Because this technique uses square slabs, it’s very suitable for making cubes and other shapes that have sharp angles. Although you can also use the technique to create a cylinder. But let’s start at the beginning: how do you make a simple square pot?
Step 1: Decide on the measurements
Determine how big you want to make your pot. How wide should the bottom be? And how tall do you want the walls beMake a template out of paper or cardboard, that way you can easily create slabs that are exactly the same size.
When measuring, don’t forget to take into account the thickness of the slabs. Say you’re making a square pot with a bottom sized 20 cm by 20 cm, and you’re using clay slabs that are 1 cm thick. You’ll need two walls that are 20 cm tall, and two walls that are 18 cm tall. That way the smaller ones can fit nicely between the ends of the taller walls.
Step 2: Make your clay slabs
Roll out your clay into a flat slab. To make sure the slab has an even thickness, you can use rolling guides or roll out your clay between two wooden slats of the same size. Use your template to cut out the bottom, the walls and optionally a lid.
Step 3: Join the first two slabs together
Take one of the walls and decide where you want to join it with the bottom. Make scratches on both plates, where they will be joined, and add some clay slib to promote adhesion. Then place the wall in the right spot and push firmly to secure the clay. Make sure you don’t press so hard that the slabs end up changing shape.
Now make a thin coil of clay and stick it to the inside of your pot, where the wall and the bottom meet. Spread the clay upward and downward to strengthen the joint between the two slabs. You can use a wooden tool for this, or just your fingers.
Step 4: Build the rest of the pot
Repeat the previous step for all of the walls. Don’t forget to strengthen each joint with a coil of clay. Then remove all excess clay around the joints and make the walls as smooth as you can get them.
Step 5: Let the pot dry and finish it
You can decorate the pot while the clay is still soft. The upside is that you can easily create the shapes you want; the downside is that you might accidentally warp the shape of the pot.
Alternatively you can decorate your pot once the clay is leather-hard. It’s a little bit harder to manipulate the clay, but the chance of you accidentally changing the shape of the pot is a lot lower. The choice is yours!
Once your pot is completely dry, you can finish and fire it to your liking. So what do you think, is it worth repeating?
Ready to learn more? There are many more hand building techniques you can try out. For example, we’ve talked about coil building and pinch building. Why not try it out?
