How to Make a Ceramic Plate
Ceramic plates make great gift ideas, especially for people who enjoy tinkering around the kitchen. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, decorated in a number of ways according to one's preferences.
A ceramic plate can be made from either natural or specially formulated clay. You can get our supplies from a ceramics specialty shop. These stores can help you get started with everything that you need to create your own ceramic plates. If you can't afford to purchase brand new equipment, you can opt to rent your pottery wheel and kiln.
Things You'll Need
- Clay of your choice
- Clay glaze
- Plate mold
- Textured slab mold
- Plastic picnic knife or fettling knife
- Potter's needle tool
- Clay cutter
- Rolling pin and wood slats
- Newspaper
- Scissors
- Sand bag*
- Clay stamps for trimmings
- Pencil
- Apple cider vinegar
- *The sandbag can be made of a handkerchief filled with 2 lbs. of sand. Tie the handkerchief with a string but make sure to leave ample room for the sand to move a bit.
Instructions
-
Instructions
-
1
Start by making the plate's shape. This entails cutting the newspaper following the pattern of your plate mold. You just need to make it a little smaller. Place the cut newspaper on the clay that was rolled to a half-inch thick.
-
2
Cut the slab following the newspaper pattern. Cut out your plate with the use of a plastic picnic knife or a fettling knife. Set the leftover aside.
-
-
3
Press the cut plate shape over the slab mold. Use the small sandbag to firmly roll the clay into the mold going from the center to the edges and then all the way around the surface. This is to make sure the design is embedded into the clay. Roll the plate shape with the use of the flat roller or rolling pin to get it further into the mold. Smooth the edges using the roller as well.
-
4
Create the design for the back of the plate shape. Take your wooden stamps and roll them over the back of the plate according to the design you want.
-
5
Lift the molded clay from the textured slab mold. Gently press it over the center of the plate drape mold. Take care not to press it too hard so you don't ruin the design from the textured slab mold.
-
6
To make the feet, take the leftover clay and roll four balls that are at least an inch in diameter. Press the balls evenly on the corners of the plate. You want to position them at least three-quarters of the way from the plate's center to its rim. The idea is to make sure that the plate rests on these four feet instead of its underside. Apply apple cider vinegar to the feet to keep them in place.
-
7
Set the plate aside for a few minutes. When the plate is firm enough, hold it right side up and smooth the curves of the plate with a sculptor's trimming tool or use a wet chamois. Make sure that excess water is squeezed out from the chamois before you use it on the clay.
-
8
Bake the clay in an electric kiln according to the temperature prescribed in the clay's packaging. Let it dry according to the package instructions. After that, remove it from the kiln to apply glaze and then put it back in, this time adjusting the temperature according to the package instructions for the glaze.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Always go over the package instructions on the clay and glaze to make sure that you're baking your ceramic plate in the right temperature.
