There are so many different ways of making and constructing a project made of clay. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand and remember all the steps needed to preform and build a project. Throughout this step by step guide, I hope you are able to further your knowledge of clay and the amazing things you can accomplish with it. The first step to making your project is to decide exactly what it is that you want to make. For our purpose, let's say your making a clay box. After you have made your choice, then you must then get on the appropriate attire. Appropriate attire would include anything that can get dirty, but nothing that is to lose and could potentially get in your way. The next thing you need to do is to get all the tools you need to complete your project. These tools could include, a needle tool, a felting knife, a ruler, a rolling pin and of course the clay. When choosing your clay, you must be very careful because there are many different stages that the clay can be in. The first stage of clay is called the plastic stage, which is the stage of clay that can be easily manipulated and still maintained its shape. Fat clay is also a stage of clay that is a very plastic clay which is too wet to construct. The next stage of clay is called Leather Hard. It is the cheese-hard stage which clay reaches before being bone dry; stiff enough to support itself, but can still be altered. The last stage is called Bone dry. This is the driest stage and is the condition of unfired clay that has no absorbed moisture other than natural humidity. For our purposes, clay in the plastic stage would work best. .
Once you have all the necessary tools and the appropriate clay you must then decide if your project will be made of slab or coils. Slabs are flat pieces of clay from which clay bodies can be formed and fabricated. Coils are an age-old method of constructing hand built forms by attaching rope like rolls of soft clay.
