Air-Dry Clay Succulent Planters

Supplies:
Air-dry clay
Acrylic paint-gloss finish
Paint brushes
Pencil/ pen or any stamps for making designs

Technique used: Pinching
To shape the clay into the desired shape of the planters shown in this tutorial, pinching method has been used. Pinching is a technique of pushing and pulling on a chunk of clay.
Tutorial:
Take a handful of clay and roll into an orange-size ball.

Then insert the thumb halfway into it while use your other hand to cup the ball. Then, start rotating the ball while pinching the clay between your thumb and fingers. What you are actually doing here is making the opening bigger and wider at the same time thinning the clay to form walls.


Continue pinching until the thickness of the wall is uniform around the sides and at the bottom. While pinching, if you feel the wall is too thin at certain spots, place a wad of clay on it and fuse it to the wall using your fingers. The thickness of planter wall should be at least 1 cm. Adjust the height by pinching the clay upward. You can use a utility knife to cut off excess clay to make the rim perfectly round and symmetrical. If the planter is not standings straight, make the bottom straight. If required, smooth out the entire exterior surface of the planter and the rim using wet fingers.

In this project, I used a pencil with an eraser at its one end, to make texture on the exterior surface. You can any tool (kitchen tools like fork, spoon, skewers etc to inscribe patterns). I pressed the eraser side of the pencil on the outside wall of the planter to make a depression. This is repeated to make the desired design.

Dry at least for a week before applying any paint on it. Apply two coats of acrylic paint of gloss finish. Dry according to the instructions given on the paint tube/bottle. Transfer small succulent plants into the planters. (I also made and colored a few lady bugs out of clay for decorative purpose)