Ceramic Piggy Banks

This spring my students had the opportunity to practice their ceramics skills and create the most adorable piggy banks! They designed, sculpted, and glazed their ceramic masterpieces and the kiddos were so proud! Their adorable creatures came out so cute and the piggy banks were perfect for the art picnic we had at our school.

The first step in pig creation was forming the pigs. We used a ballon and slabs for construction. I will link the tutorial video here so you can see each step of the process. We used low fire clay, sponges, slip, and clay tools. 

Once the construction was complete the students had to wait patiently for the pigs to dry before placing them into the kiln. While the students were waiting, I had them plan the design for their banks. They drew and colored their ideas onto a Piggy Bank Design Plan sheet. If you are interested in a copy of the design plan, please leave a comment below! I completed a few design plan examples so the students had some inspiration. I was so impressed with the ideas they came up with!

Once the pigs were out of the bisque fire, the students were able to put their plan into action. We spent a few days glazing the pigs with my favorite glaze. Stroke and Coat is by far the best glaze for student projects! It comes out so vibrant and shiny!

 After painting three coats of glaze and adding detail work, the pigs were ready to back into the kiln for the final firing. This was the hardest part for the students... waiting to see the transformation from the dull matte colors, to the beautiful shiny pigs the students were envisioning!

Here is a list of products and items I used for the piggy banks:
Stroke and Coat Glazes
Low Fire Clay
Clay Tools
Clay Sponges
Slip Containers
Brushes
Glaze Containers

When I asked my students what their favorite project was this year, almost all responded with, "Clay piggy banks!" I usually do one or two clay projects with my students each year and I am so excited to see what projects we create next year! :)