I would like to decorate some bought unglazed teracotta clay flowerpots (the cheap ones you get from garden centres). I am assuming they have just been biscuit fired, so I can use a paint on glaze and then fire them? If I don't do that, could anyone recommend a paint that would be suitable instead? Thanks!
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pot decorating advice
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Unfired clay (of every type) has a recommended firing temperature. All colours and glazes have recommended firing temperatures too. The clay and glazes need to be compatible. Unless you know the recommended firing temperature of the terracotta clay, I would avoid firing it in a kiln.
I would recommend using DecoArt's Patio Paints to decorate the terracotta pots. Patio Paints can be used indoors or outdoors and they are weather resistent. Go to andy skinner .org and look for the free flowerpot tutorial.
Have fun!
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Test fire in a saggar. Then you wont ruin a shelf! Put a set of cones (three is a good idea) beside the saggar then you've an idea of what temperature that part of the kiln reached.. If you can glaze instead of painting the pot it would look so much more attractive and would probably last better too.
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I think low firing temperature glazes should be ok. I wouldn't use once that need to be fired on high temperature because you do not know what kind of clay has been used for pots, but with glazes up to 940 degrees it should be ok. You can also protect kiln with ceramic paper.
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If you are succesful at glazing your terracotta you have to remember that glaze on low temp porus clay can often be pushed off if the pot is wet and it freezes.
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