Creating a Folded Slab Lidded Pot from a One Piece Pattern - An Intermediate to Advanced Technique

This video is a demonstration of Creating a Folded Slab Box from a One Piece Pattern An Intermediate to Advanced Technique. I am using a smooth soft slab in this video but of course, you can make it with texture if you desire. I have made this video for my Ceramics students at Mason High School to aid them with developing a personal project for the final Pick A Passion Project every semester. I will include an image of the pattern and measurements on a shared Googledoc for reference. The patterns will be on an 8.5x11” document, but you can enlarge it to make it whatever size you want. I will have a key for the size on the document.

This is the pdf of the pattern:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zrtu...


As I recommend in the video, I suggest that if you have not done soft slab building previously, that you start with something a bit easier- like a cup or a bowl to learn the basics of this method of construction before you try something more advanced with so many multiple parts like the lidded pot. Here are a couple of videos here for a good place to start:

Slab cylinder bowl:    • Textured Slab Bowls From a Rounded Cy...  
Slab cylinder cups:    • Three Variations on Making a Simple C...  
Tripod Cylinder cups:    • How to make a Tripod Textured Slab Cu...  
Cylinder cup with squared bottom:    • Creating a Round Slab Cup with a Dart...  

The slabs are rolled using my ¼” thick hardwood slab sticks and a rolling pin. I don’t show the rolling on camera since this is a more advanced lesson. I use a pattern I made out of mylar. It is a great material for classroom templates, as they last for years and years. Here is a link to it on Amazon- and you will also find more links in my Googledoc below to other materials and tools I use and recommend. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

I like using a one piece slab pattern for this, as it lends a very curvy nature to the bottom. I bevel the corners before slipping and scoring. The lid is made from a slab, and I show how I dome it upside down on the leatherhard top rim. I add a flange on the underside of the lid and a knob.

When everything is finished, I don’t believe I mention it, but SLOW EVEN DRYING is of the greatest importance for even drying. Don’t ever allow your pieces to dry fast and unevenly especially in a draft or sunlight. I cover mine with a few layers of a heavy bath towel, and then lightly drape a bag over that. After a day, I removed the bag, and left the towel for the complete drying. It took a week to A week and a half to dry before I fired it. Remember that water vapor needs to be gone, as if it reaches 212 degrees and turns to steam, it becomes a powerful explosive to clay.

Check out my Amazon Influencer Store where I have recommendations for some of my favorite tools and products many of which I use in my videos- which are available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/shop/karanspot...

For the great tools I used in the video (including the MKM rollers and the wooden Kemper tools) check out this link to a live Googledoc I continually update with lots of my favorite tools on Amazon using my associate links! (also some non-amazon suggestions on here!)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X...

In this video, I am using Standard 153, a nice midrange firing grogged stoneware in my classroom. (Standard is a brand name of a Company for those of you out of the US)

I am a public high school ceramics teacher at William Mason High School in Mason, Ohio. (Mason is currently the largest high school in Ohio!) As a potter, I have been working in clay for over 30 years, and I have been teaching for over 28 years, the past 20 have been specifically teaching high school ceramics. I love what I do! I have my own studio in my home basement, where I work on my personal pottery for my Etsy site; https://www.etsy.com/shop/KaransPotsA...

I started my Youtube channel a few years ago, to make videos to help my students if they are absent and miss a demo, or if they would like to explore more advanced techniques independently. I have been amazed to reach such a wider audience than my own students!

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