Ceramic Covered Jar Lid Handle

Video Transcript

"Some lids do not require any kind of handle or knob and this doom lid is one, which you can easily pick up with your hands. Other types of lids might require some handle or knob, in the center, just to make it easier to lift off. With that in mind, with another wedged piece of clay, you can shape it into a spike or you can tap it down to get facets in that spike. What we're doing is making a blank and that's just, essentially, a piece of clay that can be shaped further. With your potters knife you can cut off what's not needed and then, with the needle tool, you can rough up the area to increase the surface area, with the lid. Any time you're joining two pieces of clay together, it's critical to rough up both areas and that much water, on both areas, not too much water. Then, join them together. Here, you're just squeezing them together and pushing them into each other. The next step is to wet your hands thoroughly, turn the piece over and then to begin pulling out that blank. As I'm pulling it out, I'm careful to keep enough water on there so it's plastic and tapering it, in this direction and this direction. With the knuckle of your thumb, you can put in a few extra accent lines. Then, turning it over, you can attach the handle, any place you'd like. It's a good idea not to touch this part of the handle, so you're just touching where you've attached it and where the handle ends."