Students at Patterson Lakes Primary School combined clay, Magiclay, wire and ribbon to create these colourful bird cages. 

Method:

Step 1
Coil Pot – roll a small slab. Cut a circle out with cookie cutter or trace a circle shape/template. Roll coils long enough to go around the base’s circumference. Add 3 to 4 coils to make cage walls. Blend and smooth the internal walls of coil pot. Reinforce the internal base connecting with the walls .with thin coils. Make internal pot smooth.

Step 2
Stick in skewers (Straight from one side to the other.) to create 6 entrance holes for wire cage. Make holes larger to allow for shrinkage of clay. Fire

Step 3
After firing, paint the base of cage with Vipon paints.

Step 4
Create the bird on the perch with Magiclay and 1 pipe cleaner.  Fold pipe cleaner into thirds, creating a triangular shape. Model bird and add feathers with joggle eyes. Stick bird with Magiclay onto perch. When dry, decorate with Posca Pens.

Step 5
Construct wire cage from 3 wire pieces. Bend wire piece in half. Thread an end through a hole and the other end in the hole opposite. Hook wire into bottom of internal base. Do all 3 pieces. Twist the tops to bring together. Stretch sides of cage in an arc to give the illusion of a cylinder cage.

Step 6
Add bird on perch to the wire cage. Attach perch by twisting the pipe cleaner to the top of cage. Decorate the top of cage with a ribbon.

Step 7
Could decorate the base of cage with small feathers and Magiclay eggs.

Emma Munnikhuis
Visual Arts Co-ordinator
Patterson Lakes Primary School