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Activities / Dhokra / Dhokra Relief Pendant

Dhokra Relief Pendant

Dhokra-Inspired Relief Pendant: Thread-Coil Pattern on a Clay Disc

Level
Beginner
Duration
1 - 1.5 hours (plus 1-2 days drying)
Budget
₹970 – ₹1,762
Age
10+
State
Chhattisgarh
Craft
Dhokra

Materials

  • Air-dry clay, white or terracotta
  • Acrylic paint set (needs dark brown, or red, green and black to mix brown)
  • Metallic gold acrylic paint
  • Small paint brush set
  • Clear water-based acrylic varnish
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Dust mask (N95 or FFP2)
  • 5 cm round cutter or a small glass or jar lid
  • Drinking straw for the hole
  • Cotton cord, string or thin shoelace, 50 cm
  • Two pencils, a rolling pin or smooth jar, toothpick, baking paper, damp cloth

Steps

  1. Understand the idea and set up your table
    Real Dhokra jewellery is cast in brass from a wax model. Here you copy the thread-coil pattern in air-dry clay, with no heat and no metal. Cover the table with newspaper. Lay out clay, two pencils, a rolling pin or a smooth jar, a 5 cm round cutter, a drinking straw, a toothpick, a bowl of water and a sheet of baking paper. Not suitable for children under 8, because of small parts.
    Tip: Keep unused clay wrapped in a damp cloth so it does not dry out.
  2. Roll the clay 6 mm thick using pencil guides
    Knead 30 g of clay until soft, about the size of a walnut. Put it on baking paper between two pencils laid parallel, about 8 cm apart. Roll it flat with a rolling pin or jar, letting the pin rest on the pencils so the clay ends up the same thickness as the pencils, about 6 mm. Smooth any cracks with a wet fingertip.
  3. Cut a 5 cm disc and smooth the edge
    Press a 5 cm round cutter straight down through the clay. If you have no cutter, use the rim of a small glass or jar lid about 5 cm across. Lift away the extra clay. Dip a finger in water and rub the cut edge until it feels smooth and rounded. Common mistake: wiggling the cutter, which makes a ragged edge.
  4. Poke the hanging hole near the top
    Push a drinking straw through the disc, about 8 mm from the top edge, and pull it out with the clay plug inside. Make sure the hole is clean and round. If it is too close to the edge, the pendant will snap, so keep at least 8 mm of clay around it. Let the disc rest flat on baking paper.
  5. Roll thin threads and press a spiral in the middle
    Roll a pea-sized piece of clay into a thread about 1.5 mm thick and 15 cm long. Brush a dab of water on the middle of the disc. Starting at the centre, coil the thread in a flat spiral and press it in lightly with a toothpick. Trim the end and blend it, and keep a damp cloth over unused threads. Common mistake: threads that are too thick, which look heavy.
    Tip: If a thread breaks, just join the pieces and press them together.
  6. Add a ring of scallops and a few dots
    Roll another thread about 20 cm long. Press it around the spiral in a ring of small half-circle scallops, each about 8 mm wide, pressing every curve with the toothpick. Then add dots with the toothpick tip between the scallops and around the outer edge. The surface should look busy, like a stamped metal pendant.
  7. Dry the pendant flat for 24 to 48 hours
    Leave the pendant on baking paper in a dry, airy place, away from direct sun. After 12 hours, turn it over gently so the back dries too, which keeps it from warping. It is ready when it is hard and light all the way through. Rub the edges lightly with fine sandpaper, wearing a mask, and wipe off the dust with a damp cloth.
  8. Paint it dark brown, then dry-brush with gold
    Paint the front and the edge with dark brown, pushing paint into the grooves. If you have no brown, mix red, green and a little black. Leave to dry for 1 hour. Then dip a dry brush into gold, wipe most of it off on a rag and lightly brush over the pattern so only the raised threads turn gold and the grooves stay dark. Paint the back brown as well.
    Tip: Practise the dry-brush on newspaper first.
  9. Seal it and add a cord
    Brush on one thin coat of clear acrylic varnish on both sides. Let it dry for 24 hours. Then thread a 50 cm cotton cord through the hole and tie the ends in a knot, leaving a loop that fits over your head. Keep the pendant dry, since air-dry clay softens in water.

Sustainability

Medium - small project from clay offcuts. Inspired-by exercise: real Dhokra jewellery is cast brass

Safety

Not for children under 8 (small parts); no heat or metal casting; wear a mask when sanding clay