Creating pottery plates is a wonderfully tactile journey, blending functionality with artistic expression. Whether you’re drawn to the rustic charm of earthenware or the sleek elegance of porcelain, the process is both rewarding and educational. Let’s explore the key aspects of crafting your own ceramic plates, from choosing the right clay to achieving that perfect, food-safe glaze.
The first step in creating a pottery plate is selecting the right clay. Each type—earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain—offers unique characteristics that will influence your final piece. Earthenware is known for its high plasticity and ease of shaping, making it a beginner-friendly option, as noted in this article. However, it remains porous after firing and requires careful glazing to be suitable for holding liquids. Stoneware, on the other hand, strikes a balance between workability and durability. Fired at mid to high temperatures, stoneware becomes dense and non-porous, resulting in strong, chip-resistant plates ideal for everyday use, a point emphasized by this blog post. For those seeking a refined finish, porcelain is an excellent choice. Its fine texture and ability to fire to a hard, glass-like finish make it perfect for elegant tableware. However, porcelain demands more skill due to its delicate nature and tendency to warp. Ultimately, stoneware is often the preferred choice for functional plates due to its balance of durability and workability.
When it comes to selecting clay for pottery plates, it’s important to consider the unique characteristics of each type. Earthenware is beginner-friendly but porous, stoneware offers durability and workability, and porcelain provides a refined finish but demands more skill.
Once you’ve chosen your clay, it’s time to consider the design and dimensions of your plate. Dinner plates typically range from 10 to 12 inches in diameter, providing ample space for main courses, according to this size chart. Salad plates, ideal for appetizers or desserts, are smaller, usually between 7 to 9 inches. Dessert plates themselves generally measure between 6 to 8 inches. For bread and butter, aim for a petite 5 to 7 inches. There’s also larger charger plates, which can measure 12 to 14 inches in diameter, but are typically more decorative than functional. Soup plates generally have a diameter of around 9 inches, with a deeper well and wider rim that’s ideal for your favorite bisque!
- Dinner plates: 10-12 inches
- Salad plates: 7-9 inches
- Dessert plates: 6-8 inches
- Bread and butter plates: 5-7 inches
- Charger plates: 12-14 inches
- Soup plates: ~9 inches
With your clay selected and your design in mind, it’s time to bring your vision to life through decoration. Sgraffito, mishima, slip trailing, and stamping offer unique ways to add depth and character to your plates. Sgraffito involves scratching through a layer of colored slip to reveal the clay beneath, allowing for intricate designs, as described by this blog post. Mishima, also known as inlaying, features designs carved into leather-hard clay and filled with contrasting slip. Slip trailing uses a slip-filled applicator to create raised lines and patterns, adding a tactile dimension, and stamping and imprinting involves pressing designs into the clay surface using various tools. Other unique techniques like horsehair raku, decoupage, and overglaze decoration offer diverse options for surface embellishment. No matter which path you choose, experimenting with decoration techniques is key to developing your own unique style and creating plates that truly reflect your artistic vision.
Experimenting with decoration techniques is key to developing your own unique style and creating plates that truly reflect your artistic vision.
This video demonstrates a great glazing technique for pottery plates:
Finally, glazing is crucial for ensuring your pottery plates are food-safe, durable, and visually appealing. Food-safe glazes are non-toxic and resistant to leaching, making them safe for contact with food. The importance of verifying that your glaze is labeled as food-safe is emphasized by this article. Popular choices include Amaco Obsidian, Blue Rutile, and Seaweed glazes, each offering unique colors and finishes. Application methods such as dipping, pouring, brushing, and spraying each offer different advantages, as explained by this guide. The glazing process isn’t always smooth sailing, and you might encounter defects like crazing, crawling, or pinholing. Crazing, fine cracks in the glaze, can be prevented by matching the thermal expansion of the glaze and clay, according to Wikipedia. Crawling, where the glaze pulls away from the clay, can be avoided by ensuring your bisque ware is clean, according to this resource. No matter the wobbles, the journey of pottery plate making is a beautiful blend of technique and artistry. Each step offers a chance to learn, experiment, and create something truly unique.
