My favorite childhood memories come from visits to my grandparents’ home in rural Pennsylvania. Their house always felt like a treasure trove full of hidden surprises waiting to be discovered. I’ll never forget the summer I found a box of old purses in the guestroom closet—purses that had belonged to my great-grandmother.
They were not designer, but each one was carefully preserved, holding remnants of her daily life: a handkerchief, a compact mirror, shopping lists. They felt like little time capsules. I was mesmerized by the variety—some were simple and functional, while others were delicate, meant for evenings out. Each time we visited, I’d open that box again, unpacking the purses to examine their contents, letting my imagination run wild with the stories they might tell.
When I started developing templates for lidded boxes, those purses came rushing to mind. This particular design is directly inspired by an old clutch I loved—a soft, worn piece that held a small change purse, an embroidered handkerchief, a two-dollar bill, and a tube of lipstick. It was a tiny archive of her life, and I couldn’t help but channel that same sense of nostalgia and storytelling into my work.
First Steps
The first step is to prepare the clay. I work with paper porcelain, which I tint with Mason stains to create a custom color palette. I intentionally leave the color slightly uneven to achieve a hand-dyed effect that complements the textured surfaces I’ll add later.
Once the clay is tinted, I prepare slabs for the ceramic box by rolling the paper clay into larger sheets, about ⅜ inch (9.5 mm) thick. I then cut these into 4×6-inch (10.2 × 15.2-cm) rectangles, perfectly sized for my 4×6 commercial fondant mold (1).
After cutting the slabs, I plan my color layout and decide whether to incorporate any inlay designs. For the inlay, I press contrasting colored clays into one of the slabs to form a pattern (2), then use a pony roller to firmly embed the design into the clay.
Next, I place the cut, inlaid slab face down over the knitted pattern texture mold and roll it again with the pony roller (3). After trimming away the excess, I remove the slab from the mold to reveal a vibrant, cozy knitted texture. I repeat this process for seven slabs—six to form a patchwork slab and one for the top of the box.
Creating a Patchwork Slab
With all my slabs inlaid and textured, I begin what I refer to as “stitching” them together to form the body of the box. I use a needle tool to score one short and one long edge of each slab and tear away the excess clay. The paper pulp in the porcelain creates a beautiful deckled edge on the textured side, resembling torn fabric (4). Then, I gently press down the other edges with a finger to create a small bevel before assembling the slabs into a patchwork sheet by slipping, scoring, and overlapping the deckled edges over the beveled ones. I work in pairs of slabs. After joining each section, I flip it texture-side down onto a foam surface and stitch the seams together by dampening the surface and using a scoring tool back and forth across the seams, both horizontally and vertically (5). Once the seams are secure, I compress them and smooth out any marks using a soft red rib (6). This process continues until all sections are joined into a cohesive patchwork slab (7).
Assembling the Box
Templates are crucial in my process. I often create them from tar paper, which is inexpensive, durable, and reusable. For this design, I use two templates: one for the body of the box and one for the lid. I place the body template on the patchwork slab and the lid template on the single textured slab, tracing around them with a needle tool to cut the clay, carefully removing the excess (8). Set aside any large scraps for later use.
Once cut, I lay the body of the box on foam, textured side down. The sides of the box, which have a zigzag shape, are prepared by alternating deckled and beveled edges along their length. From top to bottom, the edges alternate in this order: deckle, bevel, deckle, deckle, bevel, bevel. I dampen and score the edges, then overlap and gently press them together one by one to ensure they adhere (9). The inside seams are then flattened and smoothed using a wood sculpting tool. Leaving the inside of the box seamless.
Fitting a Lid
Next, I pinch the top edge to soften it and roll the textured side inward to create a finished interior edge (10). I repeat this process with the piece of clay that was cut for the lid.
Now, I create a gallery for the lid to rest on inside the box. I roll a coil of clay and pinch it into a triangle (11). I score the flat side of the triangle and the inside of the box under the rolled edge, then press them together (12). The gallery is refined with a little moisture, a sculpting tool, and the corner of a stiff green rib (13). I check the fit of the lid and body, adjusting as needed for a secure fit.
Final Touches
Once the box is fully assembled, I add the final details to give it a unique touch. I create a knob from the textured scraps saved during the process, allowing for creative flexibility so that each knob and box is one-of-a-kind. I also add an indication mark by cutting two small shapes from the scraps—one goes on the lid, the other on the body of the box. This subtle detail helps the user align the lid correctly.
The final touch is crafting a small tag, which I tuck into a seam on the body of the box. It’s a small detail, but it’s my favorite part. It gives me a space for my mark and ties everything together (see 14).
Staining, Glazing, and Firing
After the box has been bisque-fired to cone 05, I glaze the inside with a clear glaze and allow it to dry overnight. The following day, I move on to the staining process, using a mixture of Gerstley borate and Mason stains, heavily diluted with water. Layering different colors allows me to achieve depth and richness in the surface of the final piece.
I begin by applying a red and blue stain to areas where I want to enhance shadows. Using a paintbrush, I carefully apply the stain and then wipe it back with a damp sponge, creating a subtle wash. This first layer acts like an underpainting (similar to the process of acrylic painting) setting the stage for the final colors. The next layer is usually a darker version of the stain used to tint the clay. Again, I apply it with a paintbrush, working in controlled areas, and wipe it back with a sponge to create a soft, nuanced finish.
Once the staining is complete, I sign the small tag on the box with an underglaze pencil to add a personal touch (14). The box is then sent off to the kiln, where it’s fired to cone 5 (15).
After firing, I carefully sand the piece with a range of grits, from 120 to 400, to smooth the surface and enhance the texture. To finish, I seal the box with food-grade mineral oil, which helps prevent surface stains and brings out the color and depth of the surface.
Lindsay Langsdale, known artistically as Lin Lang, is a San Francisco based ceramic artist, teacher, and founder of Brick and Mortar Studios. Originally trained in painting and illustration, she shifted to clay 11 years ago, crafting sculptures and functional pieces inspired by knitting, puppetry, and 80s/90s nostalgia.
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My favorite childhood memories come from visits to my grandparents’ home in rural Pennsylvania. Their house always felt like a treasure trove full of hidden surprises waiting to be discovered. I’ll never forget the summer I found a box of old purses in the guestroom closet—purses that had belonged to my great-grandmother.
They were not designer, but each one was carefully preserved, holding remnants of her daily life: a handkerchief, a compact mirror, shopping lists. They felt like little time capsules. I was mesmerized by the variety—some were simple and functional, while others were delicate, meant for evenings out. Each time we visited, I’d open that box again, unpacking the purses to examine their contents, letting my imagination run wild with the stories they might tell.
When I started developing templates for lidded boxes, those purses came rushing to mind. This particular design is directly inspired by an old clutch I loved—a soft, worn piece that held a small change purse, an embroidered handkerchief, a two-dollar bill, and a tube of lipstick. It was a tiny archive of her life, and I couldn’t help but channel that same sense of nostalgia and storytelling into my work.
First Steps
The first step is to prepare the clay. I work with paper porcelain, which I tint with Mason stains to create a custom color palette. I intentionally leave the color slightly uneven to achieve a hand-dyed effect that complements the textured surfaces I’ll add later.
Once the clay is tinted, I prepare slabs for the ceramic box by rolling the paper clay into larger sheets, about ⅜ inch (9.5 mm) thick. I then cut these into 4×6-inch (10.2 × 15.2-cm) rectangles, perfectly sized for my 4×6 commercial fondant mold (1).
After cutting the slabs, I plan my color layout and decide whether to incorporate any inlay designs. For the inlay, I press contrasting colored clays into one of the slabs to form a pattern (2), then use a pony roller to firmly embed the design into the clay.
Next, I place the cut, inlaid slab face down over the knitted pattern texture mold and roll it again with the pony roller (3). After trimming away the excess, I remove the slab from the mold to reveal a vibrant, cozy knitted texture. I repeat this process for seven slabs—six to form a patchwork slab and one for the top of the box.
Creating a Patchwork Slab
With all my slabs inlaid and textured, I begin what I refer to as “stitching” them together to form the body of the box. I use a needle tool to score one short and one long edge of each slab and tear away the excess clay. The paper pulp in the porcelain creates a beautiful deckled edge on the textured side, resembling torn fabric (4). Then, I gently press down the other edges with a finger to create a small bevel before assembling the slabs into a patchwork sheet by slipping, scoring, and overlapping the deckled edges over the beveled ones. I work in pairs of slabs. After joining each section, I flip it texture-side down onto a foam surface and stitch the seams together by dampening the surface and using a scoring tool back and forth across the seams, both horizontally and vertically (5). Once the seams are secure, I compress them and smooth out any marks using a soft red rib (6). This process continues until all sections are joined into a cohesive patchwork slab (7).
Assembling the Box
Templates are crucial in my process. I often create them from tar paper, which is inexpensive, durable, and reusable. For this design, I use two templates: one for the body of the box and one for the lid. I place the body template on the patchwork slab and the lid template on the single textured slab, tracing around them with a needle tool to cut the clay, carefully removing the excess (8). Set aside any large scraps for later use.
Once cut, I lay the body of the box on foam, textured side down. The sides of the box, which have a zigzag shape, are prepared by alternating deckled and beveled edges along their length. From top to bottom, the edges alternate in this order: deckle, bevel, deckle, deckle, bevel, bevel. I dampen and score the edges, then overlap and gently press them together one by one to ensure they adhere (9). The inside seams are then flattened and smoothed using a wood sculpting tool. Leaving the inside of the box seamless.
Fitting a Lid
Next, I pinch the top edge to soften it and roll the textured side inward to create a finished interior edge (10). I repeat this process with the piece of clay that was cut for the lid.
Now, I create a gallery for the lid to rest on inside the box. I roll a coil of clay and pinch it into a triangle (11). I score the flat side of the triangle and the inside of the box under the rolled edge, then press them together (12). The gallery is refined with a little moisture, a sculpting tool, and the corner of a stiff green rib (13). I check the fit of the lid and body, adjusting as needed for a secure fit.
Final Touches
Once the box is fully assembled, I add the final details to give it a unique touch. I create a knob from the textured scraps saved during the process, allowing for creative flexibility so that each knob and box is one-of-a-kind. I also add an indication mark by cutting two small shapes from the scraps—one goes on the lid, the other on the body of the box. This subtle detail helps the user align the lid correctly.
The final touch is crafting a small tag, which I tuck into a seam on the body of the box. It’s a small detail, but it’s my favorite part. It gives me a space for my mark and ties everything together (see 14).
Staining, Glazing, and Firing
After the box has been bisque-fired to cone 05, I glaze the inside with a clear glaze and allow it to dry overnight. The following day, I move on to the staining process, using a mixture of Gerstley borate and Mason stains, heavily diluted with water. Layering different colors allows me to achieve depth and richness in the surface of the final piece.
I begin by applying a red and blue stain to areas where I want to enhance shadows. Using a paintbrush, I carefully apply the stain and then wipe it back with a damp sponge, creating a subtle wash. This first layer acts like an underpainting (similar to the process of acrylic painting) setting the stage for the final colors. The next layer is usually a darker version of the stain used to tint the clay. Again, I apply it with a paintbrush, working in controlled areas, and wipe it back with a sponge to create a soft, nuanced finish.
Once the staining is complete, I sign the small tag on the box with an underglaze pencil to add a personal touch (14). The box is then sent off to the kiln, where it’s fired to cone 5 (15).
After firing, I carefully sand the piece with a range of grits, from 120 to 400, to smooth the surface and enhance the texture. To finish, I seal the box with food-grade mineral oil, which helps prevent surface stains and brings out the color and depth of the surface.
Lindsay Langsdale, known artistically as Lin Lang, is a San Francisco based ceramic artist, teacher, and founder of Brick and Mortar Studios. Originally trained in painting and illustration, she shifted to clay 11 years ago, crafting sculptures and functional pieces inspired by knitting, puppetry, and 80s/90s nostalgia.
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