Are you looking for a super-successful clay project for 3rd-5th grade? Our third graders loved making these sea turtle pinch pots. Check out the video tutorial!
I’ve included a short video of our school’s Skutt kiln. I’ve found that young students don’t understand the process that transforms their soft, gray, clay creations into a pale-colored, hard ceramics. I show this video in class to all grades, no matter what clay project I’m doing.
Materials: clay, a popsicle stick, a toothbrush, and water.
alphabet pasta (I use La Moderna brand from the Hispanic food section at Wal Mart).
underglaze
clear glaze
Make the cupcake base
Give each student a lump of clay and a silicone cupcake form. Create a pinch pot, place it in the silicone form and press the clay all around against the textured sides of the form. If the clay pot is higher than the form, trim the clay with a pin tool or plastic knife. Turn form inside out and remove from clay. Students should write their name on the bottom at this time.
Make the cupcake lid
Take some more clay and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball. Invert the top of the cupcake form and place onto of the flattened clay. Trim clay to fit cupcake form. Write student name on one side of the lid.
I saw this great post on making simple clay roses on the smART Class blog. Essentially, you create a coil (rope) of clay, lay it on the table, pinch the top (‘spine’) along the length of the coil, and spiral into a rose. Please see the smART Class blog post for a full photo tutorial.
We attached our roses (and optional leaves) to the lid using vinegar applied with a q-tip. Some students skipped the roses and added other decorations. Variations included a sun, animal, wrapped present, and cherry.
(Note: vinegar is our glue. We use it instead of slip when attaching small clay objects).
Adding text
Pour some alphabet pasta into a plate. Press alphabet pasta into wet clay. Write a birthday message or anything else. Do not remove (the pasta will burn out in the kiln).
Fire to cone 04.
Glaze the cupcake
Glaze the base with three coats of underglaze.
If the lid has text, use a stiff brush to press a dark color of underglaze into text indentations. Wipe off the underglaze. The text should now be legible. Carefully glaze the roses/leaves/decorations with three coats of underglaze. When dry, add 2-3 coats of clear glaze. Fire to cone 06.
I just finished my annual art and cooking camp. This year’s theme was ‘Let’s Go to Japan’. We did lots of FUN art and cooking projects. All the campers were 9-11 years old.
Here’s a list of all the art and cooking projects we created:
Day one: koi fish kites (koi noburi) and bento box lunch
Day two: suminagashi prints and decorated rice balls bento
Day three: cloisonne collage and Japanese crepes
Day four: gyotaku fish prints and mushi-pan steamed cakes
Day five: Beckoning cat charms and ‘octopus’ bento
In addition, we read a lot of wonderful books about Japan, and practiced Japanese hiragana writing with brush pens.
I’ll be writing a bunch of posts with much more detail, including all the recipes! Check back this week to find out more.
Enjoy!
p.s. Want more art camp ideas? Check out my ‘Let’s Go to Paris’ art + cooking camp series from 2013. Click here to see more.
Vintage ad for Pariscraft plaster bandage fish sculpture. School Arts magazine, February 1972.
Check out these instructions for a plaster fish made on a balloon armature. This is an ad for Pariscraft plaster wrap I found in the February 1972 issue of School Arts magazine.
You’ll need the following materials :
Pariscraft or other plaster wrap
Balloon, 7-8″
Scissors
Old cereal box or light cardboard
Tape
Dowel
Wooden base
Acrylic paint
Old bowl for dipping
Doesn’t it look amazing? Can you imagine a display of these at the art show?
You can still get Paris Craft at Amazon. I have never used this brand – I’ve had great success with Pacon Plast’r Craft plaster wrap. Click here to read my tips for handling plaster wrap in class.
Happy throwback Thursday! Stop by on Thursdays and see what else I’ve found in my stash of vintage art Ed magazines.
Enjoy!
p.s. Remember – never pour plaster water down the drain!
