Looking for holiday gift ideas? Why not make a gift instead?
Today we'll be covering how to make ceramic match strikers step-by-step. Since this is decorative (and not for food use) you can use ceramic, polymer, or even air dry clay. If you want your matches to light on contact, we recommend using ceramic clay and "strike anywhere matches".
You'll need:
- clay of choice
- cloth canvas or a cut piece of denim to work on
- rolling pin or other large cylinder object for rolling (an empty jar or wine bottle works well)
- sharp pencil or pin tool
- sponge or soft paper towel
- small cup of water
- cup or circular item for template
1. Roll out a large slab, or two medium slabs
2. Use a circular item (like a cup) to cut out the base of your striker. Remember that clay shrinks, so make it slightly larger than desired.
3. Cut a long strip of clay from your second slab. This will act as the walls of your striker.
4. Gently set your wall slab on your circular base and bring the wall around until it overlaps and forms a tube. This tube will hold your matches once the striker is finished.
5. Adjust the size of your tube as desired by moving the wall.
6. Once you're happy with the tube's size (remember clay shrinks) use a pin tool to cut off the excess clay.
7. Score both sides of your wall to help with attachment, then gently push the walls together to form a tube.
8. At this point you should have a small tube with a smooth top and bottom.
9. Using one hand to support the inside, gently blend the exterior where the walls of your tube meet. Make sure to smooth in various directions to help the clay blend. Then rest the tube seam line down, and do the same for the inside of the wall seam.
10. Set your tube centered on your base slab. Using a sharp pencil or pin tool, very lightly begin to mark the INSIDE, where the tube meets the slab base. You'll be using this mark as a guideline to help your two pieces merge together securely.
11. Lift the tube off of your base and begin scoring along the outside of the line you drew in step 10.
12. Score one side of your tube, where the tube will meet the base. Dab a tiny bit of water to the score marks and set directly on the scored line of the base.
13. Using your fingers (or a paint brush or cotton swab) gently blend the clay, where the tube meets the base, on the inside of your holder.
14. Allow your piece to dry slightly. Then making sure to squeeze all the water out of the sponge, use it to gently smooth the surface.
You're done! Allow the piece to fully dry before firing it. If you're using polymer or air-dry clay, follow the manufacturer's directions.
Looking for video tutorials? Watch our entire Clay Time series
here.
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Sign up for one of our in-person
workshops hosted at our storefront in Portland, Oregon. They're an easy and fun way to learn about clay and connect with your local community.
And remember, it's about the process, not the product!
