Who doesn’t like fresh herbs all year round? You can create
this clay herb saver to keep those savory herbs fresh and
beautifully displayed! Wouldn’t this be cute at a wedding
reception with fresh flowers as well?
Materials needed:
- ½ lb of Blackjack Clay
- ACTÍVA Product’s Clay Roller kit
- Cotton sheeting cut into a 8” x 8” square
- Small cup of water
- Wooden skewer
- Lace appliqué for texture
- Cookie cutter
- Mason jar
- Access to a kiln
- Stoneware glaze
Begin by cutting a thin slab of clay off of the block of Blackjack clay. You can use a cutting wire made of fishing line and two thin dowels that have a small hole drilled in each. Try to make the thickness uniform so that you won’t have to roll the clay out too much.
Using the 1/4” slats on the rolling kit; roll the clay out until the rolling pin rest on the side slats.
Place the lace appliqué on top of the clay and use the rolling pin to press the texture in. Make sure to keep the rolling pin on the side slats to ensure even thickness.
After you have the texture rolled in, cut out the herb saver with a scalloped cookie cutter that is 4” wide. The mouth of the mason jar is 2 ½ “ wide so that leaves plenty of overhang.
Take your finger and dip it into some water and smooth the edges of your project.
Now flip the clay over carefully as not to distort the shape. Press the mouth of the mason jar into the clay lightly to show where to place a coil of clay. This will help the herb saver fit snuggly over the mouth of the jar.
Roll out a coil of clay and with a skewer score both the impressed ring and the coil. Lightly dampen both the coil and the impressed ring in the clay cut out. Make sure the coil is inside the impressed ring. The clay will shrink some but you still want it to fit properly.
Smooth the coil on and connect the two ends by scoring and slipping once again. Make sure the coil is pressed firmly onto the cut out.
Lastly, take a straw and bore holes into the inside ring of the herb saver. Think about how thick the herb stems will be so that you can adjust the hole size if needed.
Let your clay project dry completely. Then this piece should be bisque fired to at least 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. When cooled, apply a stoneware glaze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the holes are clean from glaze and that the bottom coil is sponged clean before firing. Fire to recommended temperature by glaze manufacturer.
Artwork and photography by Karen Lowrey
Artwork and photography by Karen Lowrey
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