How to make a ceramic pottery "lily pad" bird bath...and a frog to sit on it!

If you're starting to feel a little antsy for spring while a certain Mr. Winter continues to drag his feet (the groundhog saw his shadow...six more week of winter...ugh), why not hurry spring along by making a cute "lily pad" birdbath for the birds...

Visions of birds splashing around in a little birdbath you make can help tide you over
until your garden starts waking up and the birds start singing this spring!! 

How to make the bird bath
1. Roll out a slab of clay.
Make the slab at least 1/4" thick. Since this piece will be outside, you want it to be strong.

2. Cut out the shape of the "lily."
The beauty of this project is any shape works. You can make an actual lily shape or just a wavy circle. It doesn't matter!

3. Stuff plastic under the edges and push the center down to form the bowl.
The clay has to harden, and the best way to help it keep its shape is to stuff plastic around the edges. Newspaper doesn't really work, because it absorbs water and loses its shape. The plastic (dry cleaner bags work really well) maintains it shape.

...and that's it! This has to be the easiest ceramic pottery birdbath project ever!

How to make a frog for the lily pad
1. Form a small ball of clay into a wedge shape.
This wedge will be the body of the frog. The pointed end will be its nose.

2. Roll out a clay "noodle," and attach it to the hind end of the body.
This "noodle" will become the frog's leg.

3. Press the noodle to the frog's side. About halfway up, bend the noodle back.
Making a frog's leg is that simple. In the photo below you can see how easy it is to create the look of a frog's leg.

4. Add the webbing on the back feet.
Simply press a few lines into his feet using a wooden carving tool...no details are needed!

5. Roll out two smaller noodles for the front legs and attach them.
In the photo below, you can see the front legs are even easier to create. Attach them just in front of the back legs, and curve them in. Add the webbing lines as well.

6. Roll out tiny balls and press them onto the head to form the eyes; then use an Exacto knife to cut a simple mouth.
Voila...you have a frog to laze on your lily pad bird bath!

Ribbit!

Ribbit!

6. "Score" the clay to attach the frog to the lily pad.
To attach one piece of clay to another, you must "score" the surfaces first, which means you rough up the surfaces a little, dab water onto the score marks, and stick the two pieces together. I usually use a pencil, a clay needle or a craft knife.

7. You're finished with the construction of the birdbath...
...but you have a few more steps to go: let the piece dry (can take up to a week), fire it, glaze it, and fire again. Find a pottery teacher to help you if you don't have your own kiln or access to clay or glazes. There are lots of studios around town.

You can dig out a small depression in the ground to hold the bird bath (as in the example at the beginning of the post), or place it in a stand like in the photo below. Have fun!!!

I usually scoop out a depression in the ground to hold my lily pad bird baths, but they look great in a stand too.
Another option: attach a chain at three equidistant spots and hang it from a branch.

How to make your own birding jewelry...

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I wear bird-themed jewelry, but you might be surprised to learn I make all of my own jewelry. I am allergic to metal and can't wear gold or silver necklaces, so years ago I started making my own out of ceramic beads, pearls, and natural stone. I make all sorts of ceramic beads, and thought you might like to learn how to make a few for yourself.  If you can roll out clay, stamp in a design, and string beads, you can make your own bird jewelry too...

A pair of binoculars strung on polished amethyst?
Yep...a birder born in February (me) is going to wear this. 

How to make a bead out of clay
Step 1. Roll out a small slab of clay and press a stamped image into it. 
Make the slab at least 1/4" thick so you can create a channel to run the stringing material through. Experiment on how hard you have to press to get a good impression. If you press too hard, the image isn't crisp enough.

There are so many types of beads you can make, but a stamped-image bead is the easiest. You can find stamps at any craft store. You can also make your own stamps (but I'll leave that for another post).

Step 2. Determine where you want the stringing channel and mark it with a wooden skewer. 
I usually place the stringing channel high on the bead. You can go as low as the center, but if you go any lower, the bead will just flop to the other side when hanging.

I place the stringing channel high on the bead, so it lays nicely on the wire.

Note
You don't have to make a bead with a stringing channel. You can make a pendant instead by just punching a hole at the center top, or on both edges (see the example in the pendant section below).

Step 3. Push the wooden skewer through the clay to form the stringing channel. 
Go slowly so you don't "lose the center." If you accidentally push the skewer through the side, just squish up the clay and try again! After one or two tries, you won't have a problem.

Take your time while pushing the skewer through the clay. When you remove the skewer, clean up the edges by swiping your finger across the clay to smooth everything out.

For this necklace, I used high-quality flexible wire. Strong wire saves you from having to restring the necklace later because of breakage or stretching. You can also use silk thread, which is strong and long lasting. 

Note
In the bead above, I created a "natural" stone look by not smoothing the clay out very well, which created a texture that resembled stone. After it was fired, I glazed the bead with a black matte glaze and then wiped it off the surface. The glaze was left in all the nooks and crannies, including in the stamped image. For the second firing, I left the glossy clear coat off. (I paired the rustic bead with the glitz of polished amethyst rectangles for interest. It would have been very easy to just string this bead on a smooth leather cord, but it wouldn't have been as fun.)


How to use crimp beads on a pendant
When you make a pendant, you have no way to string it on a wire or thread, so you have to attach to the stringing material. There are many ways to do this, but the simplest method is just using a crimp bead. (Note: It's the easiest method, but it's not the most elegant method; however, I wanted a very simple look to go with the rustic bead below, so it was perfect for this necklace).

Step 1. String the wire through the hole and slip a crimp bead over it.  
...then thread the shorter end of the wire through the crimp bead.

You can get crimp beads at any craft or beading store. I always use sterling silver.

Step 2. Use a small pliers to smash the crimp bead together.  
When smashed, the tube forms a little square, which looks nice when you want a simple design. I wanted simplicity to tie the rustic bird pendant together with lovely freshwater pearls.

Use the pliers to smash the crimp bead down. It holds the stringing wire in place. You can feed the excess wire through the next couple beads, or snip it off. 

A rustic bead pendant paired with a simple crimp bead and cultured freshwater pearls is the perfect look for this chickadee pendant necklace.

Attaching a clasp

The easiest clasp to attach is a lobster claw clasp. You can attach it using a crimp bead the same way as described above.

You don't have to get fancy when you first start making jewelry, a quick crimp bead and a lobster clasp works fine!

...and the best place to wear bird-themed jewelry? 

The Biggest Week in American Birding, of course! 

Hope to see you there! I'm heading up Sunday (Mother's Day!). I can't wait to see all the warblers!

Click here for info on the Biggest Week. Online registration is closed, but walk-in registration is available at Maumee Bay Lodge and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.

Happy Mother's Day!

(...especially to Mom...)

How to make a ceramic pottery owl out of clay...

I have a really fun clay project for you. I've been working on these little owls for a while now, and I think I've come up with a design anyone can make! These little owls are adorable (which I know is an oxymoron when you consider owls are one of the most fierce and deadly predators in the sky), but it's true. These little statues are downright cute, and you won't be happy with just one. With Halloween around the corner, only a slew will do...

A "slew" of owls is really called a parliament. Make your own by following the simple steps below... 

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a miniature owl figurine out of clay

Step 1. Roll out a small ball of clay, and put a dent on top to form the ear tufts.

The owls I've been making are tiny, which is what makes them so darn cute. They range from 1/2 inch to two inches tall, but you can make them any size. Start by rolling out a small ball of clay, then use your finger to press a dent into the top to form the ear tufts...

A marble-sized ball of clay makes about a 3/4 inch tall owl, and a small superball-sized ball of clay makes about a 1 3/4 inch tall owl. Experiment with different sizes. 

Step 2. Press both pinky fingers into the clay near the top dent to make the facial discs.

Try to make the discs even, but don't go crazy if they are slightly off. You can always even out the clay later, or let them go as is--uneven eyes often give the owl more character...

This is a superball-sized ball of clay. If you want to make a tinier owl using a marble-sized ball of clay, use the eraser on the tip of a pencil to make the facial discs.

You can already start to see the shape of an owl emerging!

Step 3. Further define the facial discs. 
Press the flat end of a craft knife or other clay tool into the facial discs you created with your pinkies...

Owls have forward facing eyes like humans do, so make sure you keep the facial discs facing forward. You can vary how deeply you press into the clay. On some owls, I go shallow, but on other, I press harder to make a deeper disc. Experiment to find the look you like.

Step 4. Create the feathers in the facial discs. 
Representations of owls often have radiating lines surrounding the eyes. We have learned to look for this clue when identifying iconic owl shapes, so go ahead and create those lines. It's easy to do with a loop tool. Start in one place and work your way around. After you've gone around once, go back again to scruff it up a bit...

As soon as you add textured lines to the facial disc, the shape is even more recognizable as an owl!

Step 5. Form the eyes. 
First roll out a tiny ball. It should be smaller than a pea. Next, using a craft knife, cut the ball in half. Each half will be an eye on the owl. Roll each half into a ball and wet the halves down a bit...

To create two equally sized eyes, split one ball in half. 

Step 6. Place the eye in the facial disc. 
Wet each tiny eye with water from a spray bottle so it will adhere to the center of the facial disc. Place the eye with your fingertip. Once the eye is in place, tamp it down with the end of a craft knife or other clay tool...

Gently place the eye in the center of the facial disc. Make sure the tiny ball of clay is wet so it adheres well. Tamp it down with the flat end of a clay tool when you're happy with its placement.

Step 7. Create the chest feathers. 
Small indentations help create the look of chest feathers and further define the front of the owl. These can be as variable as you wish. I use the curved and tapered end of a small loop tool and press gently into the clay while supporting the back of the owl. It's easy to press too hard and throw the shape of the owl out of whack. You can create a precise pattern or a random arrangement. I usually prefer random, but I like to follow the contour of the facial disc because that helps to separate the face from the body. It also helps intensify the illusion of a beak...

It's easy to create the illusion of feathers using the curved end of a clay loop tool. Creating this border helps make the owl's face more believable. Our minds can fill in lots of blanks. All you really need to do is supply a few hints.

Step 8. Form the wings (optional step). 
If you want your owl to have wings, make them using your thumb print! Simply press your thumb into a small ball of clay to flatten it out. Then trace out your thumbprint and give it a little flare at the top and finish with a straight line. Cut the wing out with a crafting knife...

For these miniature owls, your thumbprint is the perfect size for a wing! 

After you flatten the ball of clay to the proper thickness, trace out your thumbprint. Flare it out at the end a bit and square off the top.

Two little owl wings waiting for an owl body! (I never make these wings exactly the same. When making an owl, the body is usually not perfectly symmetrical and variances in the wing shape add to the owl's charm.) 

Step 9. Adhere the wings to the body. 
Again...wings on these miniature owls are optional. I only put wings on about 1/3 of my owls. The design does not require them, but it's fun to add the extra detail. To adhere a wing, first "score" the surface. Scoring helps one piece of clay stick to another. If you don't score the surface, the addition might fall off during firing. To score clay, use either a clay needle, a craft knife, or a pencil to rough up the surface. Then wet down the scored areas, and stick the wing on the owl...

Scoring the surface of the clay will help one piece of clay stick to another. Be sure to use a little water to help "cement" the pieces together. 

Place the wet, scored wing on the owl and position it properly. The water helps you move the clay around a little until you find the perfect place.

Take a few swipes along the flat end piece to blend it into the body. Do not blend in the part of the wing that is in front.

Step 10. Wait... 
It can take up to two weeks for a solid clay figurine to dry completely (just because it's dry on the outside does not mean it's dry on the inside). Once it dries, it can be bisque fired. Bisque firing changes the clay into ceramic material. When it comes out of the kiln, it will be hard and white...and ready for glazing.

Whooooo are you?
Our little owl needs to sit and dry. It can take up to two weeks.

Owls come in all shapes and sizes...tall and thin, short and square. It's fun to play around with the different shapes. Also pay attention to their ear tufts. Not all owls have the pointy feathers. Look at the guy in the background. He barely has any ear tufts. I've also left wings off him to emphasize his tall, thin body.

A parliament of owls waiting to dry. 
Check out all the different shapes, sizes, and ear tuft styles. You can also see some have wings and some don't. Pretty much...anything goes when it comes to making owls!  

Step 11. Glaze the owl. 
Go crazy with the glazes and mix them up. I used a combination of all the browns, golds, and beiges to create depth. Some of the designs are based on real owls, while others are pure imagination and use only iconic shapes and clues to let you know it's an owl.

Step 12. Fire it again. 
Once you've glazed the piece, fire it again. This final firing will melt the glaze (powdered glass suspended in water) and fuse it to the bisqueware. After the glaze firing, your little owl is finished!

Other ideas:
By putting a small hole in the top, you can hot glue in a ribbon or a leather strip to make a Christmas tree ornament or a necklace! For Halloween you can hang several owl ornaments on a dead branch in a vase or on a little Halloween tree for a bird lover's cute seasonal decoration.

These cute little owls make great Christmas tree ornaments. The tiniest owls look really cute on a necklace as well.

For other easy step-by-step clay projects with a birdy theme, click here.
For this project, I used low-fire clay and Colors for Earth translucent glazes.

How to make a ceramic pottery hummingbird ornament out of clay...

These ceramic hummingbird ornaments are simple and fun to make. You can make them into ornaments to hang on your tree or to hang on a hook in your garden or in a potted plant. You can also tie beautiful ribbons on them to decorate a package, or even put a grouping together to make a wind chime. Anyone can make them…just follow these easy steps and have fun!

A flock of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fresh from the kiln waiting to have festive ribbons tied on them!

Step 1: Grab the clay!
Start with a lump of clay. High fire or low fire, it doesn't matter. Your teacher can help you pick out the best clay. If you are going to make wind chimes or an outdoor ornament, however, high fire clay is stronger and will tolerate temperature fluctuations better.

Step 2: Roll out the clay!
You can put the clay through an extruder or roll it out with a rolling pin. I use a canvas wrapped board with guides on the edge to guarantee I get an even thickness:

...use a rolling pin to roll out the clay (or an extruder if the studio has one).

Step 3: Cut out the hummingbird shapes.
Use the following pattern to get the basic outline, then place the pattern on the clay and cut out the bird shape using an exacto knife, a needle tool, or a pointy clay stylus:

Use this hummingbird pattern to cut out the shapes. You can make the pattern as large or as small as you like.

Step 4. Smooth out the cutouts.
Take a wet sponge and smooth out the edges. Cutting with a pointer or Exacto knife can leave a jaggy mess, so go over the clay with a damp sponge to smooth everything out:

...smooth out the rough edges of the clay hummingbird cutouts with a damp sponge. 

Step 5: Punch a hole in the top.
You can use a special hole puncher made for clay or just use the needle tool and gradually widen the hole:

...don't forget to punch a hole in each clay cutout!

Step 6. Let it dry...and wait...
One trick when working with flat clay cutouts is to use small boards of drywall. Place the cutouts on a flat piece of drywall board first, then place another board on top of the cutouts to keep them from warping as they dry. It can take up to two weeks for clay cutouts to dry completely, but when they are thin (1/4 to 1/2 inch) they usually dry within a week.

Step 7. Bisque fire the cutouts.
Your teacher or studio owner will bisque fire the cutouts when they are ready. Bisque firing changes the clay into ceramic material. When the cutouts come out of the kiln, they will be hard and white...and ready for glazing!

Step 8: Glaze the hummingbirds.
You can use any style when you glaze the hummingbirds, whether it’s detailed and realistic or modern and sketchy. I wanted these to be fun, colorful and carefree, so I went with a sketchy style that can be painted in a just a few brushstrokes:

Use any style to glaze the hummingbirds. I used a sketchy and fun style for this batch. The bright red and green look great on a Christmas tree or as a package ornament.    

     Follow these steps to paint the hummingbirds:
          1. Glaze the back and wings green.
          2. Glaze the belly white.
          3. Glaze the chin red.
          4. Finally, outline the bird in black.

Step 9. Fire it again!
After the second fire, they are good to go. Have fun decorating packages, making ornaments, or making a wind chime.

p.s. You can do this with cookie dough too!  ....or you can use any cookie cutter on clay.
...and I've already had three requests for other patterns: a chickadee, a cardinal, and a bluebird. I'll see if I can create a few more patterns tonight.

How to make three other easy clay bird projects
To make a ceramic pottery bird's nest with removable eggs, click here.
To make a ceramic pottery bird feeder, click here.
To make a ceramic owl or owl ornament, click here.

How to make a ceramic pottery bird's nest (with removable eggs) out of clay!

If you're like me you probably enjoy adding little pieces of bird art to your home or office's decor every now and then. Here's a simple clay project you can do to make your own little piece of bird art! I created this bird nest design a couple of months ago, and it is fun and easy--anyone can make it, whether you're artistic or not! It's the perfect time of year to bring home a little bird's nest with eggs...

Iron Bird stands guard over a little ceramic pottery nest with eggs. The nest is fun to make and looks cute just about anywhere. The eggs are not attached, so you can pick them up and move them around--interactive art is fun! When Rick saw this nest sitting on the piano a few weeks ago he asked me where I bought it. He thought it was really cool. That's the ultimate complement--it's good enough to sell in a store! :-)

How to Make a Ceramic Pottery

Bird's Nest (and Eggs) out of Clay

Step 1. Start with a ball of clay.

You don't need a lot of clay, just enough to fit in your palm. After you've formed the ball, use your thumb to press a hole in the center...

Step 2. Create the nest shape.

Continue pressing into the clay to create a small bowl. You're basically making a small pinch pot...

Step 3. Refine the nest shape.

Flatten the bowl out a bit so it starts to take the form of a nest...

Step 4. Wet down a clay extruder tool.

You can get hand-held clay extruders at any pottery supply store for about $10.00. You can also use a garlic press...or maybe a Play-doh press if your kids have one. Wetting down the extruder makes it easier to extrude the clay and keeps the clay moist...

Step 5. Roll out a "snake" of clay to put in the extruder.

You can also just push globs of clay into the cylinder, but it's quicker and easier to create a snake of clay and slide it in. You might not get as much clay into the extruder by snaking it in, but for this project you want to extrude the clay in small batches anyway...

Step 6. Create the "nesting material."

There are lots of end cap disks that come with the extruder to create various extruded forms. I use the mesh disk to create the nesting material. All you have to do is depress the plunger and tiny clay "grass and twig" noodles are extruded out...

Step 7. Build the nest!

This is the fun part! Take the extruded "twigs" and apply them to the clay nest. Since you wet down the cylinder of the extruder before you extruded the clay, the tiny noodles of clay are moist and adhere to the sides very well. No scoring is required. I've never once had any of my nesting material fall off during the firing process by not scoring. ("Scoring" is where you rough up both edges of the clay and apply water to form slip to help the two pieces stick together. )

Step 8. Continue to build the nest one batch of twig noodles at a time.

After extruding the nesting material, immediately adhere it to the clay nest form. If you create several extruded batches of noodles and set them aside, they dry out too quickly and won't adhere correctly. Take your time building the nest. A light hand goes a long way, because keeping the nest airy is important. If you push the noodles into the clay too hard, they flatten out and the nest looks heavy...

Step 9. Don't be too neat with the nesting material!

Don't be tempted to make everything perfect. Let the tiny clay twig noodles overlap each other and zig back here and there. I usually adhere noodles to the rim first, then fill the inside cup, then adhere noodles to the outside. Vary the pattern and leave spaces...

Step 10. Roll out small round ball shapes for the eggs.

Getting these little balls the right size takes a bit of practice, but once you practice a few times, it's easy to create the right shape...

Step 11. Gently roll and depress at one end of the ball.

Creating an egg requires a bit of finesse. It's easy to do, though. Just start rolling the ball and depress gently at one end with your fingertip. You'll see the egg shape form before your eyes...

Step 12. Test out the proportions.

Place the eggs in the nest to make sure they fit the nest and are about the same size--unless, of course, you want to show that the nest was parasitized by a Cowbird and make one egg larger! ;-)

Step 13. Wait...

It can take up to two weeks for a clay piece to completely dry. Your teacher will bisque fire it when it's ready. Bisque firing changes the clay into ceramic material. When it comes out, it will be hard and white...ready for glazing.

Step 14. Glaze the nest and eggs.

You can glaze the eggs any color you'd like--maybe Robin's Egg blue, or you can look up egg patterns and copy one. In my nest, I glazed the eggs with Potter's Stone Buff. It gives the eggs a soft cream color with spots of brown. For little effort, it creates a convincing egg! You can use any glaze to create the nest. The simplest glaze is Amber Ash. That's what I used to create this nest. It is translucent, so you can add dark-brown underglazes here and there and then top it with the Amber Ash.

Step 15. Fire it again!

After you glaze your piece, your teacher will fire it again. This final firing will melt the glaze (powdered glass suspended in water) and fuse it to the bisqueware. After the glaze firing, your nest is finished! (Make sure your teacher fires the eggs separately from the nest during the glaze firing. If you fire them together, the eggs will stick to the nest--unless that's the look you're after. Maybe you don't want the eggs to be able to be picked up.)

You can never have too much bird art! Have fun making this little nest...kids love the removable eggs.

Finding a Pottery Studio

A quick Internet search should help you locate a pottery studio near you. I've been going to the "It's Just Mud Pottery Studio" for 11 years. It's located in Liberty Township...about a 25-minute drive for me. If you're in Cincinnati, call Pam Ives at the studio for information, 513-887-2657. Pam is a master potter and wonderful teacher. You will have fun at her studio! The hands you see in the photos above belong to Pam. I had her model each step for me so I could photograph the process! Thanks, Pam!!

I hope you find a studio. If you do, print out this post, take it with you, and show your teacher or the studio owner. He or she will help you get the right materials. The little bird nest with eggs makes a great gift too. I've created lots of birdy designs over the years, and they are all easy to make. I will try to get a few more designs up (click here for another clay bird project I posted a few years ago).