LANTERN Making Demonstration

Thank you so much for choosing a pottery making kit! Please make sure to watch the demonstration video, and read the whole of this page before you start!

What’s in your kit:

• Hunk of soft clay

• Cheesewire (corks + fishing wire) for cutting clay

• Sharp clay knife

• Rolling pin

• Slurry / soggy clay

• Brush for applying slurry

• Modelling tools

* we’ve given you more clay than you will need so you don’t run out, please don’t go wild and make a million things - stick to what the kit is designed for.

WATCH THIS VIDEO BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ⤵️

 It’s less than 30 minutes in total, and hopefully covers everything you need to know! We refer to plant pots and biscuit jars, but all the advice given is exactly the same when you’re making a lantern. We’ve added lantern specific tips further down the page, but do watch this video first.

If you were making in the studio last year we'd be buzzing around in the background, lending a hand when needed and adding more relevant hints and tips as your piece develops, but as you’re are getting your clay on at home, we’ve tried to load you up with as much guidance as one can fit onto a webpage to set you on the right track for great lanterns!

Time to get inspired

Think of this as a virtual version of rummaging through our folders of images, but instead you’re gliding through our Pinterest board. Go on, have a look!

Now for the music! You’ve got to set the mood haven’t you, get that relaxing focus on, or perhaps you need some disco in your life to let your creativity run free. Here’s our offering for you - it’s the Spotify playlist we play in the studio, carefully chosen by our Anna. It covers everything from your classical bangers [The Nutcracker to make it feel as though your brush is practically dancing along the clay], to music to get your pulse racing [cue Jurassic Park theme].

Lantern making TIPS

Plan first: I’d advise this no matter what you’re making, but it’s good to plan a shape, to work out how things attach, does it need holes for a string handle added after firing, where will your light source enter and how a lid (if it has one) will sit so it doesn’t slide off. You might even make a little template. I’d advise thinking about this before you come along if you’re working in the studio. Feel free to bring drawings etc with you.

Measure your light source: whether it’s a tea light or a full sized candle you’re going to want to make sure it fits, so give it a measure before you start. Your piece will shrink by 10% when drying/firing so add on at least 1cm, but I generally am a bit cautious and add a bit more again.

Structure: because we’re planning on cutting bits out of your lantern, you’ll want to make sure it feels as even in thickness as possible, or you’ll be at risk of a thin section being not strong enough to support your pot when you start cutting out. In the video we suggest clay is as thick as a pencil and this is a good measure for a lantern too.

Coiling: if you decide to build your piece using coils, make sure to only use the gooey slip to attach your first coil to the base, after that blending will be enough to join your coils together. Adding extra moisture with slip will mean your pot needs even longer to dry out before it’s ready for cutting out [see below]

Give you clay time to rest/firm up: patience is key here, before you start making any cut outs make sure your clay feels firm. If you’re working in the studio perhaps plan to go for a wander for about 30mins-1hr (a snack break etc) to give your clay a chance to dry before you start cutting.

Plan your cut outs: you’ll see on pinterest some mad lanterns where they are more holes than clay, which will be really quite tricky and risky to attempt, the ones we’ve selected we think are mostly achievable but might need simplifying slightly. Before you start making any cuts, pencil your lines on the surface and mark where you will be cutting out. You can also do a little test on a piece of spare clay to see how it works.

Finishing your piece: you’ll notice as you cut out sections the edges can look quite raggy, once your clay as firmed up a little more and the edges of the cut out sections have dried a little more you’ll be able to spend time refining and smoothing, or perhaps you’ll embrace it as a texture, who knows. But in general with clay, things look a bit messy to begin with, but as you carry on and the clay firms you can start to achieve a really nice finish. It’s all about patience and slowness, hence why we’ve suggested you allow at least 3 hrs for this class.

Questions: do send me and email if you have any questions after reading all this, and if you’re in the studio myself and the team will be on hand to advise from a distance! xoxo

EXTRA TIPS

Drying your pots: if you’re working from home, please don’t try to dry your pots out completely before returning them to us. Clay needs to dry slowly to reduce the chance of it cracking. If you need your clay to firm up a bit you can leave it in the sun for a short period of time but keep checking on it.

If you need to take a long break while you’re making, cover your clay + pot with a plastic bag to stop it from drying out. If you pot starts to dry while you’re making flick some water at the area and use your finger to blend in any fine cracks.

Clay thickness: if you are modelling extra characters such as mice etc for your pots, please don’t make them thicker than 1 inch (about the length of the top section of your thumb). If clay is too thick it is very hard for us to dry it out completely before firing, and clay with moisture trapped inside explodes when it goes through the kiln.

❗️Trapped air: likewise as we mention in the video, trapped air also causes pots to explode. If you were to try and make a hollow ball (as a slightly ridiculous example) you’d need to have a hole somewhere in the surface of your ball for the air to escape through, other wise it would definitely go bang. Small amounts of air are less dramatic and if you’re lucky they simply make the bit you stuck on fall off.

RETURNING YOUR FINISHED KIT

1. Wash all used tools with warm soapy water and pat dry.

2. Once your pot(s) are firm enough to move round without changing the shape, make up the cardboard box in your kit and put your pots in. If you’re worried they might slide around you can pack out the box with our tea towel or any other scraps of fabric you have - just remember to take your fabric back when you reach the studio.

3. Use the checklist from the top of this page to make sure you pack everything back into the bag. Scraps of clay should be returned as they can be recycled. Used paper can be disposed of.

4. Return your kit and pottery to the studio before 5pm on Sunday. Take care to support the bottom of the box as the damp clay may make it a little soft. If you haven’t chosen what colours you’d like your pot painting, now is the time! [see colour chart below + email us your choice].

5. We’ll be in touch once your pottery is ready to collect, we’re aiming for 4-6 weeks