Decorating Your Pots Using Decals, Oxides And Sea Shells

Since ancient times, people have made practical

, beautiful and classic pieces of pottery. We still do today. The pottery made by our ancestors for use in their households, their religious ceremonies and their economy allows us to discover details about mankind's history.

Then and now, people have been pleased by seeing decorated pottery of various types. It is no surprise that throughout history, mankind has been a visual species that appreciates colors, contrasts and complementary designs in our pottery.

Nowadays, we have so many ways to decorate pottery items that the sky is the limit. And since pottery decoration is a form of artistic self-expression, you can do whatever your heart desires and nobody has the right to lambaste you over it.

There are three easy ways to start with pottery decorations, each one offering aesthetic merits of their own. As such, not one is necessarily better than the other so choosing one over the other is a good choice.

You can use easy-to-apply decals. These are colored patterns in every conceivable design from apples to zebras and everything else in between. You can usually buy them from ceramic stores and sites although many people have been known to create decals of their own for a more personalized touch. For example, you can take a romantic picture of the soon-to-be-wedded couple, make decals out of it and then incorporate them into the mugs as wedding favors.

After the decals are applied to the surface, the mugs must be fired in a kiln at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat will make the decals' pale colors become vivid, and the rich assortment of colors will make your mugs come alive.

You have oxides to play around with as pottery decorations. Oxides contain very strong colorants so much so that just a little bit will go a long way in adding bright spots, swirls and slashes on the pottery material. Just confine the oxide to about 2 to 8 percent of the solution or else you will get black as the final color. Also, it is important to use a mask or a respirator when handling dry oxides, for your own safety.

You can use several methods to apply oxides to pottery. It can be brushed onto glaze, bisque and green ware. You can use an overlapping technique to brush two oxides onto pottery. Simply brush it on, allow it to dry, and then scratch it with a sharp implement. You can achieve an assortment of effects by experimenting.

You can also incorporate sea shells into the pots. You may think of it as going back to your roots as a potter since many shards from ancient times have imprints of sea creatures on them. The process is very simple, too.

Simply embed sea shells into your piece of pottery before you fire it in the kiln. The result is a unique piece of pottery that you can give as a gift or can become the centerpiece of a wedding with a beach theme.

If you let your pottery decorations be guided by your hear and your hand, you won't go wrong. Your pottery will become beautiful pieces of art.

by: Deci Ruiz

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