Ceramic Leaf Bowl

By Ben M. and Drew R.
 
The 4th grade students of Purchase School made ceramic leaf bowls. Our first step was to get a big leaf and roll out a slab of clay. We put the leaf on top of the clay and used a rolling pin to get the veins to show in the clay. Next, we used a clay needle to trace and cut out the shape of the leaf. Then we took a cup of water, dipped our finger in it, and smoothed over the edges of the clay. We laid it out on a paper towel and placed it into a bowl to get the shape of a bowl. While we were gone, Ms. Palefsky put the clay into the kiln to be bisque fired. When we came back, we glazed our bowls with special glazes that contained little pieces of different colors. The colors of the glazes looked different in the container, but they changed when they were heated in kiln. After we finished putting on three coats of glaze, our bowls were put back in the kiln for another firing. When they came out, they were waterproof and very shiny. You can also see the little color bursts that created speckles of different colors. Making the ceramic leaf bowl was a great experience.

Enjoy the slideshow of our process.