Clay Mug Design Ideas Easy – Here’s a beginner’s guide to handmade ceramic mugs – actually handmade ceramic mugs. I just finished my second batch using low fire clay in my kiln and I am so excited. I am ready to further improve my skills.
Meanwhile, I love how perfectly flawless these handmade ceramic mugs turned out! I’m still on a steep learning curve, but I thought I’d share my journey so far.
Clay Mug Design Ideas Easy
I look at Instagram and get inspired – then I get depressed. I still have a long way to go – you know, the 10,000 hours that make you an expert? But the only way to get there is to keep practicing!
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If you’re new to making mugs by hand like me, let’s get started! And if you are a professional, please don’t judge. We’re getting there, okay?
Handcrafted pottery is a type of pottery that is made by hand without the use of a potter’s wheel. Instead, the clay is rolled into a flat sheet and then shaped into the desired shape.
Handmade pottery has a long history, dating back to the earliest cultures that used pottery. In fact, some of the earliest examples of handmade pottery have been found in China and date back to around 10,000 BC.
It is a very accessible form of pottery as it does not require the use of a potter’s wheel.
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If you want to try your hand at pottery, you’ll need a few things. First you need some clay. You can buy clay at your local craft store or online. Second, you’ll need some basic pottery tools.
These include a roller, a blade and a forming tool. Finally, you will need a kiln to fire the pottery.
I don’t have a wheel or plate wheel, but lack of tools has never stopped me before. But I have an oven!
If you don’t have a kiln, check out your local pottery studio or even a community center for pottery classes.
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Another option is to use air dry clay, but your mug will not be used as a mug, only decorative.
The first step is to cover the work surface with a canvas. Then put two rulers (mine is a ruler cut in half). Form a ball of clay and then press it flat between your palms.
TIP: Can’t be thinner than your little finger, too fragile and will break. And it can’t be thicker than your thumb, because then you need a hole for moisture to escape, and it will stretch and break. I use these bars all the time and have never had a problem.
At this stage, if you want to use glue or rubber stamps to print on the outside of your mug, do so now.
Diy Easy Mug Decoration
It will push your clay, so you’ll need to cut some of it off in the next step.
The first way is to shoot the outer sides of the base and the lower inner side of the wall. Use a brush dipped in the slide to add to the score.
The second method is to tap the outer upper area of the base and the lower part of the wall plate. This will make your cup more narrow.
At this stage you can add more small parts or let it dry a bit and then carve it in. It will take a few hours for it to set on the skin.
Decorate Your Mug With Ceramic Glazes (step By Step)
I usually cover mine with plastic for a while, then do the roses and leaves, then go and add them.
Again, scoring and sliding along the way – if you don’t score and slide correctly, the pieces will fall apart as they dry. I experienced it!
Always keep the pieces covered in plastic or they will dry out too quickly and warp and bend.
Break up a piece of clay and roll it into a narrow piece. Using wet fingers, roll the clay into the desired handle shape.
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Once you find a handle you like, check the height and fit of your fingers. Attach the plate the same way you attached it to the base of the cup.
TIP: Don’t wait too long to put on the brace or decorations. If you add wet clay to dry clay, it will crack.
Keep your mugs under the plastic for a while, then pick them up one by one and use water and a sponge to form the top ridge.
You want it to be round, smooth and drinkable. Also clean where you ran it and where all the edges meet.
37 Mug Design Ideas To Sell And Gift
Wait until the green pots are dry to the stage, then fire at low speed in the 04 cone oven.
Once cooled, remove from the oven and you now have biscuit cups! Use your favorite juices to add color and then use clear juice. Hit Cone 06 again on medium speed.
Kathy Cano-Murillo is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to advertise and earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com.
Hello! I’m Kathy, The Crafty Chica: Illustrator, Artist, and Author. Here I share Mexican-style crafts, recipes, travel, stories, and business! I am a third generation Mexi-chica from Phoenix, AZ. I launched Crafty Chica™ in 2001 to bring Latino-centric crafts to a mainstream audience. Let’s work together! Today we teamed up with our friends at Keurig® to add some fun to your breakfast with these 3D graphic clay mugs! I’ve told you before that we’ve been enjoying The Original Donut Shop® Coffee at home on the weekends, but we also need it in the studio, so these mugs live here to serve their purpose! 😉 With all our commutes getting longer each day (What the hell, LA!?), a glass topped with a little rainbow and filled with the team’s new favorite drink is SO welcome when we finally arrive! I love the texture and dimensions, it gives them a 3D aspect, it gives a new twist to a patterned mug, and me
Surface Design On Clay — Journal — Dowd House Studios
That I will buy him a new mug because his travel mug keeps leaking. She happily grabbed one of them and hopped on The Donut Shop Coffee® train with us! (Did you know that these are the best-selling K-Cup Pods® in the US!?) I’m sure you can make a donut version of these cups if you want to go all out… Ok, class time!
For the banana: 1. Knead a ball of yellow clay in your hands to make it easier. 2. Use your thumb and index finger to roll a small piece of clay into a crescent shape. 3. Repeat until you have enough bananas to cover the cup. For the rainbow: 1. Knead three balls of different colored clay in your hands so that they are easy to work with. 2. Remove a small piece from one of the clay balls and use your hands and a flat surface (such as a table or cutting board) to shape it into a snake. 3. Repeat with the other two colors. 4. Place the three snakes next to each other and bend them into a rainbow shape. 5. Use a craft knife to trim the ends so they are straight. 6. Repeat until you have enough rainbow to cover the cup. For the ice cream bowls: 1. Knead a ball of brown clay and pink (or other ice cream) clay in your hands to make it easier to work with. 2. Take a small piece of brown clay and use your thumb and forefinger to shape it into a triangular cone. 3. Take a small piece of ice cream colored clay and roll it into a snake shape with your hands on a flat surface. 4. Fold the snake shape in on itself to create a “swirl”. 5. Glue it on the cone you prepared earlier. 6. Repeat until you have enough ice cream cones to cover the bowl. For all cups: 1. Lightly press the pieces of clay you created onto the cup as needed. Be sure to leave about an inch free to sip! 2. Bake the polymer mass cups at 275 °C for about 10 minutes. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the clay and your oven. Follow the instructions that come with the clay! 3. Allow to cool completely. 4. Remove the pieces from the mug one at a time and glue them back together using a small dab of ceramic glue. These mugs are hand washed only!
Now you know! If you need a little pick me up in the morning, you’ll need one of these mugs! Which one do you like!?
This post is sponsored by Keurig®. All content and opinions are my own! Thank you for your support