Clay Relief Tile Art Lesson
Create beautiful clay relief tiles and spark your child's creativity.
Print Tutorial
Equipment
- Clay Tools at least a wooden skewer is needed
- Rolling Pin or Wine Bottle
- Homemade Clay Thickness Guide tape together rulers or paint sticks for an optional easy slab making guide
Supplies
- Clay regular or air-dry
- Wooden skewer
- Small Container of Water or Premade Slip
- Cardstock template
Instructions
- Choose Thickness: Decide on the target thickness for the tile, typically around 1/2 inch, adjusting for younger kids.
- Create Thickness Guide: Tape two rulers or paint sticks together to ensure uniform thickness.
- Roll a Slab: Wedge the clay and roll it into a slab using a rolling pin or wine bottle.
- Cut Tiles: Place the template on the clay slab and cut around it using a wooden skewer.
- Smooth Edges: Dampen your finger and smooth out any sharp edges.
- Sketch Your Design: Sketch your design on paper, cut to the same size as the tile.
- Optional: Trace Sketch: Older kids can lightly trace the sketch onto the clay tile.
- Add Clay: Add elements to your tile by cutting shapes, molding, or rolling coils, using water for adhesion.
- Add Details and Textures: Create textures and details by removing clay using loop tools or a wooden skewer.
- Clean Up Tile: Ensure clean edges by dusting off any excess clay.
- Optional: Add Holes: If you plan to hang the tile, use a straw to poke two holes.
- Add Color: For regular clay, bisque fire before using glazes; for air-dry clay, use acrylic paint, watercolors, or oil pastels for coloring.
Notes
- Other tools to consider using are: safety pins, sponges, popsicle sticks, etc.
- A 1/2″ thickness is a good target. But younger kids will mainly probably add to the tile so you probably can get away with a little thinner.
- For finer details, a leather hard clay will make it easier to sculpt.
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Cost: under $5