HomeBody Clay Kit Info and Instructions
Hello and welcome to your clay adventure!
Whether you're a long time fan of the creative process or think you're going to be a complete noob at making with clay, I'm here to tell you that no matter what you create, or even if you mess it up, you will loveeeee the feel of clay between your fingers.
First of all, thank you for buying a kit and supporting me. I am a mother of two young kids, a business owner and a wife to a winemaker who also owns his own business(winery) so we are super busy and hard working people and your support means we get to live our creative dreams here in Aldinga Beach South Australia, between the grape vines and the ocean.
I like to give all of my students this little pep talk: pottery is hard, it is a skill that needs to be learnt and practised. Instagram makes it look super easy but no one is born a potter, we've all worked for months and years to perfect our craft and we've all made really ugly things and huge mistakes when creating with clay.. so be patient, be kind to yourself and focus on the relaxing act of making things with clay instead of beating yourself up if your first attempt at making sometime doesn't meet your expectations.
If you're reading this page, it is because you have opened your kit and are ready to find out more about creating with clay. So lets go!
Clay
Your clay is a beautiful, soft, ivory coloured Stoneware Clay that was mined and processed in Australia. When you have finished your creations you can let your clay air dry and paint it with household/acrylic paint to create decorative pieces. Or if you want to have functional pieces that you can use for food and drink, you can find a local pottery studio who will bisque fire, glaze and glaze fire your work for you (more on the firing and glazing below).
If you make something you don't like or accidently break it then the good news is that your clay can be reused over and over (as long as it hasn't been fired). If your clay is completely dry then put it in a small container/bucket with enough water to cover it for a day until it turns sloppy, then plop it onto a thick piece of cardboard outside to firm up, until it is the nice soft consistency again. You may need to turn it over a few times so it firms up evenly. You will need to knead the clay like dough before you use it again. If the clay is still wet then just skip to the kneading step.
Firing
If you want to use your pieces for food and drinks then it will need to be fired in a pottery kiln. You can not use a household oven to cure pottery clay as clay needs to be heated much higher than a kitchen oven will go. Below I will list some studios around that offer firing services but you are welcome to contact any other studio local to you to enquire about firings services. Most studios charge by the kilo for firing.
If you want to use your pieces for food and drink you will need to fire your pottery twice, and glaze them between firings. It is a longer and more complex process than most people think it is!
So I guess the first step of your adventure is to decide whether you're going to make decorative pieces (vases for dried flowers, ring dishes, Christmas tree ornaments... the list is endless) or fired functional pieces (mugs, cups, plates etc.) and once you have decided then you can start making your pieces.
Because clay is blank canvas with unlimited options for creativity I am not going to draw you instructions on how to make anything in particular, instead I am going to point you in the direction of a few great resources showing the basics of creating with clay so you can learn the skills you need to create something unique.
How to make...
To keep the cost of these home kits down I decided instead of taking a week out of the studio to prepare, make and edit video tutorials I would point you in the direction of some of my favourite resources that already exist. These videos below, and many more on YouTube, are fantastic tutorials that the publishers put many hours into making. Like I said, clay is a blank canvas so search YouTube for any other projects you have in mind.
Click on these links to learn from these great tutorials
Basics of Ceramic Handbuilding: Pinchpot, Coiling & Slab Building
Pottery Basics: Hand Building-- Pinch Pot, Coil Building and Scoring and Slipping!
how to make a ceramic mug at home - no wheel needed✨ pottery tutorial for beginners
Next Steps
Once you have created something magical, the clay will need to dry. If you are going to keep it as a decorative piece and paint with household paint then make sure the clay is completely dry before painting. Don't use to much water when painting and paint in multiple thin layers.
If you are going to fire your work with a local pottery studio then your clay needs to be completely air dry before it can go in the kiln. Moisture trapped inside of clay will turn to steam and crack your piece. The length of time it takes varies depending on your climate and the size/thickness of clay but 7-14 days is usually the rule of thumb. If you have handles or bits of clay attached to your piece then cover the piece loosely with plastic and let it dry slowly for longer to avoid the handle/attachments shrinking faster and cracking off.
When transporting your dry clay from home to a pottery studio you will need to pack it carefully in packing peanuts, scrunched newspaper or a towel to keep it from breaking as it will be fragile. Then follow the instructions from the studio on firing and glazing your Stoneware Clay (it is important to tell them it is Stoneware Clay).
Clean up
Clay is messy but it does not stain. Make sure you use a damp cloth to clean up any clay in your home. Clay dust is not good to breathe in so always use water when cleaning up to prevent making dust.
Some firing options in SA
Other locations
Please use google to search for pottery studios near you and enquire about firing services.
Need a top up of HomeBody? You can buy more kits and extra clay here.
I hope you love your HomeBody Clay Kit and don't forget to tag me @nicoleisnicoleceramics so I can see your beautiful clay creations!
Nicole x