Make a 2-Tiered Cake Plate Caddy

Artist Maggi Kneer of Vancouver, Canada, demonstrates how to make a multi-tier cake plate from clay and ceramic decals.

Materials Needed:

• cone 6 stoneware white clay
• clay cutting wire
• slab roller
• rubber rib
• food safe glazes
• traditional ceramic transfers (decals)
• two-tier metal cake plate holder
• kiln
• fine cotton sheeting

• needle tool
• plastic sheeting
• sieve
• wax
• paintbrush
• sanding block
• scissors
• container of water
• soft cloth

Steps:

1. Cut two pieces of clay from the clay block using a cutting wire.

2. Roll each piece of clay through the slab roller to compress the clay and create thin clay sheets.

3. Remove the slabs from the roller and further compress by smoothing a rubber rib over the clay sheet. This ensures that the clay platelets are uniformly aligned and helps prevent cracking.

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4. Remove the center post from an antique metal two-tier cake plate holder and separate the pieces so you can work with each cake plate holder as a mold.

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5. To make a plate:

- Cover one slab with a piece of fine cotton sheeting.
- Flip the sheeting and clay over.
- Place one plate mold on the clay and scribe a circle in the clay slightly outside the rim of the plate using a needle tool.
- Remove the excess clay.
- Remove the mold.
- Place a second piece of sheeting on top of the clay and place the mold on top of the sheeting.
- Flip everything over so the mold is on the bottom. The sheeting between the clay and mold will prevent the clay from sticking to the mold.

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