How Do You Make Clay From Indigenous Soil?
Clay for pottery and other art forms can easily be made from the soil in your own back yard. It is a time consuming process, but rewarding for the artist. Indigenous clay can be mentioned as a sales pitch for the art, as well. • Use clean soil; this is important. OK, so dirt is dirty, right? Not exactly. The soil must be cleaned of organic debris and large rocks and pebbles. To clean the clay, make a sieve to sort out the largest particles A simple 1 x 4 or 2 x 4 frame, any size, but two feet by two feet will do nicely. Cut an eight foot board into two foot lengths. Nail one flat end to the butt end of the next piece, and on around until you have a square. Tack or staple window screen to the square to form a “floor”. • It is best to take soil from below the top soil, that is, the part where things grow. This will help eliminate organic debris such as living plants, roots, and insects, and dead sticks, roots leaves, etc. Place the sieve over a bucket, then begin sifting the soil to remo
