Buddha Clay Relief craft activity guide

Make a clay relief tile with a gold Buddha design. Buddha is often depicted sitting in a meditative cross-legged position, also called the lotus pose.

AW831

Quantity

E99A

Quantity

AF937

Quantity

AW251

Quantity

AG2063

Quantity

AC443

Quantity

FE958

Quantity

Total 0.00

A pencil
A rolling pin
A bowl of water
A paintbrush

Skill Level

Intermediate

Time to Make

1.5 hours + drying time for clay and paint

Adult Supervision Needed

Yes

How to Make

Cut out a 13cm x 13cm card square as a guide for cutting the tile background.
Draw a Buddha outline on another piece of card to fit in the middle of the the square background, or find a simple image to print out. Cut out the Buddha.
Work on a board or a piece of polythene. Roll out 1/3 of a block of clay to about 7-8mm thick. Keep the remaining clay wrapped in the packaging so it doesn’t dry out. To help roll the clay to an even depth, place 3 wooden craft sticks glued together down both sides of the clay, or fix them together with double-sided tape. Place the card square on the rolled clay then cut out the square tile shape with a modelling tool.
Roll out some more clay to about 8-10mm thick. To help roll the clay to an even depth, place 4 wooden craft sticks glued together down both sides of the clay. Place the cut out paper Buddha on the rolled clay then cut around the shape with a modelling tool.
Score the surface of the tile in the middle then wet the surface with a small amount of water. Carefully lift the Buddha shape onto the tile. Use modelling tools to define the shape of the face, arms and robe. Add more clay to build up the design if necessary. Use modelling tools to blend the clay pieces together. Add water so the surface doesn’t dry out. Press small balls on the head for the hair. Smooth around the edges with your fingers.
To make a border around the tile, roll out some more clay then cut thin strips with a modelling tool. Score around the edges on the tile, apply some water then press the strips in place. Trim to size and smooth with your fingers or use a modelling tool to blend the clay.
Leave the clay to dry. Allow 48 hours before painting.
Paint the Buddha black, leave to dry then paint over the top with gold, leaving some black showing to highlight the clay texture. Paint the tile background and around the edges with gold. Leave to dry.