Homemade Ceramic Glaze

Make your own ceramic glaze for endless color combinations.

The finish glaze on a ceramic or pottery piece is as important as the form and function. Commercially prepared ceramic glazes are widely available and the results are consistent each time they're used. However, if you're using large quantities of glaze, or just want to create some unique color combinations, then making your own glaze is both economical and rewarding. By adding some colorants to the basic glaze recipe, you can develop an endless array of colors and patterns for your ceramic creations.

Things You'll Need

• Scale accurate to 0.1 grams
• Measuring spoon
• 54 g tenmoku custer feldspar
• 13 g whiting
• 22 g silica
• 6 g EPK kaolin
• 2.5 g barium carbonate
• 2.5 g zinc oxide
• Grout and cement stains (optional)
• Respirator or dust mask
• Safety goggles
• Mixing bucket
• Water
• Stir stick
• Jar with airtight lid

Instructions

1. Mix the dry glaze materials together in a bucket. Wear a respirator or dust mask and safety goggles when working with dry glaze materials because some are toxic when inhaled. Work in a well-ventilated area.

2. Add any desired colorants to the mix. Grout and cement stains are readily available in a wide variety of colors at home supply stores and can be mixed to create new colors.

3. Add water to the mix a little at a time, stirring slowly while you add. It will be easier to mix by adding the dry materials to the water, but be careful not to start with too much liquid. Most glazes are about 50 percent water but it is better to start with less. You can always add a little extra water at the end.

4. Stir the glaze until it is smooth with a creamy texture. Crush any chunks of dry ingredients or strain the glaze through a fine sieve.

5. Pour the glaze into a jar and seal with a tight-fitting lid until you are ready to use it. Stir stored glaze at least once a week to prevent settling.

Tips & Warnings

• You can purchase the glaze ingredients at most pottery or ceramic stores.

• The weights given for the dry ingredients will make a very small batch of glaze. Increase quantities proportionally for a larger batch.

• If the glaze turns out too thin and watery, let it stand overnight to settle, and then pour off some of the water.

• Clean measuring tools thoroughly between each ingredient to avoid cross-contamination.

References

• Pottery Magic: Pottery and Ceramics Glaze Recipes
• Ceramics Today: Alternative Glaze Materials