Coil Pot Hack

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I use terracotta flower pots for my students to create their coil pots in.  It gives structure to the sides as they are building upwards.  I was having so many students not able to control the amount of pressure they were using.  This would cause their pots to become more like plates.  This prevents that!! Plus, it speeds up the drying process. 

The students will build their pot up toward the top (depending on how much clay you provide them. You may have some students make "cookies" and stack them.  

You can tape the bottom of the terracotta pot to keep this from happening, but if you catch it the next day...it is super easy to cut off with a clay tool!

POOF! GONE! ha ha  This is also a great time to knock down any sharp edges the pot might have around the lip.

Carve the student's name into the bottom while the clay is still leather hard(next morning). 

You could use a sharpened pencil, but I love this handy dandy nut picker thingie(I have no idea what it is actually called. I just know we used it to get the nut out of the shell growing up! ha ha).

 

BRAIN BOWLS

This year I've changed how I'm doing 2nd grade's Coil Pots.  We are still learning how to create coils.  We are still learning how to join clay properly.  However, we're creating clay coil spirals, and then joining them side by side inside a bowl (PLEASE NOTE: If you are using plastic bowls..place a paper towel in the bowl so that the clay does not stick and ruin a whole class worth of bowls!  Not that I would know from experience or anything!??!?!)  

I sat one of my 2nd grade examples on top of one of my 4th grade examples....and the "BRAIN BOWL" was born!  The kids named it...I just was trying to make room on my demo table! ha ha

LINE THE BOWL WITH PAPER TOWEL!!!!!!!

 LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!!!!

The inside of the bowl is smooth, and the coily goodness can be seen beautifully on the outside!

At the end of class students brought me their unused clay.  However, some was too dry to put back in with the "good" clay.  I don't have an area to wedge and such...so usually too dry clay goes in the trash.  I decided to use their too dry clay to make this little turtle! 

2nd Grade Coil Pots: Completed

My 2nd Grade students are completing their coil pots this week.  I'm really loving how they look this year.   I do not glaze(no hood/vent & kiln in my room)...so I'm having them use watercolor on bisque clay.  Then I put a coat of tempera varnish on top to give it some shine & to protect the paint.  Some years I use acrylic or metallic acrylic.

Hand Made Gift for Our Retiring Principal

In the fall I led a PD session on writing in the art room....and had a clay making component.  My principal even participated.  Little did she know she was helping make her retirement present!! I had all the teachers make a coil for the vase using a copied circle(so they were the same size).  They also made two leaves each with words that described our school.  After the session was done I assembled the coils & added a vine wrapping around with many of the leaves dealing with her on it.  SHE CRIED.  We will miss her so much...she has been here for 13 years, and has been so good for our school & community!  

Coil Pots: 2nd Grade

Coil Pot Time!!!  I love creating coil pots!! In college I made one that was 25 lbs of clay!!! I have placed a link to my coil pot posts from the past...and one is a step by step if you are not a clay person!!  I hope it helps!!

http://www.artwithmre.com/search/label/Coil%20Pots  

Coil Pots: 2nd Grade

Every year I like to change things up a little with the coil pots.  I've done Canopic Jars out of them, used metallic paint, turned them into peacocks, black & neon colors, and now this year color mixing from a two color selection.  I really love the way they've turned out.  (once again..pink is a pain to photograph!)

Clay Coil Pots Painted: 2nd Grade

As I've said before, I do not tend to glaze.  Each class had a class color (black, green, red, brown, & grey were the different classes), as well as a choice between copper, gold, and silver. We discussed bold geometric patterns for the design.  The kids were thrilled, and I'm happy with the results.  I like to change it up a bit each year, and I'm already dreaming of what to do to the coil pots next year!