Clay Owls

I saw an adorable clay plaque of an owl by an elementary schooler once, but couldn't quite remember how it looked, so I Googled "clay owl," and found the white image on the left. I thought it was a great little owl, and am hoping that my first graders have a good time making them next week. Here's how I approached the project:

I started with a ball of clay about the size of my palm when rolled into a ball.

Flattened it.


Used a marker cap to create a feathery texture where the bird's belly will be (this also works great for scales when making fish).

I smoothed out the edge of the clay and folded it towards the center to create the first wing.

Repeat on the other side for the second wing, smooth out the top and fold it down for the head.

Pinch the clay to make the "horns" if you want to make a traditional, Great Horned Owl.

The marker cap was used again to create the eyes, and a clay tool for the beak.

Then I trimmed the bottom of my owl, smoothed it out, and found a sea shell.

I used the sea shell to create a cute texture on the wings.

Once fired, I plan on having the children paint these with watercolors, and then I will add little wire feet on the bottoms. I also put a hole in the back so they can be hung on the wall when finished.