Making a Coil Mug With a Clay Extruder

Ancient ceramic vessels and those made in primitive cultures to this day were created by building up layers of clay coils and smoothing them together. Making a coil mug is a good introductory lesson for elementary school students in the basics of ceramics. It gives them the chance to experience how clay feels, how to work and shape it, how to decorate it, and how to fire it. At the same time, this coil mug project can inspire students' creative impulses and be a source of pride and self-confidence, as well as creating a useful and appreciated gift item. Once the basic technique is mastered students can use it to make many different types of pottery, from small coil mugs to large vases. Coil mugs and pots can be made from any type of clay including stoneware clay, air drying clay, and porcelain clay.

To start, take a handful of clay and either roll it out with both hands back and forth across the table top in order to create a coil. Or, you can use a clay extruder to insure even thickness and a square rather than round or other cross section. If rolling coils by hand, roll until you obtain a long, thin coil which is approximately 1/8" to 1/4" in thickness. Taking one length of the clay, begin a spiral and continue to wrap the coil around in order to create a disk whose size is the same as the finished mug. Smooth the coils of the disk together by rubbing your fingers over the clay surface, lubricating with water when necessary then flip the disk over and smooth out the other side. Begin to layer coils of clay around the perimeter of the disk bottom, smoothing the inside of the mug to form one piece as the mug grows in height. Continue the building-up of coils until the mug is as tall as desired. To finish the piece, flip it over onto a hand towel and tap the top gently in order to level it.

To make a handle for the mug, roll out or extrude a coil, and bend it into the desired shape. When both mug and handle are leather-hard score the ends of the handle and the places on the mug where the handle is to be attached, smear slip on the scored areas, and gently press the handle onto the mug. Then cover the mug with a piece of plastic to permit it to dry slowly. When bone dry, bisque fire the mug to Cone 06. Underglaze the mug using a non-toxic glaze for dinnerware. You can then paint designs on the mug as you will, using glaze pencils, crayons, or chalk. The mug can be left unglazed, but will then be very porous. Then fire the mug to Cone 05 to fix the glaze and designs.