Keep Plastic Out of the Landfill and Make Fun, Freeform Slab Dishes Turn a plastic bowl into a simple hump or slump mold! Daryl E. Baird

There is no shortage of plastic containers in our world and all too many of them wind up in the landfill. But you can do your part and repurpose them as molds in the studio! In today's post, an excerpt from From a Slab of Clay, Daryl Baird shares how to make a great free form slab bowl using a plastic dish as a mold. –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

Small plastic trays containing microwaveable food come in a variety of shapes and sizes. With a little preparation these can be used as slump molds for quickly making a collection of dishes, trays, and teapot bases.

1. Stack three identical food trays together to create a rigid mold. Lightly dust the top tray with corn starch and spread it evenly.

2. Roll out a ¼- to 1/2 in. thick slab about 25% larger than the mold and decorate it with stamps and roulettes. Carefully coax it into the tray.

3. Lay a dry cleaning bag over the clay to make it easier to press into the corners of the mold. This also helps protect the textures.

4. Trim some but not all of the excess clay. Tuck and smooth the edges to give it a more finished look without losing the freeform shape.

5. Fashion handles from scrap pieces and attach with slip. Additional texture is applied to each handle.

Examples of three pieces made from plastic microwave slump molds.

**First published in 2015.