This is a step by step tutorial on how to make a bone china clay rose flower.

Click to see a Video

Bone china clay is the best flower making clay if want crack free beautiful delicate clay flowers. They will need to be fired to 1230c.

What you will need:
1. Bone china Clay
2. Vegetable or sunflower oil for fingers.
3. Smooth mat surface which you can add oil

Click on the images to see a larger image

Please note, this bone china clay was starting to go off hence the cracks, if you have fresh bone china clay you wont see any cracks. (I’m going to update the images when I get a fresh batch of china clay)

Make the Centre

wedge shapped section of clay

 

1. Rub your hands in oil and the surface, and take some bone china clay. Roll out a large sausage creating a wedge shape which is thin one end.

 

 

 

 

rolling the centre of rose

 

 

2. Take the fat edge of clay and roll up, NOT touching the top page.  (this is a bit cracked so try to get it less cracked as in next images)

 

 

 

 

center of rose

 

 

Set aside.

 

 

 

 

Make the Petals

patting edge of sausage shaped clay

 

 

1. Roll out a sausage of clay and pat the very edge to make round shape as shown.

 

 

 

 

wedge shaped clay petal

 

 

2. Set aside and make more. See how it is like a wedge and only thin at one edge.  This is because you just pat the very edge and go easy on the base.

 

 

 

 

Clay petals and center

 

 

3. Make 8 petals in total.  (You can make them with as many petals as you like but when learning stick to 5 or 8)

 

 

 

 

interlocking 3 petals around center

 

 

4. Add three around the center, about 2-4 mil higher than centre like image. Then pinch edges.  See image below in step 6.

 

 

 

 

5 petals around first 3 petals of rose flower

 

 

5.  Add 4 more petals around the three and again, slightly interlocking.  Tip: Pull the first petal out a little to slide the 5th petal in place.

 

 

 

 

pinching edges of clay petals

 

 

6. Pinch the edges of the clay slightly to create the effect shown.

 

 

 

 

start of stem

 

 

7. Hold the flower from underneath and using your fingertips turn the flower upside down and gently twisting the flower back and forth to turn it into a thin stem.  You can let gravity help but be careful not to drop it.

 

 

 

thin stem of rose flower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video of me Making a Clay Rose

 

Video of me Making a Large Clay Rose

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