So you have a set of plates, bowls and cups that you like. But it would be even better to make your own utensils by making pottery. Buying good equipment in a store is fun, but being able to give your homemade tools a certain character for your everyday use is priceless! And it turns out to be easier than you might think.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Creating an Object
Step 1. Do you want functional or non-functional ceramics?
Depending on your needs, bowls may be best done on a potter's wheel, but decorative trimmings may be better done by hand. You can even make clay sculptures as long as the center is empty and you provide ventilation holes for air to escape during combustion.
Step 2. Imagine the use, size, shape, and color of the object you want to make
Pottery is a term with a broad meaning. There are many different ways to make your own creations. To create each item, various elements of art must be considered. Visit an art store near you and see what tools can help you create the thing you want.
Start thinking. If you want to make small items, beads, decorative boxes, and animals are good examples of things to start with. Your choices are not limited to vases, plates, pots, tableware and wall hangings
Step 3. Choose your clay
Once you know what you are going to make, then you can choose the materials you will use. Air-dried polymer clay you don't need to burn. But this material is a little expensive, so maybe you can only make small shapes first. Another option is clay that is burned over low heat and high heat, where the results of the two will be different.
- Small fire clay is suitable for bright colors with detailed decoration. But it's not very good with water, so if you choose this clay, use a coating liquid to coat it.
- Large fire clay is not suitable for bright colors, but it is strong enough, water resistant and can be textured easily. This layer may melt when burned so that detailed images may become blurry.
Step 4. Decide which method is suitable for you
You have several options, namely:
- Pottery wheel: suitable for making symmetrical, round objects. This tool requires a burning tool and a bit of skill. Pottery wheels are great for making large and small objects, but clay will be difficult to reshape if you shape it incorrectly.
- "Pinching by hand": this method is suitable for making small objects. It's pretty easy, start with a little clay in the palm of your hand. Shape by pressing and heating. Then use a damp sponge to smooth the surface.
- "Coiling": this method is best used for making hollow or asymmetrical objects. You can create interesting textures or patterns by stringing several layers together. You will stack and string layers of clay into a specific shape. Thus becoming one and creating one form of object.
- "Slab making": suitable for shaping objects with a flat surface. Put one side of the clay into a certain shape, and as it dries, the clay will shrink at the base but retain its shape.
Step 5. "Form away"
This method is according to what you want and your ability. If you have a potter's wheel then use it. But if not, there are many ways other than that. If you're just trying to make pottery, seek professional instructions or watch pottery videos online; Making pottery is an art that of course requires skill.
Some clays cannot be molded and revert to a spherical shape, and must be reshaped. So when you choose the material you use, pay close attention because your clay sometimes doesn't give you a chance to improve its shape again
Method 2 of 2: Burning Things
Step 1. Place the pottery in the electronic burner
Raise the temperature to 450 degrees Celsius for 12 hours. Burning this way will result in a non-shiny pottery. The first stage of burning removes the physical and chemical water so your craft can be coated without turning back into mud or breaking. The temperature range in ceramics is called "cones".
Allow the temperature to drop and remove your pottery after it has cooled completely for 48 hours
Step 2. Paint your crafted object with a glossy coat
Remember that this layer will melt. If you want more detailed lines, color them with a "bisque stain" and then coat them with a clear layer.
- If the surface of your pottery is not smooth, use a size 100 sandpaper to smooth it out. Then scrub the entire area with a sponge to remove all remaining dust so that the surface of the object before coating is smooth and clean.
- Coating pottery can be done in several ways. You can dip, brush, use a sponge, etc. You can also buy this coating in liquid or dry form. If you want to be a professional potter, you'll end up making these layers yourself.
Step 3. Reheat your pottery to melt the coating and coat your item
Depending on the type of clay, the size of the object, and the coating you're using, you may need as much as 1148°C of heat.
Heat your burner overnight to a very low temperature. Heat on low for two hours, increasing the temperature no more than 90 degrees Celsius every hour. And then two hours at moderate temperatures (with a temperature increase of no more than 150 degrees Celsius per hour). And finally end with a high temperature (with a temperature increase of between 150 to 200 degrees Celsius per hour) until the desired temperature is reached
Step 4. Place your homemade item on the base of the burner
Maybe your craft will deform, so smooth the bottom so that it stands upright on a flat surface.
