Making Clay Pots
Types of Pottery
Clay pots can be beautiful and useful and they're not that hard to make. However you will need a kiln to bake the clay when you've finished creating your pot. There are basically three types of pottery made from baked clay. One is earthenware, another stoneware and the last is porcelain. They are made from different variations of the clay and baked at different temperatures. The earthenware is baked or "fired" as it is referred to at a low temperature. This process allows for colorful glazes to be used, but earthenware isn't as strong as the other types, and chipping and cracking occur more easily. Stoneware is much stronger due to the fact that it is baked at a much higher temperature, giving it a harder finish. Porcelain in made from kaolin, which is a fine white clay that is mixed with other ingredients and baked at a low temperature, making it a delicate type of pottery. This would not be the best pottery for making clay pots. Earthenware works great for decorative pots, while stoneware would be the best choice for making pots that you would use in an oven.
Preparing the Clay
To prepare a piece of clay, you need to make sure the moisture content is consistent and you need to get the air bubbles out of it. You do this by kneading the clay. Cover your table or work area before you start and then place the clay on the cover. Using the heels of your hands push the clay and then fold it back. Do this just like you would do if you were making a loaf of bread. Keep kneading until the clay can be formed into a smooth ball and you no longer see wet and dry spots on it.
Techniques for Making Clay Pots
The three basic techniques for making clay pots are pinch, coil and slab. Making a pinch pot is a relatively simple technique that requires you to make a smooth ball from a piece of the kneaded clay. Holding it in the palm of your hand; put your thumb in the center of the top of the ball. Pinch the clay between your thumb and finger. Turn the ball slightly and keep pinching. As you make your way around the ball, it will begin to look like a pot. Just keep working it until you get it how you want it. If the clay starts to dry, just dip your fingers in a glass of water and keep working. You want the walls of the pot to be at least ¼ of an inch thick. Once you have the pot the shape that you want, put it aside and let it dry. When it starts to feel like leather, you can add designs to it. A completely dry piece of pottery before it is fired is called greenware. When it loses that cold feeling it is ready for the kiln.
Making a coil pot is a little more difficult as you must be absolutely sure that the coils are joined well. You start by rolling the clay into round strips about 1 ½ inch thick. The length doesn't matter. Coil one strip for the bottom by starting in the middle and wrapping the clay around until you have the size base you want. Smooth out the coils, making sure that the bottom has become one solid piece. Now start with another strip and coil it around the outside of the base and move upwards. You can smooth out both the inside and outside or just the inside if you want the coil-look for your pot. If the coils are not connected completely, they will fall apart when the pot is fired. For beginners it is best to smooth out both sides of the pot to be sure that the coils are joined properly. Once you have the pot the size you want, set it aside and let it start to dry. Then follow the directions for the technique above.
The slab method is used mostly to make square pots, although you can use it for other shapes as well. You can use 2 sticks about ½ of an inch thick and roll the clay out between them with a rolling pin. Using the sticks gives you a uniform thickness. Once you have it rolled out, cut out the pieces you will need for your pot. If you want to make a fancy pot, you may want to make yourself a paper pattern for the pieces and use them on the clay. To put the pieces together you will need some slip. Slip is very wet clay, the consistency of pudding. Score the edges that are going together with a pencil point and then put on the slip. Press the edges together and clean away the extra slip. Check to make sure that the edges are securely put together. Once you have the pot shape that you want, follow the same directions for finishing as with the other techniques.
