Photography: Louis Lemaire
Styling: Marlies Does
Wall pockets
These beautiful clay storage spaces are eye-catching, and useful, for above a desk. Store your favourite implements so they’re on hand. With a glass tube in it you have a mini vase for on the wall.
How to do it:
Roll out a piece of clay about 0.5cm thick. Cut out 8 shapes if you want to make the set of 4 like we have. For the largest size, cut out a piece of 14cm x 6cm and 9.5cm x 8.5cm (we also made an 11.5cm x 3.5cm, a 3cm x 12.5cm and a 3cm x 12cm storage space). Place the small piece on the large piece and make a bend. Press the sides together. Close the bottom with a piece of clay, gently pinching together the edges to seal. Using a nail make a hole at the top centre of the backing piece of clay so that you can easily hang them when they’re dry. Allow to dry. You can make these any size you like to suit what you want to store in them.
Candlestick
Beautiful in the living room, on the kitchen table or in the bedroom and you can easily make it yourself.
How to do it:
Take a piece of clay and knead until soft and supple. Make a roll of it between your hands and roll it out to a nice size on a chopping board. Cut off the ends with a sharp knife. Using a little water and your hands, work the cracks/folds out of the clay. Bend the ends together to form a U shape, press the bottom flat so it stands upright. Take a candle and press the bottom of it into each of the two ends, take it out again. Allow to dry.
Mail organiser
For mail, business cards, beautiful cuttings, cards… this handy card holder is easily made and has a multitude of uses.
How to do it:
Cut off a piece of clay of about 4cm wide x 7cm long x 6cm high. Finish all sides with a knife, making it a little smooth. Put the piece of clay down on a flat surface and using a sharp knife cut out three long triangle shapes to form the grooves where the mail will sit. Use a knife to tidy up the sides of the clay a little if needed. Allow to dry. We have chosen this size, but you could also choose a larger size to suit what you will use it for.
Vases
A beautifully simple and striking way to display a single bloom or dried branch.
For these vases you need clay as well as a glass tube.
How to do it:
Take a piece of clay and roll it with a rolling pin to a piece of about 3mm thick. Now trim to a rectangle measuring 7cm x 11cm. Fold it around the glass tube and press the ends together gently but so that the clay stays stuck. Allow to dry.
Tip: You can buy the air-drying modelling clay we used for these projects at The Warehouse and from specialist art supplies stores.
