Fimo and clay tips and tutorials
I’m always happy to find crafters who, experienced in other mediums, are having a blast trying out polymer clay. Ellie Foster at Feltabulous is my latest find and you can see not only is she having a blast but she’s doing a great job of it, too.
Watching other people be so enthusiastic about their clay and trying out everything is what helps me get over the doldrums of it (production season right now, not the most exciting part of the whole deal).
There’s something so satisfying about creating a whole handmade set that feels like it belongs together. After experimenting with my grandmother’s doilies on flat slabs of clay, I wanted to see how they would look when pressed onto a curved form. That’s how this set of three doily pinch bowls was born—each one textured on the outside with lace, glazed in soft tones, and displayed together on a matching pink speckled doily platter.
It’s a beautiful way to combine sentimental textiles with modern pottery design. The finished set makes a charming serving arrangement for nibbles, dips, or trinkets, and it doubles as a decorative centerpiece when not in use.
Cut your clay into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball about the size of a small orange.
Using your thumbs, gently press into the center of each clay ball and pinch outward, rotating as you go, until you form small bowl shapes. Keep the walls fairly even, but don’t worry about perfection—pinch bowls are meant to have a rustic, organic charm.
Drape a crochet doily around the outside of each bowl. Gently press it into the surface with your fingers or a rolling pin. Carefully peel it back to reveal the lace impression. Each bowl will carry the delicate detail of the doily, almost like a frozen textile pattern.
Smooth the rims with a damp sponge, rounding off any sharp edges. Leave the outside textured, but clean up the insides of the bowls so they’re smooth for glazing.
Let the bowls dry slowly until bone dry. Bisque fire them with the platter if you’re making the full set together.
For a cohesive look, glaze the pinch bowls in soft white or cream, allowing the doily texture to stand out. Place them on the matching pink speckled doily platter (created using the earlier technique) for a complete serving set.
These bowls carry a story. The lace impressions remind me of my grandmother’s hand-crocheted doilies, yet the final design feels fresh and modern. Displayed together on the platter, they become more than functional—they’re a handmade heirloom set that blends memory with everyday beauty.
These little pendants in progress are lovely. Can you tell me if the design is from a rubber stamp? It’s often hard to find stamps with impressions deep enough and clear enough to leave a good image on clay. Thanks a lot.
Carolyn
Yep, the ones in the picture are from a sutton slice technique using a stamp or texture plate.
You press a rubber stamp into clay (or multiple colours) and then shave the stamp off the clay so that the design on the stamp is filled with clay still. You then press that stamp onto a block of clay, usually in a contrasting colour, and lift it. When done right it leaves the clay pattern there making that pretty design.