Textured Ceramic Coasters

Last spring I was in Philadelphia and visited the Barnes Foundation. Afterwards I went into the gift shop. I was admiring a lovely ceramic persian tray and coasters. The items were a bit out of my price range, however, I examined them and thought "I can make that!"

This beautiful platter was a larger version of the coasters I liked. 
This platter cost over $200.00 and if I remember correctly the coasters were something like $27.00 each!!!! Wowza! I can make that!

I had some old chunks of red and  white clay that was too hard to use for hand building with my students,  so I decided to use it to make thick textured coasters.

Clay
underglazes
glaze
access to a ceramic kiln
32 oz. yogurt container
cutting tool
rolling pin

mark making tools
I used rubber texture mats
plaster forms
number and letter stamps
other tools that I found

first roll the clay into a piece approx. 12'X12'

Try to keep the slab about 1/4" thickness through out.

I first chose a textured rubber mat to roll an overall pattern into the clay

using found and hand made items I began marking the clay. These are tiny dowels taped together to create a flower like mark. 

plastic thread spool

paper clip glued to a film canaster

lid of an old film case

letter printing tool

number printing tools

When the slab is covered with textures and marks begin to cut coasters. Using the top lid of the yogurt container place it on the clay and carefully cut around the edge.

I like to make sets of 4

smooth edges with a sponge.

  let dry and fire to bisque in a ceramic kiln.

choose underglaze color to paint the 4 tiles. 

using a sponge remove excess paint

leave paint in the marks  made in the clay pieces

continue wiping away excess paint until coasters look the way you want them.
Then they will need to be glazed and fired again in kiln to serve as ceramic coasters.

The extra areas of the clay slab can be cut with smaller shapes and turned into refrigerator magnets

this one is a magnet using red clay and white underglaze.