| Clay art dinnerware in a variety of shapes and | | | | slump mold and smooth its edges using a sure-form |
| textures is a snap to make with commercially available | | | | tool and damp chamois. |
| clay molds. First, cut a pattern from newspaper the | | | | Next make the plate's feet or foot. To make feet, roll |
| size you want for your finished plate. The shape is up | | | | four identical one-inch clay balls and mark on the plate |
| to you - round, oval, square, rectangular, as you prefer. | | | | where they will go - from a quarter to a third of the |
| Roll out a slab of clay of about ½ inch thickness | | | | way from the rim of the plate to its center. The closer |
| using either a rolling pin or a mechanical slab roller. | | | | to the rim, the less likely the finished plate is to tip. |
| Place the pattern on top of the slab and use a fettling | | | | Score the feet and the spots on the plate where the |
| knife (or a plastic picnic knife) to cut out the plate. The | | | | feet will go, and attach the feet with vinegar or slip, |
| leftover clay will be used for the feet. | | | | pressing down into the center of each ball with your |
| Next press the plate down onto a textured slab mold | | | | thumb. Lay a wooden bat evenly on the feet and level |
| with a small sandbag. Use a firm, rolling motion from | | | | all around, then gently pound on the bat several times |
| the center to the edges, all around the plate, to impress | | | | with your fist to firm the feet down. You can use a |
| the design thoroughly into the clay. Press the clay | | | | ½" thick clay coil to make a large, circular foot. |
| further into the textured slab mold, and smooth out the | | | | Attach the coil to the plate with vinegar or slip, trimming |
| top, using a pony roller. You can bevel the plate's | | | | off the excess coil, and scoring and gluing its ends |
| edges with the pony roller's small curved roller. You | | | | together then gently pressing down on the coil to |
| can texture the top of the plate with a texture worm | | | | attach it firmly. Be sure that the foot is tall enough so |
| or other type of texture tool - even wooden or rubber | | | | that the plate will rest completely upon its foot by |
| stamps, or found objects such as leaves. Remove the | | | | placing a pencil on the foot to see if the bottom of the |
| plate gently from the textured slab mold and center it | | | | foot clears the bottom of the plate. When dry, bisque |
| upon a slump mold then gently (so as not to erase the | | | | fire the plate and glaze it with nontoxic lead-free glaze |
| textured pattern) press the plate to fit the slump molds | | | | suitable for use on clay art dinnerware. |
| curvature. When the plate is firm, remove it from the | | | | |