How to Marble Clay

Have you ever wondered how to create two-toned clay? Today we'll be covering the coil technique we use to marble clay. In our studio, we use marbled clay for items like our snake stakes. It's important to note that there are a variety of ways to marble clay, and this is just one method. 

1. Select your clay bodies. You'll want two contrasting clay bodies with similar shrink/drying rates. If you're using ceramic clay, this will also help when it comes time for kiln firing. Above is our ceramic snake stake after being kiln-fired. The two clay balls beside it are the raw clay bodies before being fired (notice the contrast is much more noticeable after firing). 

 

2. Start with the first clay body and roll out two identical coils. Remember that clay shrinks, so make your coils slightly larger than your desired final size. We rolled out two coils that were approximately 22" long. If your coils begin to dry out while you're working, use a tiny dab of clean water to smooth cracks.

3. Swap out your canvas cloth for a clean one. In our ceramic studio we have dedicated canvas for each clay body color. This helps reduce cross contamination of the clay bodies. Even the tiniest amount transferred can cause defects in the color process due to the minerals. Roll out another pair of coils using your second clay body. 

4. Stack your coils side by side.

5. Holding one side still, gently twist the coils together creating one large strand.

6. Gently roll out your twisted coil until it is smooth.

7. To make a snake stake, taper one end. Do this by tilting your hand slightly as you finish rolling out the coil. Make the tip sturdy enough that it can be pressed into soil. Leave a section of the tapered end straight, approximately 6"-8" long. This will be your "stake", and will be buried beneath the soil. Make sure it's long enough that the weight of your snake is supported when planted.

8.  Press your thumb down into the top of your coil, where the stake section ends, and your snake curves begin. This indent will be where you apply force when planting the stake, to 

prevent it from breaking under pressure. 

9. Shape the rest of the coil, creating organic twists for the snake's body. 

10. Create a head by pinching the blunt end of your coil, and then gently flattening it using your thumb and pointer finger. You can gently "lift" the head to create dimension. 

11. You're all done! Allow your plant stake to dry out fully before being fired. The snake stake on the left is un-fired clay, and the one on the right is fired.