Take Home Kit Instructions


1. Materials Included

  • Stoneware clay (cone 6 Mid Smooth Speckled clay)
  • Sponge
  • Rib or thumb tool
  • Glaze
  • Slip
  • Paint brushes
  • Scoring/molding tools
  • Materials Needed: Water, any tools that will be useful (i.e. spoons, forks, bowls, molds, rolling pin, canvas, ruler, banding wheel)


2. Preparing Your Clay

  1. Your clay is pre-wedged and ready to use.
  2. Moisten as needed: Stoneware should be soft but not sticky. If it’s dry, add a little water and work it into the clay. 


3. Choose Your Handbuilding Technique

Technique 1: Pinching (Pinch pot) 

https://dowlingart.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/9/1/109157325/47725425287f2299fb04ce24d97e61ae_orig.jpg

Ideal for small items like bowls, cups, or small sculptures.

Steps:

    1. Form a clay ball (~ the size of a lemon or orange).
    2. Press your thumb into the center, leaving about 1/2” at the bottom.
    3. Begin pinching the clay evenly between your thumb and fingers, rotating as you go.
    4. Continue shaping upward, thinning the walls gradually (aim for 1/4” thickness).
    5. Smooth the surface with fingers or damp sponge.
    6. Let it firm up to leather-hard before painting.


Technique 2: Slab Building

Perfect for boxes, trays, mugs, and angular or structured items.

Steps:

    1. Roll out clay into an even slab (~1/4” thick) using a rolling pin
    2. Let slabs rest briefly to firm up to leather-hard (less floppy).
    3. Cut shapes with a needle tool using templates or rulers.
    4. Score and slip edges before joining slabs. 
    5. Use a rib or hands to compress and smooth seams.
    6. Reinforce corners from the inside if needed.
    7. Add details like texture, handles, or feet once the form is assembled.


Technique 3: Coiling

Great for larger items like vases, planters, or sculptural pieces.

Steps:

    1. Roll out long, even coils (about the thickness of your finger).
    2. Create a flat base (use a slab or pinch a circle).
    3. Score and slip the edge of the base where the first coil will go.
    4. Lay the first coil on top, press and blend it inward using fingers or tools.
    5. Add more coils, blending each one to the one below.
    6. Build up height gradually. Compress and smooth the inside as you go.
    7. For smoother walls, scrape the outside and inside with a rib tool.
    8. When finished, let it dry slowly under plastic to avoid cracking.


4. Drying and Finishing

  • Let your piece dry slowly and evenly to avoid cracks.
  • You can cover your piece in plastic if you plan to work on it again later.

5. Painting

  • Paint your piece with the glazes provided. DO NOT use any regular paint or other glazes as this will lead to damage to your piece and/or the kiln.
  • Coat your piece with 2-3 layers of glaze, letting it dry in between coats. 
  • You can mix glaze colours to achieve other colours.
  • Do not paint the bottom of your piece or it will fuse to the kiln shelf


6. Bringing back to studio

  • Once fully dry (bone dry) bring you item back to the Mud Shop for bisque and glaze firing. Make sure to put your email on the box provided.
  • Transport items carefully
  • Give reception your email to ensure you will be notified when your items are ready for pick up. 


✅ Tips for Success

  • Work in stages: don't rush drying or joining.
  • Experiment with texture tools (leaves, stamps, fabrics).
  • Do not paint the bottom of your pieces (it will have to be washed off because it will stick to the kiln shelf)
  • Don’t add too much moisture to your piece. Reserve damp sponge for smoothing out pieces after they are set a little bit.
  • If you feel stuck, look up tutorials. There are tons of great resources online!

 

ATTACHING THINGS:

When you attach two pieces of clay you must score the clay on BOTH sides and add slip. Slip acts as glue but it will not stick without scoring.