Required Ingredients:

Step 1: Collecting Clay Pieces and Waste

Always keep a recycling bucket in your workshop. Put leftovers from making pottery, unbaked bisques and other clay in this bucket. Fill the bucket with water and allow the clay to submerge.

Separate buckets can be used for those who want to separate different moisture levels, but mixing moisture levels is not a problem with this method.

Step 2: Mixing Wet Clay

When the bucket starts to fill up, mix the clay and water. You can do this using a stick, an old metal ladle or a paint stirring tip attached to a drill. If you prefer to mix by hand, it is recommended to use long dishwashing gloves.

There may be a slight odour due to the organic matter in the clay. However, this does not mean that your clay is spoilt and cannot be used again.

Step 3: Transferring clay to Plasterboard

Since your clay is very pasty and wet, some of the water content has to evaporate. Therefore, spreading the clay on plasterboard is the best solution. Plasterboards provide an ideal absorbency to turn your clay into pulp within a few hours.

You can use your hands to spread the clay on the plasterboard or transfer it with an old metal scoop. Spread the clay on the slab in a layer about 4-5 cm thick and increase the air flow by poking holes with your fingers.

On a warm day and with a dry plasterboard, you can expect your clay to become easily detachable from the board within an hour. The clay will be hardened at the bottom and still wet at the top.

It is important to turn the surface of the clay on the slab to make sure that the wet side of the clay is in contact with the plaster surface. Allow the clay to rest for another hour and check if it has hardened.

If the clay hardens too much, you can return to the process by moistening it again with water and bring your clay to the desired consistency.

 Once the clay has hardened sufficiently, it has a consistency that you can easily shape. At this point, air bubbles in the clay may prevent it from having a homogenous structure. Remember that the clay roll should be well compacted before use.

2- Shaping Techniques:

You can use the piling and bumping technique to mould your clay. This method allows the clay to take the desired shape quickly and puts less strain on the wrists. You can also mould your clay with different techniques such as stringing and slapping.

3- Dealing with Scars:

When you slice it, grey marks can be seen in the clay . These marks can be used for compaction. When the clay is sufficiently compacted, these marks will disappear.

4- Storage:

It is important to store the recycled clay in plastic wrap to keep it fresh. To prevent the clay from drying out, you can use the double bagging method and ideally store it in a plastic storage box.

Tip: After removing the air pockets with the wire wedge, you can cut the clay pieces into smaller pieces and shape them individually using the ram's head wedge method. Then you can put the small balls together to form a larger pile of recycled clay.

Remember, patience and experience are important in clay art.

A plastic clay has the property that it can be shaped and retain this shape. An elastic substance bends and elongates when pulled or pressed, but returns to its original shape when the pressure is released.

Ideally, the clay should have the property of plasticity. Plastic clay can bend and stretch without cracking or breaking. Take a piece of your clay mixture and twist it into a spiral shape. If the clay cracks or crumbles, it is called ‘short’.

Short clay can be difficult to handle because it lacks plasticity. It crumbles and does not hold its shape, which can lead to undesirable results in your work. The choice and quality of clay is therefore an important factor for artists.

Understanding these characteristics related to the use of recycled clay is important for successful and consistent work in pottery. By paying attention to plasticity and the behaviour of the clay, artists can find new creative paths that they have not experienced before and are worth exploring.

If you handle plaster carefully, making sure that the surfaces are flat and free of crumbs, you can avoid mixing your clay with plaster particles.

However, some potters prefer to recover their clay without using plaster. This is a quite understandable preference. Here are some other methods for gypsum-free clay recycling:

Instead of plaster, you can spread it on these surfaces to regain your clay:

You can speed up the drying process by:

If you are drying your clay outside, it is best to cover the clay with a breathable cover, such as an old bedspread. This will prevent particles such as leaves and dust from falling into the clay.

The method is quite simple. you take your clay from the recycling bucket into an old pillowcase. Then, by hanging this cover on a hanger or a sturdy fence post, you can let the clay water naturally drain away or evaporate. But don't worry if you live in a rainy climate and don't have the chance to hang it outside; we have a practical alternative for you.

You can quickly dry your clay by placing your clay-filled pillowcase on metal grids made of old oven racks. By placing the metal grates in a ‘V’ shape inside an old plastic box, you can lift your clay off the ground and allow it to drain easily.

Note, however, that this method may take a little longer depending on climatic conditions. It may be slower than using plasterboard, but if you wait patiently, you may feel that your clay is suitable for moulding.

You can press your finger against the side of the pillowcase to see if the clay has hardened, and when it has the right consistency, you can take it out of the pillowcase and knead it. This simple and economical method will help you to adopt a more sustainable approach in your workshop.