After a 5 year run I have decided to close The Clay Box subscription part of my small business. Don't worry Clay Kits will still be available from my Etsy Shop The Clay Box Shop and in my local art gallery Sedona Artist Market  

 

 

Meet Small Business Owner - Mrs. Post Hi! I’m art teacher Mrs. Post. I have taught little budding artists all of my career as an art teacher. I have helped my students learn how to cut with a pair of scissors to using their imaginations to create original works of art. I became an art teacher somewhat by accident. It happened because I loved art and wanted to tell others how cool it was. Making art is always where I find my calm and excitement for life. Calmness while creating, and excitement while sharing. While teaching in Roseville, Michigan years ago I shared my love for art with a little girl named Michelle. Michelle loved my art class. So much so that she grew up to be an artist just like me. Now she enjoys making art just as much as I do. When you are a teacher of children you're kind of like a seed planter. You work hard preparing the soil so things are just right for the seeds that you plant in the young minds of your students. While seed planting you hope for the best that the seeds will take root and grow into something amazing someday that will continue to grow where they are planted. Most of the time you never see your harvest but this time I had the opportunity to do so. Meet artist turned small business owner Michelle Boggess (Nunley). AKA my art student. Not only is Michelle an artist, but she now promotes other artists at her newly acquired Posterity Art Galley located in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. https://www.posterityartgallery.com/ Here you can find her amazing paintings along side other artists in the local community.   So it goes to show you, you just never know how supporting a little budding artist can make an impact. I was once a little budding artist. Now I am a small business owner helping little artists grow into BIG artists. I enjoy helping children learn about art, create art, and watching them grow as artists. I would love to bring this rich art experience to your little budding artist.   Learn More Here

Encourage Children's Creativity 

with  

Creative Child Magazine

"Creative Child Magazine is a national monthly parenting magazine that expands the definition of creativity by providing originality and spontaneity to parents seeking resources to nurture their child's creativity.

Each child should discover what 'creativity' means to them. Studies have shown that children who are given this opportunity to be creative often will exhibit a greater ability to learn in other subjects such as math, reading and writing.

Children whose creativity is nurtured at a young age are also often found to have more confidence as they mature and develop through their adolescent years.

We hope you'll enjoy Creative Child Magazine. We believe it is essential and the most complete parenting publication for raising well-balanced children."  - Scooterbay Publishing, Inc.

 

 

Help your little budding artist grow into BIG artist this school year with The Clay Box

Add Clay Day to your kid's school schedule all year long with The Clay Box! Discover fun arts enrichment after school, on the weekends, and anywhere in between.  Get your first box FREE by joining the #1 Kids Clay Club today! How it works: 1. Get your first box FREE by entering code: NEWBIE at checkout. 2. First box ships September 15th.  3. Then get your next five boxes delivered to your doorstep for $37.00 a month.       (Six month subscription term.) 4. Sale ends September 14th.

Purchase Here

 It's that time again

Clay has been used by humans for thousands of years. It's the oldest art material on earth. The Clay Box provides on opportunity to join in this long standing tradition of creating with the earth's natural art making material. Children need this type of hands-on creative outlet. Art making can foster a sense of well being and bring joy to our lives. Creating is so good for one's body, mind, and spirit.    Save 25% on The Clay Box The subscription box for kids that LOVE to create with clay. Use Code: SCHOOL    Sale ends Labor Day    Purchase Here

 Wacky Watermelons

You're sure to have some summertime fun creating these Wacky Watermelons! 

This kit includes: a step-by-step guide book, air-dry clay, messy mat, clay tools, and painting supplies.     

            

Order Yours Today!

Introducing the Clay Kit for the Kid at Heart

Remember the feeling of playing with clay as a child? Now you can recreate that sensory experience with The Handmade Potter clay kit. Working with clay is a great way to relax the mind and create something with your own hands.

Are you a hunter?

Then you are going to LOVE this! The DIY Clay Kit - Prize Buck

You're sure to have fun creating with the Do It Yourself clay kit. Create a deer buck sculpture and mount it for display just like the one's hunters prize. This kit has enough clay to create a large mounted deer sculpture and a smaller one just the perfect size for a Christmas tree ornament.

This kit comes with:

• Sculpture Guide Book
• Terracotta Air-Dry Clay
• Sculpture Tools
• Wooden Plaques
• Painting Supplies

The Handmade Potter clay kit makes a great gift for those wanting to give a creative experience.

Order yours today! 

ORDER HERE

I would like to introduce you to one of my art students named Sammy. She is 7 years old and is in the second grade. She loves art, coloring, learning about sculpture and modeling clay.

When Sammy was getting ready to go back to school this fall, she got inspired by her school supplies. Having saved some of her clay from one of her clay kits she was able to sculpt an apple, pencil, paint palette and brush with it.  

Sammy was so excited about how her creations turned out, that she just had to show me! I was so impressed at how well she had sculpted them that her work inspired me to create a Back To School themed clay kit. 

Problematic Pencils & Apple Antics 

Both of these clay themed boxes are available at: The Clay Box Shop

I have always thought that art made by children is the best art there is! 

I enjoy helping children learn about art, create art, 
and watching them grow as artists. 
I would love to bring this rich art experience to your little budding artist. 

Mrs. Post 
Art Teacher

Extruder Fun! 

What is an extruder? 

An extruder is a tool that passes clay through a tube to form coils, which are used for handles on mugs, teapots, jugs and for applied decorating. There are different types that can be hand-held, attached to a wall or table. 

Types Of Extruders

One of my favorite extruders is Play-Doh's Fun factory. 

In my opinion every kid should have one because they are just so fun to squeeze! The Play-Doh slides through the dies super easy! It comes with interchangeable dies for a variety of coils. 

Hand-held Extruders 

These are great for modeling clays and doughs to mold and create fun shapes. Ideal for early learners. They are perfect for little hands to develop their fine motor skills. 

Of course the easiest extruder to find is probably already in your kitchen drawer - the good old garlic press. I have two that I use all the time. One for white clay and one for brown clay. 

These are great for creating hair on sculptures of people,

a horse or lion's mane,

 

and bird nests.

Fun Fact - The hamburger that you get from the butcher is meat that goes through a form of an extruder called a meat grinder.

Dies

Extruders use dies which are metal disks with spaces cut out to extrude different shaped coils. An extruder propels the clay through the die to create the desired shape.

Dies come in a variety of shapes and sizes like these:

This style is available in My Shop at: Clay Extruder For Kids

 

Extruder Guns

These work just like a cookie press, only they use clay instead of cookie dough. A bit hard to squeeze, but it can create some thicker extrusions compared to the smaller hand held ones.

Wall Extruders

The mother of all extruders looks like one of these.

This style is used by professional potters. Dies can be custom made to extrude original coil forms for handles on pottery or to build creative sculptures.

This clay bust of a person is sitting on top of an extruded column base.

These containers were made with the help of a hollow extruder die,

as well as these light houses.

This abstract style wall piece is constructed with all clay extrusions. 

Written by Ruth Post