How to make a clay vase with Tonia Todman

During Make It March at Spotlight, you'll learn how to create your very own arts and crafts projects from some of the biggest creative talent in Australia. Over the past two weeks, Tonia Todman has shown us how to make paper poppies with Jimmy Rees and how to upcycle a lampshade. As this week is all about craft and painting, Tonia Todman has returned once again to show us how to make a clay vase and paint it with Liquitex paints.

What you'll need:

• Jasco Air-dry modelling clay
• Water
• Sculpey tool clay starter pack
• Cookie cutter optional
• Liquitex paints
• Paint brushes
• Liquitex mediums
• Liquitex clear gloss medium

Instructions:

Step 1 - To make the base of your pot, roll out a large piece of the clay and cut to the desired shape and size for your pot.

Step 2 - The walls of the pot are created using the coil technique. Roll out a long coil of the clay with your hands. On the edge of your base piece, use the needle pointer tool to score the clay where the coil will be placed. Next, dip your finger in some water and run it across the scored edge and then place the coil onto the base and press gently to attach.

Step 3 - Continue this process of making coils and layering them on top of each other until the walls of your pot reach desired height. Layer the coils on top of each other to create the walls of your pot. Make sure the joins of each coil are smoothed together using the flat end tool.

Step 4 - Once the walls of your pot are the desired height, use the flat end tool or your hands to blend all the coils together to create a smooth surface on the outside and inside to create a solid pot. Tip - add a little water to help smooth the edges.

Step 5 - If you want to add motifs or decorations to your pot, simply roll out a thin layer of clay and use cookie cutters or a knife to cut out desired shapes. Again use the needle point tool to score the area on the pot where you want the motif to sit. Use a little water and press the motif onto the pot firmly to secure.

Step 6 - Once your pot is finished, allow it to dry for several days before painting. Please note that the dried clay is not waterproof.

Step 7 - To paint your pot, choose paints from the Liquitex acrylic paints range. We chose Raw Sienna as the main colour, with Ceramic Stucco medium added. This created a sandy, textured finish. Apply paint to the pot with a paint brush and leave it to dry between coats.

Step 8 - For the interior we mixed white with black acrylic Heavy Body Acrylic paint to create a soft grey, and also highlighted the motifs with this colour using a small paint brush.

Step 9 - To finish, apply a final coat (not shown in video) of Liquitex Clear Gloss Medium to give the pot protection and a glossy shine.

Recreate your very own version of a clay vase and upload it to Instagram with #makeitwithspotlight for your chance to win a $250 Spotlight voucher!