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Tiki Central / Other Crafts / MadDog Mike's Platterful of Pupule - BOMB! Mug with video

Post #817852 by MadDogMike on Mon, Feb 2, 2026 10:32 PM

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Working on a simple ceramic "BOMB!" mug. Nothing elaborate, more of a visual gag or drink presentation (more on that later). Step by step descriptions in the photo captions.

1
One of my favorite techniques is to roll out slabs of clay and form them over objects. Can be pre-made forms like a bottle or this Styrofoam ball. Sometimes I'll carve my shape out of foam or 3D print an object to cover. I cover the object with a couple layers of damp tissue paper so the clay releases easily

2
Clay wrapped around the ball and smoothed out

3
A "foot" added to the bottom to make it stable

4
Once the clay has dried and firmed a bit, I cut around the middle and pull the halves apart. You can see the brown tissue paper

5
The foam ball removed and the pieces test fitted together. The lid cut out.

6
The inside is cleaned of any tissue paper and smoothed. The edges of the clay are scored and brushed with slip (water thinned clay) so they will stick.

7
Edges pushed together and fused together with a needle tool

8
Then the outside smoothed again

9
While the halves were apart, I added a lip around the hole so the lid wouldn't fall in

10
A fuse holder on top and straw hole. A center seam and some rivets for visual interest. Up next, as the clay hardens it can be smoothed and cleaned up more.

11
Added some details like screws and a center seam. Pained on dark gray and black underglaze and fired

12
Then brushed it with clear gloss glaze (goes on green but fires to clear)

13
Finished!

And here's a video of it in use with me and Phineas
https://youtu.be/VJT_EH9a6D4