The best thing about learning how to make a vase out of air dry clay is that the possibilities for decorating are endless once you are good at it.
Get Creative !
No matter how creative you are or aren`t, you can probably think of various designs and sizes suited for your needs. And, there is no need for you to fire the vase in a hot kiln.
Since it’s air dried rather than baked, the clay is a bit fragile. To make your vase sturdier, you can use a real glass vase that you can purchase at a thrift store and model the clay around it. This serves a dual purpose to prevent the possibility that the vase might leak.
This might seem daunting, yet the vase is easy to make and probably would take you an hour to craft it. The clay needs to dry for one to two days before you paint it, so always keep that in your mind.
Supplies You Will Need
To make a vase out of air dry clay, you will need some things and these include some good air dry modeling clay, vase for shaping, rolling pin, paint, wax paper and a butter knife or carving tool.
Roll Up Your Sleeves
The first thing that you should do is to protect the surface you will be working on. You can tape down big sections of the wax paper, which you can use for covering your rolling pin. Wash it and dry your vase thoroughly. Get rid of the clay from the package and use the sticker for sealing the remaining clay so it does not dry out. Then, warm up the air dry clay in your hands through kneading it so it’ll be much easier to roll out.
When the clay is malleable, try placing it at the center of your work surface and start rolling it out. It could take a little patience and time, yet go slow so you do not tear the clay. Remember that it’s different from the pottery clay in that isn’t as simple to meld the pieces and that using some water does not seal imperfections easily.
Continue rolling out the clay in the same manner that you’d roll pie dough with controlled rolls from the circle’s center working towards outside. In that case, you would want to roll your clay in a rectangular shape. Lift consistently and flip the clay over while you are rolling out to avoid it from sticking on a side.
Important Tips
If your clay is thick, use the vase as the ruler to cut the excess clay on the bottom and top. After that, cut the clean edge on a side and roll the vase until this meets the clay on the side.
You must be careful not to roll the clay too much. The clay might shrink a bit once it dries and rolling it very tightly would cause its outer vase to crack. Leave the short lip for overlay and cut the excess clay.
Using a small amount of water, wet its bottom edge and cover an overlapping clay. With the use of your fingers, press and try sealing the edge. Cut off any excess clay at the bottom and smooth the edges under the vase.
Roll the excess clay over its top and in your vase to make a rounded lip. Then, start designing your vase. You may use anything to carve. You can use a butter knife and draw some simple ridges around your vase. Paint your vase with any designs, patterns and colors that your heart desires. Take your time and make your creation something that will make people catch their breath !
I have a feeling that you might enjoy this post – How To Make Sea Glass Light Fixtures so go check it out while you’re here ! And… please give this post a like on Facebook for me ? I would really appreciate it !
