DIY Ceramic Ornaments with Texture and Gold

This holiday season, why not add a personal touch to your tree with handmade ceramic ornaments? In this exclusive tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of creating unique and eye-catching ornaments using a variety of techniques and materials.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

1. Prepare Your Clay:

   • Rolling Out the Perfect Slab: Begin by rolling out slabs of Bright White Porcelain using a Bailey Mini Might II table top slab roller. This ensures consistent thickness and makes the cutting process easier.
   • Creating the Ornament Shape: Use a cookie cutter or a template to cut out circular shapes. To create a hanging loop, add a small lip to the top of each circle. 

2. Adding Texture and Design:

   • Textured Ornaments: Use MKM stamps to create festive winter patterns like snowflakes and stars. Press the stamps firmly into the clay to create a deep impression.
   • Smooth Ornaments: Leave half of the ornaments smooth for painting designs.

3. Create Hanging Holes:

   • Before drying: Use a hole cutter tool or a skewer to poke a small hole in the top of each ornament. This hole will be used to thread ribbon or twine.

4. Inlaying Underglaze:

   • Textured Ornaments: Apply underglaze to the textured areas, wiping away the excess. The underglaze will settle into the grooves, creating a beautiful contrast.
   • Smooth Ornaments: Paint designs on the smooth ornaments using underglaze paints. Consider simple berries, snowflakes, or abstract patterns.

5. Drying and Firing:

   • Slow Drying: Allow the ornaments to dry slowly and evenly, flipping them every few hours to prevent cracking.
   • Bisque Firing: Once dry, bisque fire the ornaments to cone 04 to harden the clay.

6. Glazing and Firing:

   • Applying Glaze: Apply a coat of AMACO HF Transparent glaze to preserve the underglaze colors and add a glossy finish.
   • First Firing: Fire the glazed ornaments to cone 5.
   • Adding Metallic Accents: Use our NEW! Colorobbia Liquid Metallics to accentuate the designs. Apply the metallics with a clean brush. Wear personal protective gear such as a respirator with a vapor cartridge. 
   • Final Firing: Fire the ornaments to cone 018 to set the metallic accents.

Materials:

• Bright White Porcelain C/6
• 16 inch Mini Might II Table Top Slab Roller
• MKM Stamps MKM Small Round Stamp SCS-085 - Rotating Sun, MKM SCS-092 Snowflake 1 Stamp, MKM SMR-064 Snowflake Mini Stamp
• AMACO Underglazes
• Premium Bright Gold Luster
• AMACO Clear HF-10
• Kiln
• Brushes
• Cookie Cutter or Template: van Gilder 11 Pc. Hole Cutter Set
• Hole Cutter Tool: van Gilder Hole Cutter

By following these steps and experimenting with different techniques and colors, you can create a unique collection of ornaments that will bring joy to your holiday season.

Happy Crafting!