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LETS MAKE A FAKE BASEBALL AND SEE IF WE CAN FOOL SOMEBODY.

The baseballs are made from two pinch pots that are put together and paddled into shape.
The baseballs are approximately three inches in diameter and have hollowed out centers.

Use a thin smooth paddle shaped board to paddle the pinch pots into a smooth ball.
Set them aside and let them dry to a soft leather stage.



Finish shaping and smoothing with a rubber rib and, if needed, roll the texture onto the surface with a small wooden roller.
For texture, use crumpled up wax paper, a cut up old purse or faux leather from a fabric store.
For a smooth leather look, rub the clay with your finger in a circular motion.



The cores of old baseballs were made of string or yarn, so for fun, split them at the seams to give a more interesting effect and press string into the surface for texture.



Be sure and apply the stitches before your piece gets leather hard.
For baseballs, add laces using slip made from the same clay body.
Fill a slip trailing bottle with the slip and carefully put on the stitches.
Put the laces on before making the holes where the lace stitching would be.




Put in holes for laces before they become leather hard.
With a sharp tool, make a hole at the end of all the stitches that you put on and make some of the holes go all the way to the inside to keep the piece from blowing up when it is fired.
Let it completely dry before you fire it.
If it feels warm to the touch it should be dry enough to fire.
Bisque fire to Cone 06.

After bisque firing, color the pieces with faux stain making sure to cover the entire surface.
Make sure to get into all of the crevices for the right look.
Wipe the piece off, leaving the stain in the crevices and folds.
It may take you several attempts to get the desired effect.
Don’t stir the stain if you want more of a wash.
You can also use the settled portion of the stain, it is a lot darker.
You can use a combination of the three effects on the same piece.

Faux Stain

RECIPE

TOTAL.................................100%

The duffle bag and shoes above shows what can be done with this technique.
The duffle bag measures 24 inches long by 20 inches in height and features faux clothes in contrasting clay.
The shoes are a size 8.

TIP

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Have you ever come up with a good idea while working with your handmade pottery or ceramics and thought that you would like to share it with others? You have? Well, why not send it to us and we will add it to the tips page for all to see.

Handmade pottery can be a very gratifying hobby that produces fun and satisfying results. For many people it's an enjoyable release that is created by working an inanimate mound of clay into a beautiful work of art that you made through your artistic abilities.

The best way of starting out is to take a few lessons. You will probably waste quite a bit in materials when you first get started. Figuring out how to truly make handmade pottery correctly and shape into what you want it to be can be quite an ordeal. The different tools that a normal shop will have can be fun to try. You will soon see which ones you like to use the most and then when you are ready you will know which ones to buy.

When you get all set up, just enjoy the hobby and have fun at it. Some people get pretty serious and start selling their creations at craft fairs and small stores, but others just like to create items for themselves, relatives, and friends. Whichever kind of handmade pottery you desire to endeavor, enjoy the hobby and have fun doing it.