Slab pottery ideas for beginners

If you're completely new to ceramics or just want to learn more about the wonderful world of clay, take a look at our beginners guide to pottery. Slab pottery is exactly what it sounds like — pottery made from a flat sheet of clay.

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties. Slab pottery is very versatile. Slabs can be used for anything from dainty ceramic earrings to huge garden planters. I hope you find these projects as inspiring as I do. Each project can be tackled in different ways.

Slab pottery ideas for beginners

In fact, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim slab construction dates back to B. More sophisticated than making pinch pots but less technically demanding than thrown pottery, slab pottery allows for easier control of your tools and materials as you work. There are also unique designs and forms possible with slab pottery that no other pottery technique will allow. So, what makes it more manageable than other types of pottery making? And how does a beginner get started learning? The exciting difference lies in the creation of slabs — or panels — of clay, adorned with designs that can be pressed into or cut through the surface. Discovering what it takes to make the slabs do what you want them to is where the learning really begins. Even though there are no complex tools involved in slab pottery for beginners , getting the hang of designing and constructing your pieces can take a bit of maneuvering. Be ready to make a test run to see if your design is sound and make adjustments before starting on the final piece. Even cutting dough to make cookies and create gingerbread houses is a form of slabbing. Like cookie dough, clay is flattened with a rolling pin to create smooth surfaces and even thickness. Guides are used on either end of the rolling pin to ensure equal pressure is used on all edges. And to create designs, various carving tools, punches and knives can be utilized to emboss or dig out any pattern or motif your imagination can conjure up!

The trick to making jewelry from clay slabs is to roll the slabs thin. The box bowl is a beautiful pottery piece.

Check out pottery ideas for beginners if you are just starting as a potter. If you love creating things with your hands, then you must also love clay. Working with clay is a fun and relaxing pastime. If you are looking for motivation or ideas, you are in the right place. Here are the top slab pottery suggestions.

If you're completely new to ceramics or just want to learn more about the wonderful world of clay, take a look at our beginners guide to pottery. Slab pottery is exactly what it sounds like — pottery made from a flat sheet of clay. Unlike the other hand-building methods coil pottery and pinch pottery , you make your constructions using flat slabs of clay cut to specific shapes and sizes, which are then joined together. Sounds simple right? As a rule, slab building is the go-to technique for creating pottery that features geometric shapes or tight angles. The great thing about slab pottery is that subtle variations such as the size of slabs or drying time dramatically affect the potential outcome.

Slab pottery ideas for beginners

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties. Slab pottery is very versatile. Slabs can be used for anything from dainty ceramic earrings to huge garden planters.

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The sides feel nearly cylindrical, but the base spreads out the sides. Or you can use a clay bevel cutter. The cylinder is going to be the stem on which the cake stand rests, so it needs to be reasonably wide. If you're completely new to ceramics or just want to learn more about the wonderful world of clay, take a look at our beginners guide to pottery. The base of the mug is simply a circle of clay that is attached firmly to the base of the cylinder. To my mind, the difference between a platter and a plate is that a platter is bigger and usually longer than a plate. Or perhaps you want to make a functional item that you can eat or drink from. More sophisticated than making pinch pots but less technically demanding than thrown pottery, slab pottery allows for easier control of your tools and materials as you work. When using a mold, the clay slab is draped over or into a mold and allowed to firm up on the mold. You can attach the sides to a radial base and use epoxy resin to give your bowl a neat glossy finish. Unlike many designs, it has practical uses, and you can use them as a decorative piece. I have made a complete easy-to-follow step-by-step guide on how to make a slab box , which you can check out here. Depending on your intended design, you may choose to use soft or stiff slabs for your slab pottery. It needs to be soft enough to bend easily without cracking.

Kristen Fern.

It has an interesting shape and design. The difference is that you have a hole in the front for birds to fly in and out of. You can do this by holding a clay knife at an angle and cutting along the edge. Pottery clay does need to be fired in a kiln. Slab roller machine If you have access to a proper pottery studio, you can use a slab roller machine. We talked about making a pinch pot planter for succulents. Check it out at this link. It has few steps and settles relatively quicker than many slab pottery pieces. Allow the clay to stiffen up so that it is firm and board-like. Be aware that if you have a tealight burning in the tealight holder, the ceramic surface will become hot. Dipped in multilayered tenmoku glaze. Use air dry clay and you can do everything at home! The other option is to create the body of the pitcher using one slab or more if you like.