Making Mini Teapot

This time I'll show you how to make the mini teapot. You will get the complete guideline to form the mini teapot. If you are a potter, it will easier for you to understand.

TOOLS



(click the picture for larger image)

Prepare these simple and easy to get tools: 1 water color paint brush, 1 satay stick, 1 toothpicks, 1 needle (or long iron needle), 1 shaping stick and of course water.

STEP SERIES #1 : Making the body of the mini teapot



1. Take a little bit of clay and shape it into small ball
2. Flatten the base and make it smaller for the upper part
3. If the step is right, you will get this shape (picture number 3)

STEP SERIES #2: Making the fake lid

The lid can not be open, that's why I called it 'fake' lid



1. Using the needle, make a single circle line at the upper part of the teapot body.
2. As usual, to stick the clay to another clay, you have to scratch the needed surface. This time I scratched the center because I want to make the 'fake' handle for the lid.
3. Applied a little bit of water before you stick with another clay.
4. Make a very tiny ball of clay, the size here is about 2mm in diameter.
5. Then stick the tiny ball to the body.
6. The lid is done.

STEP SERIES #3: Making the spout



1. Take a little bit of clay, form it into tiny 'horn' shape.
2. Scratch the teapot wall to stick the spout. Don't forget to applied a little bit of water.
3. Stick the spout to the teapot wall.
4. To make the spout looks like original, take the toothpick, and hole the tip of the spout.
5. Then the spout will look like original, as the water can come out.

STEP SERIES #4: Making the handle (part I)

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1. Take a little bit of clay, form it into tiny ball, then press it
2. Following the step 2-3 of the STEP SERIES 2, Stick the clay to the other part of the wall.
3. Hole it with the 'satay' stick.
4. If your step is right you will get the shape showed on the 4 picture.

STEP SERIES #5 : Making the handle part 2



1.If you flip the teapot, then you will see that the other part of the 'holed handle' is not neat, so you have to neat it.
2. Using satay stick or toothpick, flatten the 'untrimmed' handle.
3. Repeat step 3 of the STEP SERIES #4.

Now the teapot is done!!!



The teapot is very small. It is not easy to dip this mini teapot into the glaze. If you use 2 of your fingers to dip in, then it will messy. So I use a helping tool.



1. I use the thin wire and I bent it like a hook.
2. Then hang the mini teapot to the hook.
3. Dip it into the glaze.
4. The glaze liquid always block the handle, so you need to blow it to 'open' the block
5. Don't forget to wipe the bottom of the teapot unless it will stick to the shelve.

Ta daaaa..............this is the mini teapot after firing, and I use it as a necklace:-)

Various Kind of Clay

Clay is a material that elastic to form in damp condition and contains silica, aluminum, and water. It will change into ceramic after firing.
Based on firing finished products, there are three kinds of clay : earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.

Earthenware

Earthenware has maximum temperature for 900 Celcius degree and the fired products are pottery and terracotta. Pottery goes to pots, vessels and tableware, whereas terracotta goes to sculpture and relief. This clay mostly red in color after firing.

Stoneware

The temperature of stoneware clay can reach 1250 Celcius degree. The character of this clay after firing (become ceramics) is not easy for water to penetrate, that is why it is most use for industry. White and brown are the most common color.

Porcelain

Porcelain is not elastic and not easy to form, but the master can do it. It is white in color and translucent if the thickness is very thin. Porcelain has the highest in temperature, it can reach 1300 Celcius degree.


My jewelry beads mostly use porcelain and stoneware clay, and the combination of stoneware such as color clay and paper clay.

Basic Color Clay Application

Experiment with clay is very exiting. Here I share to you the step by step to have fun with clay.

As my previous tutorial is 'how to make color clay', here I show you the easiest technique to get color clay effect. In nature, there are some types of clay, here as example I used brown stoneware clay and white stoneware clay, so you don't have to add stain or pigment into the clay, the natural color gives it's own beauty.

Step 1

Take a little bit brown clay and white clay. Cut into pieces like the picture on the left.










Step 2

Pile up the clay orderly (or as you wish): white clay-brown clay-white clay-brown clay......








Step 3

Press it delicately, so the clay will stick together properly.








Step 4

Lay it down








Step5
Press again, this time a bit harder, until you get the desired thickness. In this example, I made it about 3 mm thick.








Step 6
Here is the result of step 5









Step 7

Cut into neat square as shown in the picture on the left. Arrange them orderly upside down (or as you wish) so you will get the checkered pattern.
In this step, better you layer clay paste into each side of the clay strip (look at the white arrow). The purpose of the clay paste, is to make the clay stick each other properly.




Step 8

Roll it again delicately









Step 9
Ta daaa!!!....you get the pattern....
Create your wild imagination!
You can use this pattern into anything

I'm sure you have wild imagination and creation....
This pattern is an example only.
You are free to create your own patter.




You will find the complete tutorial in my first book about 'working with clay'. The book will be launch soon this August - November by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama as the publisher.

Ceramic Jewelry using casting slip

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/handbuilding-techniques/creating-colorful-ceramic-jewelry-using-a-carved-plaster-slab-and-casting-slip/

Making Color Clay#2

When the clay liquid evenly mixed with color, then I put the liquid into a bowl container. They are ready to dry up for several days. It depends on the weather, when the weather is hot, then the drying process will be faster.

After several days, then the clay will be dry a little bit. But this clay is not ready to shape, because it still too wet.

Here they are, these clay are ready to shape. The clay is ready to shape when it damp enough, as damp as you wanna make cookies.
Interesting right?!

To keep the clay not over dry, then you must wrap them with plastic. This process will maintain the dampness of the clay.

Making color clay#1

This is how I make clay into color. For sure every beads artist understand how to make it. I dropped a little bit blue pigment into white clay liquid, then I mixed it with the 'cake' mixer. So it will mixed evenly. This liquid then need to be dry up until it ready to shape into beads.