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Handmade Piggy Banks are a
Turtle Creek Pottery
Favorite
Handmade piggy banks sure are "cute
little porkers". We get lots of comments about them. Without a
doubt, they receive some of our greatest compliments and question.
Questions like, "How did you make that?"
If you have ever
wondered how handmade pottery
products are created, this page will guide you through the
steps to making one of these cute little piggy banks. The process
for other items is similar.
First,
the body of the pig is
handthrown on the potter's wheel. The shape is basically a
short cylinder with a narrow opening at the top.
Next, the "pigs" are all set with the other thrown
items on a shelf to dry. Care is taken to make sure that they don't dry too quickly, otherwise
these ceramic piggies will crack and break.
The clay has to
dry until it is "leather hard." This basically means it is dry to
the touch, and is no longer wet and sticky.
But
wait!!!! There is one crucial step before these pigs can go and get
their tan in the bisque. These
handmade piggy banks get some more special treatment and
receive all of their eyes, ears, tails, and feet. Then they can
spend some more time drying.
Here's a list of the unique features that
each of these little porkers receive.
- handthrown body that is roughly 6 or 7 inches tall
- just enough clay to weigh a stout 2 pounds (approx.)
- eyes
- ears
- curly tail
- and a signature from the artist, Katie Joy
Here's the
transformation!
 Aren't they
cute!
 The
kiln will be heated slowly to about 1850 degrees! It takes about six
hours to complete, and another 12 hours just to cool
down!
After that, the handmade piggy banks are no longer soft
clay, but hardened pottery. They only need to get their final
glaze.
The pigs are dipped in glaze, and set on a tray to
dry; this only takes a few minutes. You can see what the glazes look
like below.
Then it is back
to the kiln for ANOTHER firing--this time to 2350
degrees!
It will take about 7 - 9 hours to fire, and a full 12 -
24 hours to cool down to the point where they can be handled.
The
beauty of pottery is that each of
these handmade piggy banks are all unique. The firing process
can produce interesting patterns and characteristics in the glaze,
and the clay can even be affected too.
No matter what, these
pigs exit the kiln ready to go to
someone special.
Handmade Piggy Bank
Colors
(as seen above) |
| Galaxy (blue) |
Burgundy |
Antique Iron |
Autumn
Frost |
Do
you know someone special that could use a handmade piggy
bank?
Show them you care by giving them a unique, one of a kind gift, as
special as they are. You can order one of these piggy banks in
any of the four colors shown above.
Sorry, but
you cannot specify exact patterns, sizes, or features. We
never know what exactly will come out of the kiln, and that is all
part of the mystery and magic of
handmade pottery.
The prices shown below include
the perfect amount of packaging, insurance, and care to make sure
your little porker makes it to its
destination in perfect condition.
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