Make Marbled Clay Bowls!
This week we celebrated President’s Day at Discovery Gateway! It was a day dedicated to learning about our presidents. One of the activities was centered around Rutherford B. Hayes. He is not the most famous president, but was well known during his time for his unique dishes that he had commissioned during his time in the White House. First Lady, Lucy Hayes, wanted to update the White House China with dishes that featured the natural beauty of the United States, and she picked artist Theodore R. Davis to help with this task. Davis wanted to incorporate organic shapes to compliment the art. The unusual shapes and designs that Davis created were an international topic of conversation that both pleased and frustrated some guests. In honor of this president we decided to make our own clay bowls!
Materials Needed:
- 2 – 3 colors of clay
Once you have chosen all of the colors that you may want, just follow these simple steps to make a plate or bowl!
Roll each color into a snake or top shape
Twist all the pieces together, and roll clay into ball
Flatten the ball
Once flattened, it will have a marbled look. Shape the clay into anything you want like a plate or a bowl! Be careful, molding too much might combine the colors too much!
