Make a clay teacup with slab clay.
For millennia, people have been casting objects in clay and baking them to produce ceramic drinking vessels. In the last dozen centuries, this art evolved to a point of simplicity through the use of cut or slab clay. Whether baked in a kiln or air dried, people worldwide have made and hand painted tea cups of clay in this way. Making clay teacups from slab clay is an easy introduction to advanced ceramic pottery.
Instructions
1. Dampen a breadboard or other wooden work surface. Place a block of earthenware clay in the center of the board and press it down heavily.
2. Wrap a 2-foot length of heavy mono-filament fishing line around both hands so that the distance between the hands is just longer than the width of the clay block.
3. Drape the line against the side of the clay block 1/2 inch below the upper surface. Place both thumbs behind the block of clay and quickly pull the line through it.
4. Remove the slab of clay and lay it on the board. Lightly wet the surface of the rolling pin and roll out the slab of clay to a uniform 1/4-inch thickness. Place the water glass on the clay. Trace its base outline on the clay with a pencil and use a utility knife to cut out the circle. Cut a 3-by-9-inch piece of the clay using a straightedge and utility knife.
5. Wet the outside base of a small water glass with vegetable oil. Moisten the top surface of the clay piece and wrap it around a small water glass, pressing gently. Moisten the upper edge of the clay disk. Slide the molded clay off the glass and place it squarely on the disk of clay. Gently work the clay cylinder down onto the cup base. Lift the cup and place it on a piece of aluminum foil.
6. Make a slip mixture of clay and water until it can just drip from a wooden spoon. Cut up small pieces of the clay and place them in a heavy mug. Smash up the pieces using a small wooden spoon and sand finish with a small metal whisk. Slip or slurry should be just thinner than pancake batter. This is the adhesive that potters use to connect separate pieces of clay.
7. Cut another piece of 1/4-inch clay from the rolled piece and make it 1/2-inch wide and two inches in length.
8. Moisten a spot one inch down from the top of the cup with the slip mixture. Moisten another spot an inch up from the bottom. Moisten both ends of the 1/2-inch strip of clay and bend it into a finger-sized loop. Attach the loop to the side of the cup, touching its ends to the wet spots on the cup. Smooth out all the points of contact between the handle strip and the cup to finish the process.
9. Repeat the entire process to cast several cups or a set.
Fire the cup(s) in an electric pottery kiln, per the manufacturer's instructions. These vary by type of kiln. Allow the cups to cool for 24 hours.
10. Paint the cup's exterior with a ceramic paint base and allow the paint to partially dry -- about 45 minutes. Add floral or lettering additions to the base coat of paint and re-fire them.
