When you visit a special antiquities museum, you will get an idea that bowls are some of the earliest man-made objects, used to store food, carry goods, and become art objects. Now, although all kinds of bowls can be easily purchased, bowls can also be made at home, ranging from simple styles to complex ones. For this article, several types of bowls are provided as examples for you to make.
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Method 1 of 6: Clay roll bowl
This is one of the easiest bowls to make. These bowls can be made by children with adequate supervision. The final result of the bowl can be left natural or colored / patterned depending on the intended use. This bowl is suitable for display or for storing things but for putting food.
Step 1. Purchase some self-hardening clay for crafts
Ask your local craft supply store for appropriate advice.
Step 2. Take a small pinch of clay as needed and roll it into a ball
Step 3. Continue rolling the balls until they form a fat sausage
Step 4. Keep rolling until you get long, thin clay
The thickness should be even from base to tip.
Step 5. Starting at one end of the sausage, roll it into a spiral
Keep the roll tight and stick together.
Step 6. Roll around to the end of the sausage clay
This piece will fit perfectly as the base of the bowl.
Step 7. Make longer clay sausages
Each sausage should be long enough to make a full circle in a bowl.
Step 8. Add the longer sausage on top of the rolled up base
To bring them together, simply connect the ends of the base sausage and work them together with the longer sausages with your fingers or with a small clay spatula.
After adding each sausage roll, make sure the sausage loam on top is firmly attached to the sausage roll underneath
Step 9. Continue adding the longer sausage rolls on top of the previous rolls, stacking them until the bowl reaches your desired height
Finish by neatly joining the ends of the top clay sausages together.
Step 10. You can leave the color to a natural clay color or paint it with a suitable paint
When adding color, choose a pattern that matches the decor of your room or a pattern that represents what it means to someone when used as a gift or present.
Another alternative is to smooth the outside of the bowl until you can no longer see the sausage clay rolls, then paint. Make sure you do this step before the clay dries
Method 2 of 6: Papier-mâché bowl from recycled wrapping paper
If you have a favorite collectible paper and want to display it, these recycled wrapping paper bowls can be a great way to do that.
Step 1. Choose a suitable bowl
Plastic bowls are the lightest bowls and probably the easiest to work with, but you can also use glass or ceramic bowls that have been proven to not crack (even the slightest crack of a hair can cause the bowl to break suddenly and ruin this craft project).
Step 2. Choose a bowl cover design
Canned or cardboard food labels, pictures in magazines, candy wrappers, tickets, or other items of nostalgic value or representing a fun hobby can be affixed to finish the bowl. Make sure that whatever paper you choose is enough to cover the inside and outside of the bowl.
Wrinkled labels, wrappers, etc. need to be ironed first. How to iron it, place the paper on the ironing board, and place a thin towel on top of the paper. Low heat iron, especially for items containing any type of plastic
Step 3. Cover the outside of the bowl with plastic wrap
Overlap the plastic on the rim of the bowl.
Step 4. Turn the bowl over on the stand
Teapots, thermos, heavy cups etc., can be used as a base to support the bowl on top as you work.
Step 5. Prepare the first bowl cover
Tear the newspaper into many small pieces and stack them in one place. You will need the tear to cover the bowl 5-6 times.
Step 6. Mix PVA glue with water, in the ratio one by one
- Dip a piece of newspaper in the glue solution and apply it to the entire surface of the bowl, both the outside and the inside.
- Let your first layer of paper dry.
Step 7. Repeat for the following five layers
Allow one layer to dry before adding a new layer.
Step 8. Remove the original bowl from the papier-mâché bowl (which is made from layers of torn newspaper)
Hold the end of the plastic wrap to help remove the original bowl from the paper bowl. Set the original bowl aside for later washing.
Step 9. Trim the edges of the paper bowl until they are neat
Paint the bowl in a neutral color (white is an easy choice) to provide a neat background. Let it dry.
Step 10. Glue the decorating paper on the bowl
You can glue with a certain pattern or randomly. If you're using a pattern, it's a good idea to sketch it out on paper first so you have a guide before gluing the decorating paper to the paper bowl.
Prepare the decoration paper so that it is cut to the desired design. Gluing decorative paper in stacks is also an option that can be done
Step 11. Finish the bowl by applying a layer of PVA glue solution
Once dry, the bowl is ready to be displayed.
Method 3 of 6: A bowl of pulp
Pulp is a fun way to recycle paper and form a bowl. This bowl is also perfect for making using old paper and phone book pages (Yellow Pages).
Step 1. Make the pulp
- Tear the newspaper into small pieces.
- Fill a bucket up to a quarter full with torn newsprint.
- Add hot water until all the paper is submerged.
- Let it cool. Once cool, mash with a paper spoon until it turns soft.
- Process the pulp with a food processor little by little. Each processed part will produce a smooth slurry.
- Put the processed pulp into a sieve. Press hard to get rid of all the water.
- Put one cup of PVA glue into the slurry in a bowl. Stir well. Porridge will last well if stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Step 2. Choose a medium-sized plastic or ceramic bowl
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Make sure to continue wrapping until it covers the rim of the bowl
Step 3. Turn the bowl over
If possible, place it on a support, such as a jug or thermos.
Step 4. Spread the porridge all over the outside of the bowl
Make sure the porridge covers the entire bowl. Try to make an even layer, at least 1cm thick across the entire surface of the bowl.
Step 5. Set aside to dry in a warm place
Leave it for at least 2 days, it may take longer in a more humid environment.
Step 6. Once you're sure the bowl is dry, separate the paper bowl from the molded bowl
Remove the plastic wrap.
Step 7. Paint the bowl with a decorative color
Add pattern if desired. The bowl is ready to be displayed once it dries. Just like the papier-mâché bowl, this bowl is only suitable for display or storing objects, not for serving food or for eating.
Method 4 of 6: Fruit bowls from various finds
Let your imagination run wild to create this bowl. Look inside your home, thrift or bargain stores, antique stores and thrift markets for objects that can be turned into bowls.
Step 1. Find the appropriate bowl-shaped object
These are endless possibilities, so it's really hard to suggest just one thing. However, some ideas are pots or pot lids, old fan covers, cover for other household objects, lampshades, toys, etc. Search all over the place and get creative with your choice of objects.
Step 2. Find a suitable support base
Objects such as bowls usually work best when placed on a support so they don't hit the surface. Again, many things can be used, but these include old cups and glasses, pencil cases, cardboard, tubes in cut poster rolls, toys, unnecessary tools, etc.
Step 3. Glue the bowl to the support
For some objects, it may be better to glue the two together with bolts to make it more stable.
Always check if they can stand together without swaying before gluing
Step 4. Put it on display
This is a strange object to admire!
Method 5 of 6: Bowl of lace or cloth napkins
A lace napkin or similar material is shaped into a bowl and looks like it's been held back by magic. These bowls are great for storing your candy or sewing knick-knacks.
Step 1. Find a large, unused lace napkin
It must be in very good condition––if it is stained, do not use it. Lace napkins can be purchased at thrift stores, antique stores and online auction houses.
Step 2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap covers the rim of the bowl
Before confirming the bowl of choice, make sure the lace napkin is enough to cover it well. If not, choose a bowl with a more suitable size. Turn the bowl upside down so it's ready to be covered with a lace napkin.
Step 3. Choose between a stiff cloth solution or sugar water to stiffen the bowl
Whichever can be used, choose whichever is already available at home. But remember that sugar water can attract insects if stored for a long time. Whichever one you use, work on a surface that won't be damaged by droplets of the solutions.
- Pour the solution that stiffens the fabric into another bowl or basin. Dip a lace napkin in this bowl or basin.
- Make sugar water. Dissolve 3-5 tablespoons of sugar in boiling water. Heat without turning on the heat, until all the sugar is dissolved. Dip a lace napkin in the solution. Make sure the entire lace napkin is exposed to the solution.
Step 4. Glue the dipped wet lace napkin on the surface of the bowl
Adjust to make sure the lace napkin adheres evenly to the entire surface of the bowl––otherwise you will end up with a lace napkin bowl that is slanted or uneven.
Step 5. Set aside in a warm and dry place
Let dry for about 48 hours. Do not touch until after 24 hours.
Step 6. Gently lift the bowl, using plastic wrap to help remove it from the molded bowl
Let stand until you are sure the entire surface of the lace napkin is completely dry.
Trim away any plastic wrap or any remaining solution that has stiffened the fabric that gets stuck in the lace napkin
Step 7. Use a bowl
Throw in candies, sewing kits and scraps or piles of ribbon (a few rolls of old wooden ribbon would look really pretty). This bowl itself is also beautiful when displayed alone.
Method 6 of 6: More bowl making ideas
The ideas for making bowls are truly endless. Here are some ideas to spark your creativity:
- How to make an ice bowl – perfect for parties and tea parties
- How to make a bowl out of LPs – if you don't know what you can do with the LPs, this is a nice and fun function (use it to yoke)
- How to make a duct tape bowl, if you have duct tape, you can make almost anything, including bowls!
- How to make a chocolate bowl – combine chocolate and balloons to make the perfect party chocolate bowl.
- Inverted wooden bowl.
