This is how to make a bone china clay Dahlia flower.

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. You make make flowers with other clay but the technique will be different.

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

Making the Petals

shaping clay for dahlia petal

 

 

1. Make a thin sausage, smaller than your finger and press the top edge to create the shape seen in image.

 

 

 

 

creating first dehlia petal

 

 

2. Pinch the base of the rounded edge to create the effect in the image.

 

 

 

 

lots of dahlia clay petals

 

 

Set aside and make around 25 – 30.

 

 

 

 

 

Making the Centre

two petals of dahlia flower making centre

 

 

3. Take two petals and interlock like image.

 

 

 

 

 

5 dahlia clay petals around the centre

 

 

4. Put 5 petals around the centre.

 

 

 

 

 

dahlia clay flower coming together

 

 

5. Put petals around the first row in between where the first petals were place like image.

 

 

 

 

dahlia flower ready to make stem

 

 

6. Carry on building up the flower by adding petals in the same way.

 

 

 

 

making the stem of dahlia flower

 

 

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

 

 

 

finished dahlia drying in rack