For this project, slabs would work best. First you will need to take your clay, and with a rolling pin, knead it out into a flat long piece. Before cutting the clay, you may chose to impress your project. Impressing is a method of decorating by stamping into the clay surface. Once you have made that decision, then you can measure out exactly how long you want your side of the box to be, keeping in mind shrinkage. Shrinkage is the contraction of the clay in either the drying or firing of your project. After making your careful measurements, then you can use your felting knife to cut the clay into the sizes you need. .
Now that you have your six sides to your box, you will need to attach them. In order to attach the sides, you will need to use the slip and score method. Slip and score refers to a method of joining two pieces of clay together. First, score the clay; this means that you make scratches in the surfaces that will be sticking together. Then you slip it; that is when you wet the surface with some slip, using it like glue. Next, you press the two pieces together. It is very important to always score and slip clay that is leather hard. If you do not, the pieces will likely pop apart when they are fired. After you have attached your project together, now might be a good time to take a break and let your greenware, any unfired clay projects, dry. .
Once you return to your project, you might consider using decorating techniques to enhance your project. Some techniques include; attachments, a clay shape or form that is connected to a clay body by using the slip and score method, burnishing, polishing with a smooth stone or tool (spoon) on leather hard clay to make the surface shiny, or incising, a method of decorating by engraving or drawing with a stylus into the leather hard clay. Your project is now ready to be fired. Firing is the heating of clay or glaze to a specific temperature.
