Things You'll Need:
- kiln/oven (depending on type of clay)
- clay/sculpey
- surface to work on
- tools to design piece
-
Step 1
Take your piece of clay and throw your piece of clay on the table. Press the clay and continue to throw it against the table. This is known as "wedging" and it works the bubbles in the clay out in order to prevent explosion.
-
Step 2
There are many ways to make a bowl, but we will use the "pinch pot method". This means pinching your piece of clay into a bowl shape.
-
Step 3
First make a ball with your piece of clay.
-
Step 4
Next, using your thumb, push an indentation into the middle of the ball.
-
Step 5
Now, put your thumb in the indentation and your pointer finger on the outside of the ball. Now begin to pinch the clay. The clay will begin to form into a bowl shape, and will begin to thin out.
-
Step 6
If you want to attach anything to your bowl, you must "score" and "slip" any attachments. To "score" is to make hash marks with a tool of some sort on the backside of your attachment, and to the part of your pot to which you are attaching it. Slip is a mixture of water and clay, and to slip is to use this water down version of clay on the pieces you are trying to attach as a sort of bonding agent. By doing this, the slip and the grooves which you have created on your pot will mesh together and keep the pieces firmly together. If you do not do this, the pieces will likely fall off.
-
Step 7
Now fire the pot. Depending on what kind of clay you are using and what kind of oven or kiln you are using, times and temperature will vary. Sculpey is a great clay to use because you can bake this at low temperatures in your oven.
-
Step 8
Now for painting. If you are using acrylics then paint the pot and you are finished! If you are using glaze then you apply the glaze anf you will fire the pot one more time, and then you are finished!
