Typically around the holidays, in our classroom we try to create a special craft for kids to take home as a gift for them to give. My students love arts and crafts, but this clay vase craft for kids was special. Every child created a beautiful and unique vase to take home, that would last for years to come. Using the template and steps below all of my kindergarten children were successful with this project.
We had been working with clay in class for art and my students really enjoyed creating and playing with it. The had had so much success that I decided they were ready to create something that they could hang onto forever.
We did this project as a center in our classroom and four to five children worked with me to create their clay vase craft.
My students are very young (3-5 years old), but kids of all ages can be successful with this project.
Although all children were given the same project, every single vase was different and unique to each child. They all had their own vision of what they wanted to create.
Clay Vase Craft for Kids Materials
There are a few materials needed for these vases, but try to use material you already have on hand. We created them at Christmas time so we used Christmas/winter themed stamps, but you can create the vase anytime of year.
For this project you will need:
- Clay (Roughly half a block for each child, which is equal to about a ball of clay the size of a tennis ball).
- Template printed and laminated (You can also simply place a sheet of wax paper on the page, but laminating it seemed to work best).
- Circular cookie cutter (or a cup or container roughly the same size as the circle on the template page)
- Stamps
- Straws
- Cookie cutter shapes (The star and flower were popular with my group, but you can use any shapes.)
- Flameless candle (Do not use a real candle/fire).
Using the Template
The template helps children create their vase independently. They were able to roll and cut down their clay to size. The icing smoother worked wonderfully for this project, but you can use anything for kids to cut the sides to size (even a ruler can work).
Make sure that the rectangle and circle are quite thick. The thicker the better. One centimeter is ideal. If it is too thin the vase will not be as strong and more likely to break.
Depending on the clay you use you may find that it sticks to the paper. Laminating it will help, but you can also use a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on top of the template. If you place it on top then you can easily peal it off of the wrap without it sticking.
Clay Pot Vase for Kids – Decorating
Next, use the decorative cutters to create designs/holes in the clay. Try to have children space out how many holes they put in their clay because it can collapse when you put the vase together. Using a straw is also a great idea and easy for kids to use. Press the straw into the clay to create holes.
The holes are important for the vase. Ideally parents will use flameless tealight candles inside the vase at home. The more holes in the clay the more light you will see through it.
Once kids have added the holes, next use the stamps to create pictures on the vase. Since we created the vase for Christmas, the stamps were Christmas themed, but you can use any stamps to design a vase for any season.
Putting Together Your Clay Vase
Once children have created their design on their vase, it’s time to put it together. Around the bottom of the rectangle and around the outside of the circle, scratch into the clay, as shown below.
These hatch marks help the clay stay together once dry. If you don’t use these hatch marks you risk the circle bottom not attaching once dry.
Once you’ve created the hatch marks, wrap the rectangle around the circular bottom. Use a small amount of water to smooth and seal these two pieces. This is a step that children may need support with.
Use enough water to smooth the bottom circle to the rectangle. Ideally you want to smooth it enough that you cannot see the line from the circle connected to the rectangle on the bottom.
Children can dip their fingertip into water and smooth around the top and vase to smooth out any imperfection. A small amount of water works best.
Once the vase is together, set it aside to dry. Generally air dry clay will dry within 24 hours.
Clay Vase Craft for Kids – Details
Once dry, children can choose if they want to paint it, or leave it natural.
In class we added a layer of gloss, but the clay can also be painted. Use paint pens for extra details.
Clay Vase Craft for Kids Result
We had used flameless candles for a Christmas presentation, so it worked out well to simply send them home with children inside their vase. They are a truly beautiful gift that we received many wonderful comments from parents about.
When sending them home, make sure to have children carry them because they are very fragile and will crack easily.
My children created some for us at home as well that we have on display years later. They are a beautiful hand made craft that parents will proudly display.
Free Printable Template
Print the free template to create your clay vase. Print several copies to provide each child with one for them to use.
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