I love teaching this clay lesson every year to my 2nd grade students and they (and their parents) love the results! Here are some easy steps and tips to help your students create beautiful flower sculptures while learning some basics of clay handbuilding.
Materials needed for this lesson include: a chunk of clay that is big enough to make 2 golf ball size pieces of clay; slip (a mixtusre of clay and water); scratch tool; and a 4.5″ x 6″ piece of manila paper. *TIPS: I masking tape together 5-6 toothpicks around the middle- they make excellent scratch tools! ; I pre-label manila papers with student names and leave with finished flowers- later, I scratch names onto clay flowers myself with a sharp tool; I often just start with water if I don’t have pre=made slip.
After breaking the larger clay chink into 2 even pieces, roll one of the pieces into a smooth ball. Show students how to use the palm of both hands to roll a smooth, even ball.
Flatten rolled ball into a patty and use a little slip to smooth out the edges with a finger tip. This will be the clay base for the flower. The other pieces of clay will be used to make the center and flower petals.
From the 2nd piece of clay, break off a size large enough for a flower center and roll into ball. Use the scratch tool to scratch both the surface of the ball and the center of the clay base where the center will attach. Use a finger tip to coat the scratched surfaces with slip and place the clay ball on the base. This “scratch, slip, attach” handbuilding method helps join pieces of clay together well.
Break the rest of the larger piece into petal size pieces. Encourage students not to make petals too small, as they will be adding a 2nd layer of small petals later. Large to medium size petals are best for the bottom layer.
Begin creating petals using the following steps for each piece: roll into a ball, then into an ellipsoid; flatten ellipsoid and use forefinger and thumb to created a pointed end for a final petal form. Use the scratch, slip, and attach method to join onto the flower base. Repeat the steps for each petal. Save some clay pieces for smaller petals in the next step
Use any remaining clay to create smaller petals (follow the same petal forming steps as above). Use the scratch, slip, and attach method to create a 2nd layer of smaller petals.
Once all of the petals have been attached, use a finger tip with some slip to smooth out any edges that have cracks and use the scratch tool to add texture to the center and the petals. Some other good tools for adding textures like this are wood skewers or popsicle sticks. Students can scratch their name onto the bottom of the clay base or you can add it later before clay dries out (be sure to have students leave their flower on their paper placemat if you choose this option).
