ECO-RAMA STEP E: Sculpting with Clay Dough
Building from the Ground Up
I'm happy you're here! Together we'll create the ground of your
Crystal River scene. How? Just like Mother Nature does - with clay!
Clay comes directly from the earth. It is a type of dirt that is made up of many small particles of rock. Water surrounds each particle and forms a moldable material that can be formed into different shapes for different uses. People have used clay for thousands of years. Roads, bricks, writing tablets, pots, vases, and tiles are some things that were once made from clay. We still use clay today. Cement is made by mixing clay with sand. What things around your house are made from clay?
Pure clay is found in many locations around the world and looks different depending on the type of particles it contains. In Mexico clay is often red. In China clay is very white. The clay found in the earth often has to be treated before use because it is mixed with other types of dirt. You can buy clay in an art store that has been collected from the earth and treated.
Or you can use the following recipe to make your own version of clay at home. It's called Clay Dough and is made up of very small particles of flour instead of rocks. It is not as strong as real clay, but it's fun and easy to make.
Clay Dough Earth Sculptures:
Stuff you'll need:
Trash Treasures:
- a plastic bag (the kind vegetables or fruit come in or a sandwich bag)
- wax paper or tin foil or black paper (see details below)
Other stuff:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups salt
- a spoon
- a bowl
- water
- conventional oven and tin foil
-OR-
microwave oven and wax paper
-OR-
solar oven (from Pulsar's Cool Project page) and black paper or tin foil
-OR-
warm dry place and wax paper or tin foil
- paints
- a paint brush
Instructions:
- Mix the flour and salt together in the bowl. Add water drop by drop until you have soft dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it is too dry, add a little more water. Knead the mixture with your hands until it turns into dough.
- Set aside half of your clay dough to make your earth sculptures (like rocks, hills, river banks, etc.). Put the rest of your clay in a plastic bag and store it in your refrigerator (you'll need it later when you visit Fauna).
- Mold your clay into rocks, hills or other earth objects for your Crystal River scene. You can also make river banks to line your blue painted river.
- Next, dry your earth sculptures. You can air dry them, sun cook them,
microwave them, or bake them in a regular oven. Make sure to ask an adult
for help when using a microwave or conventional oven.
To air dry: Place your earth sculptures in a warm, dry place overnight. Be sure the clay is hard and dry before you use it. Large or thick pieces of clay may take longer. Once the pieces are dry continue to step 5.
To sun cook: Here's a great way to use your solar oven! If you haven't already made one and would like to, visit Pulsar's Cool Project section. Find a sunny spot outside for your solar oven. Put your earth sculptures on a piece of black paper or tin foil. Place them inside your solar oven. Let them cook for 1-3 hours. Test them every hour to see if they are hard. If not, keep baking. Check every so often that your solar oven is still in the full sunlight. If not, reposition it. When your earth sculptures are hard, remove them with a cooking mitten and let them cool. Once they are cool, you can take them off of the paper or foil and go to step 5.
To microwave: Get an adult to help you. Place your earth sculptures on axed paper and bake on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Be sure the clay is fully baked and hard. If it's soft to the touch, continue baking it in 10 second intervals until it is hard. Be careful when you check them because they will be hot! Use a cooking mitten to remove the wax paper and sculptures from the oven. When they are cool, you can take them off of the wax paper and go to step 5.
To bake in an oven: Get an adult to help you. Preheat oven to 300°
Fahrenheit. Place your earth sculptures on a cookie sheet or tin foil and
bake for an hour. Watch your sculptures to make sure they don't burn. If
they brown too quickly, you can cover them with foil and continue to bake
them. Be sure the clay is fully baked and hard. If it's soft to the touch,
continue baking it in 15 minute intervals until it is hard. Remind the adults
to be careful when you check them because the sculptures will be hot! Use a
cooking mitten to remove the baking sheet or tin foil with your sculptures.
Let the sculptures cool on the sheet or tin foil. Then, take them off of the
sheet or foil and go to step 5.
- Now it's time to paint your earth sculptures. You may wish to chose a color that looks like those in nature or perhaps you have another idea! Let them dry, then glue them into your EcoRama.
- You may also want to collect other earth objects to add to your EcoRama, like real rocks, sand, and gravel.