Hand Building a Leaf Vase and Double Walled Mug - FREE TEMPLATES!

Hi everybody, this is Anne. I've been getting quite a few requests about projects that you'd like for me to demonstrate in upcoming videos. I can't take every request but there are two project ideas actually from a couple of our past videos that you asked me to hand build that I would like to revisit. In this video I design and will be demonstrating how to make a heart-shaped leaf vase and a double-walled mug. This first project I originally constructed ahead of videotaping and only used it as a canvas for a slip decorating video. It's the leaf vase. I rolled out a large slab of clay a quarter inch thick. I ribbed it smooth on both sides. I cut two of the heart-shaped template pattern pieces and one of the elongated oval. Using a bevel cutter I beveled around the entire circumference of both of the heart-shaped leaf templates. I worked down the first side and then down the second side. Note that I marked lines on either side of the template. I turned the slab over to the unbeveled side and marked where the lines hit from the template. I also beveled the elongated oval template piece on both sides. While the clay was still soft I slightly lifted the center of the piece using my fingers as wedges underneath and bent the clay to stretch it now before it starts to stiffen. Let all the template pieces dry a bit until they're a soft leather heart. Once they were stiffened I scored the edges of both heart-shaped pieces and slipped the edges of one of the templates. Because the clay is stiffened a bit I can turn them upright and begin attaching the edges. In hindsight I probably should have angled the templates by bending them slightly in the center beforehand. I started attaching from the line that I previously marked on the clay and worked them together up to the point. Again on the other side I attached from that marked line up to the top point. Using wet fingers I sealed up those edges into a nice point. I turned the piece upside down and worked those edges together with the long paintbrush to seal them from the inside. You can add a coil to the inside if it starts to detach. Putting the body aside I scored and slipped the elongated piece. I picked up the body along those marked lines clamping those areas together so they don't detach. I squeezed the sides together to belly out the piece. I then straddled it over the bottom section matching up the edges along that bend. I worked the points of the bottom template into the grooves of the body really working to seal those edges. I worked a little clay down into the connection points and edges to reinforce them and give them a nice fluid line. I smoothed the edges down nicely with my fingers. I worked down along the bottom making sure the bottom edges lined up and working that connection tightly. Finally I cleaned up and smoothed all the edges and connection points making sure nothing had come disconnected and everything was straight. Now for the fun part. I cut a hole at the very top of the body making sure that I went into the cavity. To give the piece volume I blew into the body until the side stretched out. To give it even more shape I inserted a long paintbrush into the top. Holding it along the vertical center I ribbed a bend into each of the vase sides. For the opening I scooped out along the top and carved away excess clay from the inside. I used my fingers to smooth it out. It has such a nice sleek polished look to it. Here's one I made earlier where I decorated it with slip and string. I underglazed this side with black around the texture then glazed it with an eggshell wash for a chalk matte to almost waxy look. The other side I underglazed the groove of the texture then eggshell washed over top for a contemporary decorative approach. Here's another version where I used an atomizer to spray underglaze layers onto the string texture then I hand painted sections of the groove texture. Next I'll show you a hand-built version of the double walled mug. Like before I rolled and ribbed quarter inch thick slabs and cut out the first template making sure to be careful not to distort those points. I set that aside and cut out the arch template from the slab. Going back to the crown template I used my bevel cutter to bevel the open edge. I switched to an exacto knife to carefully bevel one edge of each crown point side. I scored along those bevels. I turned over the slab and repeated the same steps of cutting and scoring as I did on the first side. I like to use a form to wrap my slabs around to keep them stable but I didn't have one available so I figured out how wide the rim of the mug would be and cut a piece of foamular to that size. Now I could wrap the clay around the circle and the foamular would help steady the slab at the bottom while I worked. Notice I'm working on still soft clay as I'll be putting a lot of stress along the fragile crown tips in the next step and stiffening them up first could cause them to break. I worked the seam together then sealed them up with my fingers. I'm using my other hand along the inside to hold the clay steady and to work the seam there as well. I then ribbed the seam smooth further reinforcing it and trying to work around memory into that stubborn edge. By sealing the seam I already connected two of the crown points. I slipped between the opposite crown points and connected those two together. I then connected the two crown points along the side. I switched to the other side and connected the last of the eight crown points together so there are now four crown points. I then slipped two of the joined crown points together. I repeated this with the other set of crown points. Finally I pinched the last side together and joined it. Don't worry if that last edge buckles a little bit under the pressure. You can reshape it later. I worked that top pointy edge down a bit as I prefer a rounder top to a pointy one. I then really worked those seams together well from the outside so they stayed together. I then turned over the piece and worked to seal the inside seams and shape the piece with my fingers. Now I can put the piece on the banding wheel and work out any lumpy edges so it's a nice sleek bullet shape. One good tip is to turn it over and use your paintbrush to smooth the inside seams along the bottom. Another good tip is that this piece fits into a plastic cup. It'll give you a better hold so you can work in coils to the seams if you need to. You need to let this dry to leather har. Switching to the arc template slab I beveled the short edge with a bevel cutter. I then turned over the slab and beveled the other short side. I also beveled the top edge. I scored both and slipped one side then attached those edges together. I reinforced the fragile top edge with my finger so it wouldn't split then set it aside to dry to leather har. I recorded the sizes of the opening and the foot for reference as I don't have a mold to wrap it around. I placed the bottom of the slab over it to make sure it was round and the right size. I turned it over and did the same thing along the top edge. I placed a slab on the banding wheel and placed the base over that. I scored both pieces and slipped the bottom then attached them together and removed the excess clay. I worked a coil down into the inner seam. I scored the beveled top edge. I fit the bullet piece into the base making sure that it was straight. I then joined the edges together with my finger really working in that seam. I smoothed the base with my rib. I worked the bottom edge smooth with my finger. With wet fingers I rounded the top edge. There it is. I covered it with plastic and let it dry slowly. You will grip the mug from the bottom so I designed finger holes and other decorative shapes around that base. These also serve to provide a peek into the inner wall of the bullet. I cut them out with an exacto knife. Here's a piece I hand-built earlier where I kept the rim round and worked my designs to highlight the finger holes. Here's another hand-built mug I made where I faceted the bullet into an octagonal tumbler shape before putting it into the base. My favorite part is seeing the light shine through the holes at the bottom of the mug. I painted the inner floor and the cone red for a bright surprise. Remember a link to the free templates are in the description section under the video. Screenshot the pictures then size them how you like and print them out. Thanks to the newest members of our Little Street Pottery Research Facility team. If you'd like to join the team and earn a title, click on the Super Thanks button or the link to buy me a coffee. It also really helps us out if you hit that like button and subscribe to our channel. See you next time in the studio!