with the clay before it air dries.

5. Return the teapot to the table and hold it securely with one hand. Situate the clay coil into the palm of the other hand. Begin at the dragon's head at the handle. Loop the handle one time with the clay. Drape the coil all along the acrylic silhouette. Return to the handle and begin to press the coil flat onto the body of the teapot. Sculpt eyes, nose, mouth and scales into the flattened coil along the body of the dragon with the wooden end of the paint brush. Set the teapot aside and wait for the clay to dry.