Ice Cream Cones

Claes Oldenburg "Floor Burger"

The Pop Art style food sculptures of Claes Oldenburg inspired these fun ice cream cone wall sculptures. This is also a great project to discuss 3-D shapes with students.  Have students roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8th of an inch thick.  I give students a paper template that will make a cone shape when wrapped up, this will also determine how large you want your ice cream cones to be (this one is about 15" tall).  Have students trace the template and cut it out, then wrap up the clay into a cone shape.  Scratch-to-attach the edges together well and let the cone rest wide part down while they add any cone texture they'd like with tools.

Next, using another piece of clay, students will make a sphere about the size of an orange, then make that sphere into a pinch pot by pushing their thumbs into the middle and squeezing around the sides.  This will make the ice cream scoop on top.  Its OK if the pinch pot has lumps or dents on it, it will make it look like a realistic scoop of ice cream.  Advanced students can make a double or triple scoop of ice cream, but be sure to put a hole between each of the scoops so that you are not trapping air (this will make the sculpture explode in the kiln!)

Scratch-to-attach the edges of the cone and the edges of the pinch pot so that they can attach them together.  HINT:  This part can be a little tricky especially if you are working fairly large.  Use some crumbled up newspaper stuffed inside the cone and pinch pot to help keep the shape while you blend the two together-it will burn out when you fire it in the kiln.  Have students take their time blending both parts together and make sure they are well attached.  The sculpture can be laying flat on the table now.  Have students choose the type of ice cream flavor they want and any extras like a cherry on top or sprinkles and scratch-to-attach them onto the ice cream.  When they are finished building, roll the sculptures over gently so that you can put a hole into the back of them, this will give you something to hang it by when you are finished and it will also prevent it from exploding in the kiln. Fire the pieces and then glaze them will the appropriate colors for the flavor of ice cream!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Pouring Vessel

I love to teach my students about the functionality of the things that they make and how a seemingly simple object can also have complex design needs. For this project, we discuss the anatomy of pouring vessel; the body, handle, throat, rim, foot & spout and how each of these parts needs to be assembled well for the vessel to actually pour.  To ensure success for my students, I provide them with two paper templates to make their vessels, one for the body and one for the spout.

Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick and large enough to accommodate a rectangular paper template that is about 4" x 10" ( you can always make yours smaller or larger as desired!).  Cut out the rectangle and form it into a cylinder, scratch-to-attach the edges together and smooth the seam.  Then place the cylinder on top of a slab of clay and trace around it to create the right size circle for the bottom then scratch-to-attach it on well.  Now using a paper template for the spout, which is basically a triangle with  the bottom side rounded outward, cut out the spout, curve it and scratch-to-attach it onto the side of the cylinder. Then cut away the part of the cylinder where the spout is attached and smooth out the throat of the spout so that it is continuous and the liquid won't hit any bumps on its way out.  Make sure to keep the lip of the spout  straight edged on the end or your liquids will drip down the sides when you pour.  Next cut out a long and thin rectangle that you'll use for the handle, it will need to be about an inch and a half wide by about 8 inches long (if its too long, you can always trim it).  Bend the rectangle into a half heart shape and scratch-to-attach it on opposite the spout.  Now you can decorate your slab built pouring vessel however you like, let it dry and bisque fire it.  Be sure to glaze the entire surface to keep it sealed for liquids, fire it and then see if its functional!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Ice Cream Cones

Claes Oldenburg "Floor Burger"

The Pop Art style food sculptures of Claes Oldenburg inspired these fun ice cream cone wall sculptures. This is also a great project to discuss 3-D shapes with students.  Have students roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8th of an inch thick.  I give students a paper template that will make a cone shape when wrapped up, this will also determine how large you want your ice cream cones to be (this one is about 15" tall).  Have students trace the template and cut it out, then wrap up the clay into a cone shape.  Scratch-to-attach the edges together well and let the cone rest wide part down while they add any cone texture they'd like with tools.

Next, using another piece of clay, students will make a sphere about the size of an orange, then make that sphere into a pinch pot by pushing their thumbs into the middle and squeezing around the sides.  This will make the ice cream scoop on top.  Its OK if the pinch pot has lumps or dents on it, it will make it look like a realistic scoop of ice cream.  Advanced students can make a double or triple scoop of ice cream, but be sure to put a hole between each of the scoops so that you are not trapping air (this will make the sculpture explode in the kiln!)

Scratch-to-attach the edges of the cone and the edges of the pinch pot so that they can attach them together.  HINT:  This part can be a little tricky especially if you are working fairly large.  Use some crumbled up newspaper stuffed inside the cone and pinch pot to help keep the shape while you blend the two together-it will burn out when you fire it in the kiln.  Have students take their time blending both parts together and make sure they are well attached.  The sculpture can be laying flat on the table now.  Have students choose the type of ice cream flavor they want and any extras like a cherry on top or sprinkles and scratch-to-attach them onto the ice cream.  When they are finished building, roll the sculptures over gently so that you can put a hole into the back of them, this will give you something to hang it by when you are finished and it will also prevent it from exploding in the kiln. Fire the pieces and then glaze them will the appropriate colors for the flavor of ice cream!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

3-D Letters

These 3-D letters can be made using a computer printed font that you trace or by drawing your own design.  Start by rolling out a large slab of clay about 3/8th of an inch thick.  Then draw out the shape of your letter or lay down your paper template and trace it out.  Once you are happy with the letter, cut it out and repeat, so that you have 2 exact letters (one for the top and one for the bottom).  You can add texture to your slabs at this point by pressing into them with stamps, texture plates or tools, be careful not to warp the shape of your letters as you press into them.  Using your scrap pieces of clay cut out strips of clay that are all equal width, these will be used for the side walls of your letter.  I like to use a ruler and cut down both sides of the ruler to quickly cut out strips that are all equal .  The width of the strips will determine how deep your 3-D letter will be.  Once you have a few of the strips cut out, start scratching the edges of all of your pieces.  Then pick one letter that will be the bottom and attach the strips of clay to the scratched edges of the letter to build a wall that will go all the way around the letter.  Take your time to line up the curves and corners of your letter's shape.  Also use a finger to blend the corner and  make sure that the walls are attached securely.  Once you have gone around the entire shape scratch-to-attach the second letter on top of the walls.  If your clay is really wet, the top letter may sag into the bottom one, to solve this, just let your clay dry a little bit more to give it more strength and then the top piece will sit evenly across.  Take time to attach the seam on well, blending the clay with your fingers.  Once the letters are a dry enough to hold their shape you can clean up the seams with a damp sponge and adjust how they will sit or stand up.  Make sure to punch a small hole into the hollow space to keep your letter from exploding in the kiln.  You could make the hole on the back of the letter so that you can hang it on the wall or you can hide it on the bottom if your letter will be free standing.  This is a fun way to spell out a child's name on their bedroom wall or a teacher's name in their classroom.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Patterned Pencil Holder

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!!! 

Carved Drywall Stamps and Textured Boxes

This project happens in two parts.  First you'll need a section of drywall (it's great to grab scraps from anyone who's doing a remodel project).  Then you need to get the paper off of one side of the drywall, if you soak it in a shallow container of water for about an hour, you should be able to peel the paper right off.  Next, you're ready for the carving.  I use clay tools to carve into the drywall and its rather easy to carve if its still wet from the soaking process.  HINT:  Make sure you clean your tools well before using them in clay again, plaster can make your clay explode in the kiln! 

Start by dividing up your drywall into sections so that that you have 6-8 different shaped areas, then choose a different texture to carve into each area.  When you've finished carving, let the drywall dry and if you get lots of little crumbs stuck from carving, use a paintbrush to clean them out. These carvings can be very interesting in their own right and can be painted with watercolors if you wish or you can use them as handmade texture stamps for clay.

Now for the second part, roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (about as thick as a pancake) and about 12"x 12" across. Lay your clay on top of your textured drywall and gently press the clay into the texture, if you need to move the clay to texture another area, just peel it off, move it and press again until your clay is completely textured.  This is when students will see the negative and postive shapes of their carving.  Any spot that they carved deep in the drywall will be popping out of their clay.  HINT:  The drywall may crack if you put uneven pressure on it but the paper backing will hold it together and your stamp will still work fine.  HINT:  If you see lots of pieces of plaster in your clay, you'll need to pick them out carefully with a tool, as they can make your clay explode in the kiln! 

I give students a paper template to trace and cut out the 4 walls for their textured box, this helps make sure that their walls will be straight.  The boxes that I'm showing here are about 6" tall by 3" wide, but you can make your box any shape you'd like. HINT:  Shorter cube shaped boxes are easier for small hands!  If you run out of room on your slab of clay to cut all your pieces, just combine all the little pieces together, roll out another slab, texture it and continue cutting the pieces.  Scratch-to-Attach all of the edges of your walls and carefully start to build them together making sure that the corners are attached really well here.  To make the bottom and the lid, trace the perimeter of your box on top of your slab and cut out one of these shapes for the bottom and one for the lid.  Scratch-to Attach the bottom on making sure that the edges are well attached.  Using your extra clay pieces create a handle for your lid (any shape or size you'd like) and scratch-to attach it onto the lid. 

Let the boxes completely dry, then bisque fire.  When you're ready to glaze, I like to put a glaze on and then use a sponge to wipe some of the glaze off of the surface which really enhances the texture.  The glaze will pool and be deeper colored in the texture and lighter on the surface.  

!!!B CR8IV!!!  

Ceramic House Numbers

These house numbers are easy to make and are a great house warming gift!  Start by printing out your desired numbers in the font and size of your choice.  Make sure that you haven't chosen a font that is to thin in any area as it will be fragile when you make it in clay.  Roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8 of an inch thick and smooth the surface of it.  Then lay the paper with your printed out numbers on top of your clay, make sure that they fit easily onto the clay slab.  Use a pointy tool start to trace the outside lines of your numbers gently pressing without cutting into the paper.  Once you have traced all the lines, lift up your paper and you should see an indent in the clay outlining your numbers.  I like to use an x-acto knife to cut the clay but if students are cutting these out you may want to stick to a pointy tool or a clay fettling knife.  Carefully cut out each of your numbers and remove the excess clay.  Use a hole cutter to punch out holes so that you can hang your numbers with screws later, smooth out the edges and you're done!  You could of course add texture to these pieces too using rubber stamps or texture plates.  HINT:  Flat pieces of clay tend to warp when the dry, try putting a heavy board on top of your house numbers as they dry, it will take longer for them to dry but they will stay flat and will be easy to hang up.  HINT:  Once they have been bisque fired, and you are ready to glaze them, it is a good idea to glaze all surfaces and seal the clay completely if they are going to be used outside, they will be less likely to absorb water and hence less likely to break if the temperature drops below freezing.  OPTION:  You can follow this exact process to create letters, like a child's name for their wall or a teacher's name for a classroom.

!!!B CR8IV!!!