Ceramic Ocarina
Create your own working clay instrument. Ocarinas can be made rounded or with a flat bottom to create a beautiful gentle sound, similar to panpipes.
You will need two lolly sticks for this project.
Instructions
1) Roll othe clay out evenly and allow to firm up
slightly, the clay should still be soft to the touch
and easily movable but not wet.
2) Using a small bowl as a slump mould to make a
dome, cover with the clay and gently shape the
clay around it.
3) Run a finger around the base and
cut around the dome leaving a 1-2cm rim.
4) If making a rounded Ocarina repeat this step,
or if making a flat bottomed Ocarina use the rim
of the bowl as guide to cut around, leaving a
1-2cm margin around the bowl.
5) Take the two domes (or dome and flat disk)
and places the edges together.
6) Pinch the clay where they meet all the way
around to form an airtight pocket.
7) Using a fettling knife, cut off all the excess
clay around dome, this is the body of your ocarina.
8) Gently smooth the edges all the way around.
9) Take one of the lolly sticks and cut it flat at
one end.
10) Roll a small piece of excess clay into a ball
and flatten into a rectangular shape.
11) Using the longer of the lolly sticks, push into
one end of the rectangle, this will be the
mouthpiece.
12) Use thumb and finger to flare out the other
end, this will be where the mouthpiece attaches
to the body.
13) Push the lolly stick all the way through the
mouthpiece.
14) Use the mouthpiece on the stick to mark
where it will go on the edge of the body.
15) Using a fettling knife, cut through the mark
left by the stick.
16) Insert the stick into the hole and smooth the
neck to the body.
17) Make an incision down to the stick and as
wide as the stick into the body of the clay, just
below where the neck is attached and cut out a
small window.
17) Make an incision down to the stick and as
wide as the stick into the body of the clay, just
below where the neck is attached and cut out a
small window.
18) Using the flat head of the remaining stick to
create a 45 degree angled slope into the window.
19) Remove the sticks and blow into the
mouthpiece, your Ocarina should play a note.
If there is no sound, make sure there are no
bits of clay in the mouthpiece or around the
hole, its very important that these areas are
smooth and obstruction free.
20) Once your Ocarina is playing a note, try
adding holes to the body to create different notes.
21) Allow to dry to a leather hard state and use
a pencil or stamps to decorate your Ocarina.
22) The Ocarina will work as raw clay or can be
fired and glazed on the outside.
We Used
*Can be decorated with any of our VitraGlaze Earthenware colours