Clay is one of the best materials for creativity. Unlike plasticine or plastic, clay crafts can stay with you for life. In addition to all kinds of miniature toys and figurines, you can make vases, mugs and other utilitarian things. Crafts that you will use day after day will cheer you up, and in some cases even improve your appetite.
Clay prints
Do you want to do something beautiful, but not make much effort? Make an imprint. Such a clay craft can become an original panel or a medallion. And you can make dishes in a similar technique. For work you need to make a layer. Grind the clay until smooth, and then roll it. To make the layer of the same thickness, when you roll the clay, use two sticks. Lay them at the edges of the formation. They will allow you to roll out the mass evenly. When this stage of work is completed, you need to decide what you will do. A plate is one of the do-it-yourself clay craft ideas for beginners. Give the formation any shape, and then imprint the plant on it. It can be leaves, flowers or twigs. Now slightly raise the sides of the formation. When the clay dries a little, you can paint it with engobe. It remains to burn the plate, glaze it and burn it again.
Flower pots
Thinking of doing something not only beautiful, but also utilitarian? A flower pot is that clay craft that even a beginner can dazzle. This product will be made of reservoir. Crush the clay, and then roll it. Take a plastic cup and circle its bottom. Now you need to cut a long rectangle from the rest of the formation. When this stage is completed, you need to collect crafts from clay. You can see the photo of the result above, and you need to focus on it. On one part of the formation using the stack we make cuts and hammer them with a slip. Slip is a slurry that is obtained after dissolving the clay in water. The walls of the pot are ready, now they need to be glued to the bottom. We make notches, cover them with a slip and glue the bottom into place. At this stage, you need to finish the work, cover the product with a bag and wait until it dries a little. When this happens, remove the bag and cut circles at the top of the pot. Now you need to wait for the pot to dry. Firing the product must be carried out in two stages. The first will be recyclable, and before the second firing, you will need to cover the pot with colored glaze.
Plate leaf
The master class of clay crafts in the pictures is given above, and below its step-by-step description. In order to create a small plate in the shape of a leaf, you will need to find a suitable template. Choose a sheet that has a dense structure and a well-defined texture. Crush the clay and roll it into a uniform layer 0.7 cm thick. Now attach a sheet to the formation and print it well. For this purpose you can use a small paint roller. Without removing the sheet, cut its outline with a stack. Find a plate that matches the shape. Remove the sheet from clay, and deform the resulting workpiece a little with a plate. You need to give the product a slight bend. We grind all the irregularities of the bottom with a sponge and water, and then we burn the product. If you have golden glaze, then cover the plate with it, and if there isn’t one in your arsenal, paint over the sheet with gold paint from a spray can.
Deer
Even miniature ceramists can create miniature plates for nuts or berries. Such cute deer can decorate any interior. You can sculpt them both from clay, and from porcelain or faience. Let's start making clay crafts for beginners. Blend your chosen material and make a plastic cup. Cover the plastic base with cling film. Tearing small pieces of clay from a well-crumpled piece, stick them to the base. So the cup is created. When the utilitarian product is ready, you can proceed to the decorative part. We roll out a thick sausage and from it we form an animal face. Separately, we make horns. We connect the bowl with the neck of a deer using a slip. Set in place of the horn. Stack need to draw an eye. If your clay is white, then no further manipulations are necessary, but if it is red, you need to use a white engobe.
Shark
How to make a light clay craft? Make a beautiful shark. It can become a decorative plate or part of a wall panel. The product will be made from the reservoir. Roll out the clay. Now on paper we draw a sketch of the future product. You need to come up with the silhouette of your shark. When this step is completed, cut the workpiece and transfer it to clay. We cut the product not along the contour, but make a margin of 1 cm. It will be needed to give the product a certain depth, that is, volume. Raise the edges of the craft a little so as to make a small side. Dry the product and then burn it. Now you can do the painting. We paint the shark in blue, blue or black. It is not necessary to apply the glaze evenly, this will give the shark a certain charm. Last of all, with black glaze we do a detailed study. We draw out the mouth, fins, eyes and send the product to the second firing.
The turtle
Even a child can make a miniature plate that can be adapted to a box. Making such crafts from clay with your own hands will not take more than half an hour. Your task is to make a small tank. Roll out a small ball, and then make a dent in it. To make the craftsmanship look neater, you can create a recess not with your fingers, but with, for example, a spoon. To the shell you need to stick your head, four legs and tail. We form the head in the form of a circle, and the paws in the form of drops. Glue parts to the body with a slip. You can paint the finished product with engobes or use glaze. If you do not have the opportunity to paint the product according to the rules, then after the first firing, you can paint the turtle with acrylic paint.
Pencil holder
One of the easiest clay crafts with your own hands is a vase made of plaits. You can adapt it for different purposes, for example, make a pencil holder out of it. How to make this product? DIY clay craft for beginners is created from identical sausages. Twist them, and then roll one of the harnesses into the cochlea base. It's time to raise the walls. Coat the bottom with a slip and begin to lay sausages on top of each other in layers. Make the first layer straight, and then you can add decorative details to the structure of your product. For example, you can make a "snail" or just a ball. Do not forget to use a slip to prevent your product from falling apart. You can weave a braid from several plaits and make it an integral part of a pencil box. Experiment. The finished product must be burned, glazed and burned again.