Easy Vase Tutorial _ Slab Pottery for Beginners (No Wheel Needed).

Hi everyone and welcome to this video. Today we're going to learn how to make these mini vases together in the easiest way possible and in the shortest amount of time. First we need to choose the right clay. Here I'm using a brown clay body that fires to a beautiful textured dark brown colour. I'll leave all the clay details in the caption in case you want to get the same one. It's honestly a perfect clay for this project. For this method we need two simple slabs and two matching moulds with the same size and shape. As you can see in the video, we start by rolling out our slabs. If you want to learn these basic techniques in more detail you can check out the pottery school playlist where the full process is explained step by step. Once your slabs are ready make sure they're both the same thickness, about one centimetre. We'll be making two slabs and you'll repeat the exact same steps for both pieces. After rolling out the slabs, cut them to size and place them inside your moulds so they can take the shape properly. Now we need to let them rest for a full day so the clay can firm up and really hold the form of the mould. While we wait, let's make our clay slip, which is super important for this type of project. I'm using a dried piece of the same clay body. I crush it completely, just like you see in the video, and mix it with a bit of water until it turns into a smooth slip. After a few hours or even the next day, once the slabs reach the perfect leather hard stage, gently remove them from the moulds. Check that they're firm enough, then start cleaning and refining the edges. You can also add a bit of texture if you like. Now choose one of the bowls as the base of your vase. Using either a coil or a small slab, create the bottom part and attach it securely. Then start adding additional slabs to build height and shape the vase. All the steps are shown clearly in the video. When attaching the middle slabs to the two bowls we made earlier, make sure you work very carefully. Fully cover every connecting area with slip and clay so you can be confident that the joints are strong and won't crack later. As you can see in the video, to make the structure even more secure, I'm using an extra coil, very thin, and placing it right along the joint between the slabs and the bowls. After finishing these steps, I start attaching the second bowl. Before connecting it, I define the opening of the vase and cut it out from the main bowl, just like you're seeing in the video. Once all these parts are assembled, I refine the rim using a very thin, delicate coil to add a bit of elegance to the piece. I apply slip again and make sure the attachment is clean and precise. Now that the basic form is complete, I want to add a white texture to the surface. So I use white clay, roll out small coils, and gently apply them onto the body, just like you see here, shaping and blending them into the form. Thank you so much for watching this far. I hope you enjoyed the video. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I'll be happy to answer them. And if you'd like to support the channel and see more videos, don't forget to subscribe.