How to Make Ceramic

Ceramic pieces continue to be a favorite among interior designers. Whether they accent a beautiful outdoor garden, work as serving pieces in the kitchen or dining room, or serve as bric a brac for the home, ceramics fit the bill. Hobbyists have been enjoying making their own ceramic items for hundreds of years. From early Native American pots to today’s highly enameled vases, ceramics have been a very popular part of the craft world. But some still ask the obvious: How difficult is to make a ceramic?

Things You'll Need

• Ceramic (greenware or pre-cleaned piece)
• Greenware cleaning tool
• Slip (clay and water)
• Paint (appropriate to the ceramic piece)
• Specialized finishes
• Paint brushes
• Rubber gloves
• Mask
• Safety goggles
• Place to having firing done

Instructions

Choosing a Ceramic Piece to Make

1. Determine what type of ceramic you want to make. Are you looking for something to set off a beautiful flower garden? Do you want to make figurines that are tailored to accent your bedroom? Are you in need of serving pieces? All of these needs and many more can be achieved through ceramics.

2. Decide if you want to purchase pre-cleaned ceramics or greenware that you will clean yourself. This decision will have an impact on where you will look for your ceramics and supplies as well as the steps you will need to follow.

3. Locate a ceramic dealer that you can visit. If you don’t have a definite ceramic design in mind, visiting a ceramic dealer may help you to narrow your focus. If you can’t find one locally, look at surrounding towns within a reasonable travel distance. Of course, you can also always shop for ceramics on-line.

4. Choose a ceramic to complete and decide what type of finish you want on the piece. Depending upon the type of ceramic that you choose, you may have multiple options for finishing the piece. On the other hand, if you choose something that will be used for serving or that will be exposed regularly to the elements, like in a garden, your options will be limited to those paints that are appropriate to those needs.

5. Make your purchases if you have not already done so. Also determine where you will go to have your items fired once they are painted. Don’t settle on a location because the price is the cheapest. Look for one with a good reputation for proper handling of finished works.

Making Your Ceramic Piece

1. Clean your greenware, if you have chosen to begin at that level. Be careful to hold the piece carefully as you clean it. Because greenware is nothing more than the ceramic’s initial dried clay form, it is very delicate and can easily be cracked or broken. While cracks are sometimes easy to repair, breaks can mean that you must start over from the beginning.Be certain that you remove the entire mold line from your ceramic, smoothing out the piece so that there is no evidence of the line remaining.

2. Smooth out any cracks with slip which is nothing more than wet clay. You don’t want to fire a piece with cracks or breaks, so correct them before moving on to the next step.

3. Take the piece to be fired for the first time. Once that is completed, you are ready to apply your finish to the piece.

4. Complete your ceramic finish. Certain types of finishes may require multiple firings in between coats or colors. That means that the piece will require separate firings between each coat or color. Additional firings may also come into play if you decide to add a specialized finish like gold or silver leafing or a mother-of-pearl or opalized finish. Enameled pieces will also likely require at least one additional firing; perhaps more. In contrast, however, standard craft paint jobs will not require another firing; just a finishing coat of acrylic.

5. Add special finishes after you have completed the remainder of the ceramic’s finish. Depending upon the depth of the finish you want, these may also require more than one firing.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix and match paints and finishes to create a unique finish that is solely your own.

• Try creating your own finish using other types of finishing products like faux granite, a marble finish kit, or gold leafing.

• Ask experts in the field for finishing ideas.

• Don’t choose the least expensive place to get your piece fired based on cost alone. I

• Never just paint greenware. It doesn’t take paint well and will more than likely break quickly.

• Don’t try applying multiple finishes with the idea of doing everything in a single firing. The paints will run together and destroy your ceramic piece.