These slab-built pencil holders are easy for any age and make great gifts. Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick and about 5" wide by 9" long. You can give students a rectangular paper template to help them cut out the right size. Determining the size is a great opportunity to talk about the functional aspects of our pencil holders- too short or wide and the pencils will fall out, to tall and you won't be able to reach them. Sometimes, I have students test their pieces with a pencil and if they don't pass the "pencil test", they need to rethink the size or shape of their pieces.
Once you have the slab of clay the correct size, cut out your rectangle (about 5"x 9"). Wrap the rectangle into a cylinder and scratch-to-attach the edges together. Next, use your extra clay to roll out another slab of clay (same thickness) so we can trace the cylinder to make the bottom. If you trace the cylinder, you know that it will fit exactly onto the bottom. Scratch-to-attach the bottom of the cylinder and the edge of the circle you've cut out. I like to flip my whole cylinder over to attach on the bottom and blend in the edges. You can also reach inside the cylinder with one hand and use the other on the outside to blend the two pieces together.
Now you're ready to create your patterns! I give students a lot of examples of patterns they could use on their pieces and I also encourage them to experiment with the clay tools, sometimes using the back of a tool will create an interesting shape in the clay. Also using other objects such as pen caps, beads or natural materials will create an interesting mark too. Encourage students to cover the surface of their clay in at least 5 different patterns. Once they are finished, let the pencil holders dry completely, bisque fire them, glaze them and then glaze fire them.
!!!B CR8IV!!!
I love to look at Claes Oldenburg's giant pop art sculptures as inspiration for this project! Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (I tell my students to make it about as thick as a pancake), at least 12" wide and about 18" long. This slab is easily rolled out with a slab roller, but if you're using rolling pins its going to be tough work! Cut out a rectangle approximately 12" x 18" and scratch along the edge of both long sides. Then you're going to roll up your rectangle into a cylinder and attach the edges together. This can get a little wobbly especially if your clay is very soft, so rolling your clay around a cardboard tube can help it keep its shape. Once the cylinder is made, trace the bottom of it on another small slab of clay to make the bottom (the eraser end) and scratch-to-attach it onto the cylinder. Now we're going to make the pointed pencil tip, so if you've used a cardboard tube on the inside, you'll need to remove it. Using a knife or needle tool, make four equally spaces V shape cuts into the top of your cylinder that are about 1.5" wide at the top of the V and about 2.5 - 3" long. Next scratch the inside edges of those V cuts and then fold all the points in towards the middle of your cylinder. This should make the point of your pencil, smooth out the seam lines where you've scratched-to attached. Next you can add details like the texture of the metal ferrule, the edges the sharpened wood line, add some text where the pencil company's name would be. Also make sure that the eraser end is flat enough that your pencil can stand up safely and don't forget to poke a hole into the empty hollow space so that your pencils don't explode in the kiln! Let them dry, bisque fire them, glaze them and fire again. My students love to pretend they are writing with giant pencils when they are finished.
!!B CR8IV!!
