Girl Scouts Ceramics and Clay Badge

Girl Scout Logo - Where Girls Grow Strong Come fulfill your badge requirements at a real working pottery studio. We have a community of working ceramic artists and all the resources to create, learn, and finish your work.

We can tailor a program to meet your needs, offering the opportunity to earn badges in one session or two. Just let us know!

Make it with Clay
We'll begin with a fascinating discussion of clay - how it was formed and it's unique characteristics and historical uses.
Pinch pots will be demonstrated and each scout will be able to make one, stretching the clay and discovering limits of form and texture.
Slab construction will be demonstrated, rolling out the slabs with a rolling pin and discussing how our slab roller works. Scouts will form cylinders with textured slabs and make pencil holders which will be fired and glazed..
Throwing on the potters wheel will be demonstrated and discussed with the group.
Coil Up
The traditional coil method will be demonstrated, then each scout will experiment with this forming technique.
Handle with Care
One of the great advantages to earning your badge in our studio is that you'll be able to see how we handle our pottery and sculpture with care. We'll take a tour and discuss how moist clay is stored, clay is reclaimed, how wedging improves the clay, and how work in progress is stored on ware boards covered in plastic. Stages such as leather hard, bone dry, and bisque will be discussed, as will joining methods such as scoring, slip, and magic water.
Time for Tiles
Slabs will be cut into squares and decorated with stamps and texture tools. Sgraffito, burnishing, filigree and carving are options, depending upon time constraints and selected options. We can help with suggestions for museum or gallery visits, or you can view our examples at the studio.
Fuel and Fire
Another great thing about visiting Creative Clay Studios for your badges is the fact that we have most of the major firing methods right at our location. We can show you the insides of the kilns, discuss how they work, and probably see one in action. We love to discuss the differences between firing in our gas kiln, our electric kilns, or why raku is so magical.
Grin and Glaze It
We'll describe what glazes are made from, and what happens to them in the kiln. Then we'll demonstrate or discuss most of the major glazing techniques: dipping, pouring, spraying, painting and sponging. If you elect the one day option, we'll fire and glaze your pieces for you. If you choose to make a second visit to our studio, scouts will glaze their own work.
Dream Decorator and Folk Pottery
These activities can be completed outside the studio as independent study. We can offer some suggestions for places to visit or online resources.