clay techniques

Pinching

First roll the clay in a ball. Then put the clay in the palm of your hand and press your thumb into the centre of the ball. Don't press so hard that your thumb pokes through.

Now start pinching the outer rim of till it starts to look like a dome or bowl. Make sure the edge is not pinched too thinly.

You will use this technique to make the cupcake container base.

Coiling

Roll out the clay with the palm of your hand until it looks like a thick rope and then coil it to the form you want. The challenge is to roll the rope as evenly as possible so that your coil will look neater.

You will use this technique to make the lid of the cupcake container.

slab method

Make tiles with the slab method by placing two strips of wood just a little further apart from the size of your slab. Place the clay in between the wood strips and start rolling it flat with a pipe or rolling pin. Use a clay tool with a sharp edge to trim off the shape of your slab.