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DIY Texture Clay Stamps & Soft Slab Projects

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This project is designed for teaching clay remotely to students who are learning from home. We will create DIY texture stamps using basic craft materials for use with modeling, air-dry or firing clays. Three different simple hand-building projects will be demonstrated using textured soft slabs.

Supplies List

*Optional supplies for making a small loop tool:

  • Pliers
  • Wire cutter
  • Long quilting pin
  • Pencil with eraser

Preparation

Roll out 1-3 moist slabs of clay (approx. 8x10 each) and cover them with plastic.

Make Your Stamps

We show how to make 3 different stamps:

  1. Press Stamps
    1. Press a ball of soft clay onto paper to create a smooth surface on one side and a handle on the other. 
  2. Roller Stamps
    1. Roll a large coil
    2. Push a pencil through the middle of the coil
    3. Roll back and forth to make the hole bigger
  3. Cone Stamps
    1. Roll a coil at an angle to make a cone
    2. Trim the wide-edged side to make it flat
    3. Hollow out the middle using a fettling knife or loop tools
    4. Insert a pencil into the hollow form, and roll while pressing down to compress the interior

Finish the Stamps

  1. Once leather-hard, trim the stamps' edges.
  2. Carve your designs using a dull pencil or loop tools.
  3. Once stamps are leather-hard, you can press them into a soft slab to test your design.

Presentations

Download step-by-step slideshow presentations here:

Download Powerpoint

Download Keynote

DIY Clay Stamps