How to Decorate Bowls & Vases With Slip Trailing
Slip trailing is the process of adding dimensional textures or designs to the surface of a pottery piece prior to firing, using a mixture of clay and water, which is called "slip." The trailing designs or slip becomes a part of the clay surface, making it resistant to running or loss of texture during the firing and glazing process. Using inexpensive cake piping bags and plastic squeeze bottles, you can add both physical and visual texture to ceramic bowls and vases.
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Things You'll Need
- Clay
- Plastic container with lid
- Water
- Whisk
- Sieve
- Drop flower cake-piping tip
- Leaf cake-piping tip
- Cake piping bag
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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Mixing the Slip
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1
Place small chunks of clay or dry clay scraps into a plastic container and add only enough water to cover the clay.
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2
Cover the container and wait 20 to 30 minutes for the clay to soften and disintegrate.
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3
Blend the mixture with a whisk and run through a mesh sieve to remove lumps or impurities. The mixture should be the consistency of cake icing or pudding. Too much water in the slip will cause the design to run.
Floral Slip Trailing Design
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4
Attach a drop flower tip to a piping bag and fill with a small amount of the slip mixture. Apply pressure to the bag to push the slip into the tip and remove air, as air bubbles may compromise the design during firing.
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5
Hold the bag at a 90-degree angle to the surface of the piece and position the tip so that it is lightly touching the surface. Squeeze the bag without moving the tip, allowing the slip mixture to build up. When the petals extruded from the tip reach the desired size, stop squeezing the bag, twist it slightly in your hand and lift the tip straight up from the surface.
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6
Replace the drop flower tip with a leaf tip and hold the bag at a 45-degree angle, lightly touching the surface. Build up a small amount of slip and lift the tip upward, decreasing the pressure of the flow and bringing the leaf to a point. Lay the leaf on the surface.
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7
Add centers to the flowers, straight borders, script or lettering with print-writing tips or a plastic squeeze bottle with a small round opening. Fix imperfections in the design or flowers that are not adhering well with a paintbrush and a small amount of water. Then fire and glaze the piece to finish.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Add color to your slip trailing designs by adding pigments to the slip when mixing.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
