Propagation Pool
Description
For the last Hackathon of the Spring 2023 semester, I decided to make a nature-themed propagation bowl for my sister. She loves taking care of plants, and she always has cuttings in water so that they'll grow roots. However, she only uses boring glass jars and vases, so I wanted to make her a cute bowl with some tiny decorations to make her plant table more exciting. I made the bowl, little animals, and mushrooms out of polymer clay since it becomes waterproof when baked, and I used aquarium-grade adhesive to glue everything together.
Process
I first had to make the bowl out of terracotta-colored clay since it would take the longest to bake.
While the bowl was baking, I made the mushrooms and the sleeping fox and baked them as well.
While those were baking, the frogs were next. As I was making the frogs, I realized my fingers were too warm and kept making the clay too pliable, so I had to start dipping my fingertips in ice water to keep them cooler.
When the fox was done, I used acrylic paint to add the details, like its fur or its sleeping face.
Finally, I glued everything together and made sure there were no holes in the bowl itself.
Reflection
I really enjoyed this project because I've always wanted to make something out of clay. It definitely took a lot of practice and patience, but when I finally got the hang of it, I felt proud of my creations. I especially liked making the fox because it showed that I could make something recognizable from something so minimally detailed. Of course there were some mishaps, like frog eyes or mushroom caps falling off, but those were easily repairable with some more adhesive. This was, by far, the best Hackathon project I made, and I am excited to see what I can come up with next semester!
