Fall is in full swing and we're so ready!
You might have noticed an abundance of falling leaves these last two weeks. The swirl of colors is not only striking against our gloomy Portland skies, but it's perfect for one of our favorite Fall activities: pressed leaf art.
This step-by-step pottery tutorial will guide you through the process of making a functional plate with a pressed leaf detail.
Though not necessarily a prerequisite, a helpful blog post for this project is:
how to make a slab plate.It covers the steps in this blog post, but with more detailed instruction if you're new to slab building.
Since this will be for kitchen use, make sure the clay and glaze you're using is food safe. If you'd like to make a trinket dish or tray that will not be for kitchen use, then feel free to use polymer, oven-bake, or air-dry clay for this project.
You'll need:
- ceramic clay (this will require a kiln to fire) if you'll be eating off this plate
- 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)
- a few meticulously selected Fall leaves
- sharp pencil or pin tool
- sponge or lightly damp paper towel
- small cup of water
1. Roll out a slab of clay. Start by flattening the ball of clay with your palm, then use a rolling pin to get an even slab. Aim for 1/4-1/8 of an inch in thickness, and remember that clay shrinks, so make your slab slightly larger than your desired size!
2. Arrange your chosen leaves on your slab. Make sure your leaves are malleable and not super crispy or they'll disintegrate. It's best if you lay out all the leaves first, and roll them all at once. This helps avoid accidentally flattening the design, or rolling your plate too thin.
3. Using a rolling a pin gently but firmly roll across the leaves, pressing them into the clay. If possible, try to roll in one smooth motion without pausing. This helps keep your slab an even thickness.
4. Gently lift one side of the leaf and peel it from the slab. Work slowly to get a nice defined texture.
5. Some people swear by putting a light layer of oil on their leaves, but as you can see, ours came straight from outside and they worked just fine. Play around with different leaf sizes and textures until you're happy with the design. Feel free to re-roll the slab if you change your mind!
6. Once you're happy with your pressed leaf design, it's time to finish your plate/platter!
Using a pin tool, or a very sharp pencil, cut the edges off of your slab to give it a clean finish.
7.
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Gently lift one side of the slab edge inward, supporting it with your thumb and pointer finger. "Pinch" the wall between your pointer finger and thumb, and
gently drag/pull your fingers along the edge to form a raised wall. This is a very gentle pinching motion, it might take a few tries to get it right!
8. Continue pulling up the edges until your plate has walls. Instead of trying to work your body around the plate, rotate the canvas holding your plate. Continue until all sides are complete.
9. 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.
At this stage your clay is still rather flimsy and delicate. Let it dry to a leather-hard state before trying to smooth any imperfections. Avoid smoothing the center as you'll flatten the lovely texture you worked so hard to achieve.
Once your plate is bisque-fired you can add underglaze to accentuate the texture and veins, or keep it simple with a clear coat of glaze.
Now that you've learned the pressed leaf technique, take a little walk and gather some leaves to create your own Fall keepsake!
Have fun, and remember, it's about the process, not the product!
Looking for video tutorials? Watch our entire Clay Time series
here.
Ready to try your hand at clay but want some gentle guidance?
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.
