Did you know that you can easily turn ordinary soil into clay?
People have been making clay pots for thousands of years—long before Hobby Lobby was around—and they created the clay for their pottery from their own soil.
Clay can be found in soil everywhere, and this soil can be processed into clay to make your own pottery. It does take some time and patience, but the steps are pretty foolproof.
You will need:
- containers
- soil
- water
- a cloth (an old t-shirt is perfect)
Dig below the topsoil (at least 8″ down) to collect your material. Fill a wide mouth container 2/3 full of the dirt and add enough water to have an even mixture of dirt and water.
Let the mixture sit until the clay separates from the sediment and becomes suspended in the water. The clay water will float on top of the sediment. Carefully pour the clay water from the top into another container without disturbing the sediment on the bottom. Discard the sediment in the original container. Repeat until there’s no sediment left.
You now have a bucket of clay water that needs to be thickened. Lay your cloth (an old t-shirt works great) over your bucket and pour the water through. The cloth “bag” needs to be tied up and hung to allow the water to drip through. Check your clay bag after two days. It should be firm enough to form a ball—if not, recheck the next day.
You now have a ball of clay.
Not sure if you want to make your own clay? Consider taking one of our upcoming workshops and instructor Carol, an experienced artist who has sculpted clay for the past 19 years will give you your own slab of clay to work with.
During the next class learn how to create a personalized tile that can be framed and hung on the wall or incorporated into your own tile work. These wall hanging tiles are a creative way to add a personal touch to your home.
