Evening star., 1943-01-17

of doll dishes. The clay rock can
school supplies and it is quite mex,
pensive-usually about 6 or cents
a pound. 1t comes in a thick, square
cake.
Besides the clay you will need
can in which to soak it, a fattened
stick or paddle, a square of card
board on which to work and an old
cloth to cover the clay while it is
drying.
The night before you plan to work
on the clay put it in the can and
add one cup of water. The clay is
soaked overnight. The next day it
should be we'll mixed and kneaded
with the fat stick until the mixture
resembles moist mud.
Then take up the clay in large
handfuls and throw it several times
against the cement walk or fiat rock.
This is called wedging and its pur-
pose is to remove the air bubbles so
that the finished piece will not crack.
Shaping the Piece.
To make any clay piece a round
ball is first rolled between the palms
OF the hands. then nodded with the
nands into the desired shape. The
hands should be dipped in water fire.
quentliy to keep the clay soft and
pllable as it is being worked Large
pumps may be scraped or shaved off
with knife, but care must be taken
not to work the clay too thin. AS
each piece is finished wrap it in a
wet cloth and let it dry slowly. The
drying takes about q week.
10 make plates for the dolls
taole, the clay ball is pressed fiat on
the cardboard and smoothed. Sau-
GERS are made in the same wav from
smaller balls of clay. Cups, a cream
pitcher, sugar bowl, and dishes are
mace by pressing out the centers of
the balls with the thumbs and shap-
ing the piece with the fingers.
To make handles, take a very
small ball of clay and roll between
the palms Of the hands until YOU
have a round cell. Press the han
dies in place, smoothing the Jennings
well. Make little round top with
tiny handle for the sugar bowl.
Little animals-an elephant or a
duck or a turtle-are fun to make.
100. The easiest is a turtle, which
Is made by slightly fattening a ball
OF clay and pulling out the head,
legs and tail from the body and
shaping with the fingers. With a
toothplck or orange stick, make his
eyes, and the markings on the back
and along the edge of the shell.
Flatten With Thumbs.
A duck is easily shaped. Place it
on round base, formed by LAYING
a round clay ball on the cardboard
and f1attening it with your thumbs.
Make a round smooth base about
~ inches in diameter and 12-inch
thick.
To make the elephant a round
ball is first rolled between the palms
OF the hands for the head, a larger
oblong makes the body. The two
shapes are then brought together by
pressing clay from the end of the
DoNy VIGIL OSCi Vic CIlu Ol lIe 0e3Q,
The legs and tail are pulled out
from the body and shaped. The legs
are kept quite heavy to prevent
cracking, as is the trunk, which is
pulled out from the head. The ears
are little round balls of clay shaped
and blended to the head. Markings
are pressed in with the thumb or fin
gers. Make the eyes with tooth
pick or match.
Other animals may be made in
the same way.
When the clay piece is thoroughly
dry, unwrap it and sandpaper well.
This is to remove all finger marks
and rough places from the object.
Then, using a small paint brush
or water color brush, give the article
one coat of clear shellac. When the
shellac is dry, the piece is to be
painted with rapid-dry enamel In
any color you wish.