Create Porcelain Plant Markers

Let’s begin!

First, we create a template for our markers using a piece of cardboard. Simply draw the desired shape and cut it out.

Next, we take a piece of porcelain clay from our moist clay block. At Bailey, you can find clay from three brands: Standard, Tucker’s, and a selection from Laguna. This is Tucker’s mid-range Bright White Porcelain.

We prepare the slab thickness of our 16" Bailey Mini Might II Slab Roller, by removing one of the four shims. Then we simply roll our clay through the machine. What we are left with is a perfectly flat even slab.

After a quick smoothing with our Mud Tools Soft Rib, we place our cardboard template onto the clay and cut out the forms using a Kemper Clean Up Tool. We transfer the pieces to a dry wall board and smooth the clay surface using a Mud Tools Finishing Sponge.

Next, we imprint the text into the clay with this letter set from Xiem and add some decorative texture with a hand roller from MKM. You can customize the text to suit herb gardens, vegetable plots, or flower beds. And, there are so many texture tools to choose from at Bailey that you can play around with the plant marker designs.

A tip to prevent warpage in the drying process is to place a second drywall board over the top of the plant markers while they dry. This will help them dry evenly.

Then we bisque fire them to cone 04. We give them a cleaning with a damp sponge and we are ready for glazing.

AMACO’s Black Underglaze is applied with a calligraphy brush to the imprinted areas of text. A second coat is added and then the underglaze is wiped back with many passes and a clean sponge. What’s so nice is that the imprinted letters won’t be washed away by rain and won’t fade in the sun.

We used several semi-transparent colorful glazes to add variety to our plant markers. Each glaze is added to the remaining area of the markers. The back of each porcelain piece remains un-glazed.

Finally, we fired our plant markers in a small Caldera Test Kiln to cone 5.
As you can see the colors pop after firing! These handmade plant markers would make a great gift for a friend or family member who enjoys gardening.

Thanks for watching and remember to follow Bailey Pottery for more ceramic tips & techniques! Best wishes for a bright and beautiful Spring from your friends at Bailey Pottery Equipment and Ceramic Supplies.