STEP 1: DIG UP SOME CLAY- You will find it everywhere. The photo above shows a nice piece of naturally occurring compact clay I found along a river bed. You can tell its clay and not a rock because your finger nail can scratch it.
STEP 2: LET THE CLAY DRY AND BREAK IT INTO POWER - Do this outside and wear a mask so you do not breath in dust. I used heavy plastic to contain the clay but you could also use an old t-shirt or pillow case.
STEP 3: SIEVE THE CLAY - I used a common kitchen sieve to remove any possible rocks or organic material.
STEP 4: YOUR CLAY SHOULD BE POWDER and then you can REHYDRATE it by slowly adding the powder to water. Start with a small amount of water. You don't want to add too much water at this point just enough to allow the clay to be formed up a little and NOT a slurry.
STEP 5: Allow your clay to dry to a workable consistency. I will next use a coil building method to create some small vessels which will be fired in a primitive pit firing. No special equipment or tools to create ceramics in your back yard.
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