What is a pinch Pot?

1. 2. Hold the ball of clay with one hand and use your other thumb to press into the center until your thumb is about ¼ to ½ inch from the bottom. 3. Slowly widen the hole by pinching up the walls. Turn the piece continously as you pinch to keep the walls even in thickness. 4. Continue drawing the walls and molding the piece into your desired shape. Make sure that the bottom and the walls are at least ¼-inch thick. 5. Flatten the bottom by gently pressing the inside of the piece against a flat surface. 6. You can create lines, grooves and carve out small details with a craft stick, plastic spoon, toothpick, or plastic clay tools. Bottle caps are great for making round patterns. Be careful not to press too hard to avoid deforming the bowl or pot. 7. You can also add more details by forming smaller clay parts and connecting these to the main pot or bowl. Moisten and pat the clay around the joints to fix the added clay piece in place. You can make handles or embossed designs such as flowers or geometric shapes. 8. Allow the bowl or pot to air dry. It normally takes about 2-3 days for a small piece to dry completely. 9. Once dry, paint your finished work with acrylic paint, tempera, or poster paint. Let the paint dry. 10. To give it a glazed look and to waterproof your work, apply at least 2 coats of decoupage medium (e.g. Mod Podge) or spray with clear acrylic sealer (with gloss finish) on the entire surface of the pot. Let each coat dry before applying the next one.

*White glue can also be used to create the glazed appearance, though it will not waterproof the pot.

11. Once dry, your work will look like a glazed ceramic pot!