Making clay roses can be a fun activity any time of year. This simple technique yields such attractive results that they come in handy for displays for all occasions.
Materials for Making Roses from Clay
It is advisable to use paper clay to make the roses so that they look convincingly thin and fragile.
According to Jerry Bennett, paper clay is ideal for this activity because the nature of the clay
- retards warping
- reduces the weight of clay objects
- increases the dry strength of the clay body
- reduces the threat of exploding
- allows that layers (petals) can be added even when one is dry and one is wet
- ensures that slip made from the clay is very good joining glue
Other equipment includes
- cutting wire
- clay tools including paddle pop sticks, skewers
- clay board or suitable working surface
- buckets and access to water
- rags for cleaning
- access to kiln and glaze or PVA glue
Hand Made Clay Rose Technique
The technique is extremely simple but may need practice to be mastered.
- simply hold a pinch of clay between the thumb and second and third fingers
- press the clay until it becomes petal like
- to start the rose form; create a small petal
- when happy with the feel of the petal roll it in on itself. This will become the rose bud base
- create another petal a little larger and wrap it around the bud joining them at the base
- create another petal the same size and weld it to the other shapes, a little further around the bud. The petals will begin to spiral around the bud in the way that real rose petals do. Be sure that the students weld the petals together firmly.
As the rose begins to form, students will experiment with welding, joining and smoothing their work. Some will like the look of jagged petals. Paper clay can look beautiful when torn, so encourage the students to play with the look and feel of the roses.
This is the kind of activity that can keep a class happy for hours. Students will turn out a variety of roses and it is unlikely that any two will look alike.
The roses can either be sun dried and coated with PVA glue before painting, or fired and glazed. If the roses are fired and glazed, they will be much more durable. However, painting the sun dried roses will produce attractive results. The students will create an amazing array of colourful decorated roses. Several coats of varnish will not only make the roses look glossy, but add another veneer of toughness to the flower forms.
Class Room Display Ideas
Teachers may want to show their class that different kinds of clay are suitable for different kinds of functions. Students may make pots, vases or bowls for their clay roses from hand building clay. Terracotta or raku could be used so that it contrasts against the fragile, papery thin clay of the roses.
Perhaps students might want to create a rose bush by creating a terracotta pole (like a totem pole) to which they can add stems, and leaves with the roses. Some students may simply wish to leave their beautiful rose on their desk to brighten their up their school day.
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