Clay Critters

With Summer comes spiders, caterpillars, and butterflies! What’s your favourite insect? Ceramic artist Audrey Mah takes inspiration from the beloved books of Eric Carle for this week’s at-home art activity.

You can also download the instructions as a PDF

Materials:

• Clay or other modelling material (try one of our homemade clay recipes)
• Plastic knife
• Wood skewer
• Paintbrush
• Water
• Material for texture like a bottle cap or a mesh avocado bag

Instructions:

Let’s start by making a ladybug. Cut or rip off a small piece of clay. Save it for your ladybug’s eyes and dots. Use a larger piece of clay for the body.

Make a pinch pot with the larger piece of clay by poking your finger in the centre. Then “pinch out” the sides of the pot using your fingers and thumb.

On the back of your pinch pot, draw a “T”. These are your ladybug’s wings.

Next we’ll be making the ladybug’s eyes and dots. Take your skewer and scratch the areas where you will place them.

Take your small piece of clay and shape the eyes and dots by making small balls and then squishing them flat with your thumb.

Brush some water onto the areas where you want to stick them and then press gently.

Now to make our caterpillar. Begin by rolling out a long piece of clay.

Using a modelling tool or plastic knife, gently section out the head, abdomen, thorax by making lines in the clay.

Poke holes with your skewer for the eyes and make two tiny pointy antennas. Attach them by scratching the surface of the clay where you want to stick them and applying a little water before pressing them on gently.

Last but not least, let’s make a butterfly! Use your palms to flatten a piece of clay. Using your skewer, carefully cut out the shape of your butterfly wings.

Roll out a piece of clay for the body and add antennas. Then press the body into the centre of your butterfly wings.

Add texture using a bottle cap, a mesh avocado bag, or other objects from around your house. Use these objects to stamp your butterfly wings. Then outline the wings with your skewer.

Gently life the wings of your butterfly to create the effect of it flying. Mold with your hands.

Take a photo of your work and share it using #GardinerFromHome.