How to Make Slip Clay Pottery

Slip pottery is a good way to reproduce a favorite design or make a set of pottery pieces like plates or teacups. It's made when slip is poured into a mold and dried inside to create a replica of the original piece.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Pick a piece to use as a model for your slip pottery. This is most commonly crafted on the wheel, but it can also be a slab or coil piece.

2. Make a plaster mold of your model pottery piece. A standard plaster mold is made in two pieces, held together with a rubber band or straps. Be sure to include a hole to pour the slip in.

3. Pour your clay into the mold after making sure the rubber bands or straps are secure. Check to see that no clay is leaking out around the mold seam.

4. Let your mold sit for about 10 to 25 minutes in a cool, dry area. You may need to let your slip pottery mold sit longer if the day is humid or the mold is large.

5. Check the thickness of your slip pottery. As it dries, the clay will shrink and pull away from the walls of the mold. Most pieces need to dry until the walls are about 3/8 inch thick.

6. Drain the extra slip out of your slip pottery mold and leave it to dry until the pottery is leather hard.

7. Open the mold gently and lift your slip pottery piece out to let it dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Most molds need to be "rested" for a day or two after being used. This allows the mold time to dry completely.
• Keep your molds out of the sun to prevent cracking and drying.